Fashion In The Frame
Like pieces of unfinished art. That’s the impression Masahiro Maruyama wants you to feel about his award-winning, asymmetrical eyewear. It’s a design philosophy borne of his first foray into making glasses as a teen when he found that the imperfect frames he had created were for him, in fact: perfect.
With their idiosyncratic, incomplete aesthetic, Maruyama’s glasses challenge the idea that “perfection” and “finished'' are synonymous concepts. Where classic frames are symmetrical and polished, Masahiro Maruyama sunglasses are shaped in subtly surprising ways. From a distance, you notice the refined craftsmanship and quirky design. Look closely, and the finespun features of an angular rim there, or an upside-down arm there become charmingly clear.
While they may be mischievous in look, they are obedient to the highest Japanese production standards. The delicate frames are painstakingly handmade in Sabae City in Fukui Prefecture—a region renowned for eyewear manufacture—by skilled craftspeople with whom computerized processing cannot compete.
Maruyama has released 10 design theme collections since the brand’s launch in 2011, winning the Silmo d’Or award for optical frame design in 2020 with the Monocle MM-0052 collection. It’s a long-overdue international recognition of Maruyama’s creative talent, meaning all eyes will be on his latest collection, Sculpt, inspired by the art of sculpture.
Cast your eyes on our editors' picks of sunglasses and spot a pair that’s (im)perfect for you this summer season.