EYEVAN 7285, handled by AFTER, is truly a one-of-a-kind brand, boldly combining the wide range of design sources that capture the attention of their design team with traditional craftsmanship and cutting-edge technology to bring those ideas to life.
The history of EYEVAN 7285 can be traced back to the EYEVAN of the 90s, loved by international celebrities like Madonna, and the EYEVAN of the 80s, discovered by Larry Leight of OLIVER PEOPLES. The origin of all this was in 1972, when Yamamoto Kogaku, a company producing sports sunglasses at the time, launched the EYEVAN brand under the concept of "eyeglasses to wear."
In addition to having designers in-house at Yamamoto Kogaku, there was also a friendship between Kensuke Ishizu, the founder of VAN Jacket known for VAN, and the then-chairman of EYEVAN. This led to EYEVAN releasing groundbreakingly designed eyeglasses soon after the brand's launch.
What we're introducing today are such vintage EYEVAN pieces. While vintage EYEVAN encompasses various eras and production backgrounds, these are the earliest deadstock pieces from the late 1970s to the early 1980s.
Both pairs have a surprisingly modern feel, making it hard to believe they were designed half a century ago. As we mentioned when introducing Deadstock OLIVER PEOPLES, these eyeglasses caught the eye of OLIVER PEOPLES founder Larry Leight at an exhibition in New York, leading to EYEVAN entering a licensing agreement to manufacture and sell OLIVER PEOPLES.
The current OLIVER PEOPLES has since moved away from EYEVAN in terms of both brand and production background. However, these models, designed in the 70s as "eyeglasses to wear" and still timeless after half a century, continue to be offered with largely the same design today.
The innovative combination of metal and plastic at the time, and the delicate details of the engravings, truly exemplify a design that withstands the test of time.
These two pairs are the origin of origins for EYEVAN 7285, a modern craftwork that is arguably unsurpassed as a current product, and OLIVER PEOPLES, now globally renowned. Furthermore, their deadstock condition is impeccable.
AFTER is not the only optical shop that handles vintage EYEVAN, though there aren't many. However, we believe AFTER is unique in handling them with an accurate historical understanding and a comprehensive lineup. In addition to these two pairs, we have a significant new arrival of vintage EYEVAN, and we hope to introduce them sequentially through our journal.
Furthermore, in preparation for the arrival of these vintage items, we contacted someone who worked with Larry Leight at EYEVAN back then—a true living encyclopedia—to ensure we could accurately understand and convey their precise lineage.
For AFTER, which handles both EYEVAN 7285, an outstanding current product, and vintage eyewear that deeply reflects the historical context of its time, this is truly a most welcome arrival.
