Alongside EYEVAN 7285, AFTER also carries 10 eyevan. This brand, which began with a focus on special individual parts, manages to avoid excessive design overall while still achieving a smart and modern collection by meticulously pursuing the natural harmony between lens shapes and components.
These are unique eyeglasses that don't assert themselves but rather bring out the inner charm of the wearer. We will introduce their allure and meticulous attention to detail in two journal entries.
This is the first installment. From how the brand was conceived to the Torx screws, craftsman Maruyama, the hinges, and the shell pads and shell-shaped hinges.
I will share the background story that I could only know because I was closest to Mr. Nakagawa, the designer of 10 eyevan, when I was the store manager at EYEVAN 7285 Tokyo.
— The brand's origin story
10 eyevan is a relatively new brand, launched in 2017. The brand's origin lies in products that EYEVAN previously worked on.
Mr. Nakagawa, the designer of 10 eyevan, says that while planning various products, he frequently encountered highly appealing parts, parts that were too good to be used without comment. These were parts that, though not flashy, served as unsung heroes, things like "actually, there's this kind of thing."
— Including Torx screws and shell pads
According to Mr. Nakagawa, he couldn't forget the casual remarks and ideas shared by industry veterans, and these naturally accumulated over time.
For example, he heard that natural shell pads were introduced by someone involved with the early EYEVAN, who said, "If you have something like this, you don't need to do anything extra."
Indeed, with such solid details, simply crafting them well can result in something excellent. In fact, it might be better not to over-design.
— A brand born for its parts
However, if these parts were used in a brand that was already established at the time, there would be no one to appreciate their intricate details, and the true appeal of the parts would not be recognized. That's why 10 eyevan was started as a new brand.
Once one part was decided, it would lead to questions like "What if we combine it with that part from before?" or "What if we design a new version of this part?" This is how a single pair of eyeglasses gradually took shape.
— A rare entity without a lineage
Existing eyewear brands often have a discernible lineage. For example, EYEVAN 7285 has an air of conservative elegance, like Oliver Peoples, but with just a hint of modern essence. Words like freedom or rock might suit it.
But when I try to describe 10 eyevan, I can't find any fitting adjectives at all. Even if I try to find parallels in clothing or shoes, I still can't. In that sense, it's an interesting and rare brand with an invisible lineage.
— β Titanium Torx screws
10 eyevan, which embodies a design and function that can be described as purely beautiful, is a brand born from this single screw.
The Torx is considered the most superior screw head shape. Mr. Nakagawa, the designer, was well aware of this, having previously worked in the aerospace industry.
However, the screws used in eyeglasses are very small, so stainless steel, which is easy to process, is almost always the material used. If that were simply made into a Torx, the tightening force would be too strong, and the screw head would twist off.
By reevaluating the material from scratch, they developed the first β-titanium Torx screw for eyeglasses of that size. When informed that the material is β-titanium, anyone involved in eyewear would exclaim, "That's impossible!" In fact, a leading figure in a certain industry said the same thing. It was common knowledge that a β-titanium Torx was absolutely out of the question.
— Craftsman Maruyama
The person who made the impossible possible was Mr. Maruyama, a craftsman with 40 years of experience. When making screws, long wire-like rods are prepared, but traditionally, it was impossible to achieve millimeter-level precision with β-titanium. However, Mr. Maruyama provided completely new, high-precision β-titanium wire, which made it possible to develop β-titanium Torx screws for eyeglasses.
Furthermore, an OS lock mechanism, which makes the screw less likely to loosen, is also included, and this is also a patent of Mr. Maruyama's company. It can be said that this screw is as perfect as it gets for use in eyeglasses.
— Titanium hinges
The hinges are made of titanium, produced through cutting and pressing. While titanium is a difficult material to process, careful processing can result in highly precise parts.
The movement of an eyeglass hinge opening and closing is called "agaki" in the eyewear industry, and the quality of eyeglasses is judged by this "agaki." By using highly precise titanium parts, this movement becomes very smooth.
This part is indispensable for maximizing the characteristics of the β-titanium Torx screws.
— Shell pads
For the development of shell pads made from natural shells, there was a consultation with someone who had been involved with EYEVAN in the 70s. They had seen shell nose pads on very old vintage eyewear and wondered if it was possible to recreate them.
They were then introduced to a long-established factory in Nara Prefecture, one of the world's leading producers of shell buttons. Due to his extensive experience in the industry, he had many contacts, and those connections proved invaluable.
However, while shell buttons are generally flat, nose pads that rest directly on the nose must be curved. Therefore, it was necessary to go through the process of buying shell parts from the factory in Nara, polishing them into a curved shape at a factory in Fukui, and then attaching the hinges. All of these processes were also taken care of by the person who introduced them to the Nara factory.
— Shell-shaped hinges
Attached to the polished shell pads are shell-shaped hinges that resemble an opening shell. The pursuit was for an ideal design that could be securely fixed without wobbling, yet easily removed when desired.
Until then, no new nose pads had emerged in the industry. However, while all brands adopted only generic attachment methods, designer Nakagawa says, "I always had doubts about whether that was truly the best."
This innovative attachment method, which did not exist in the history of eyewear, has also been patented. (Patent No. 6039851)
The next installment, Part 2, will detail the titanium rims, the meticulously crafted lens shapes, deadstock celluloid, and the meaning behind the 10 eyevan logo.
Hiroki Makino
2011: Joined Eyevan Retailing Co., Ltd.
2012: Store Manager, EYEVAN Osaka Gallery & EYEVAN Barneys New York Kobe Store
2016: Store Manager, Oliver Peoples Osaka
2017: Store Manager, EYEVAN 7285 Tokyo. Handled numerous flagship stores and custom orders for EYEVAN 7285 & 10 eyevan.
2023: Became independent and opened AFTER.
