DESIGN /
PRODUCT
May 14, 2022
Eyeglass frames crafted from biodegradable "earth-return" bioplastic material | Araoka Glasses
Araoka Glasses | ARAOKAGANKYO
Araoka Glasses operates eyewear shops such as "Blink Gaienmae." In 2017, the company released the original eyewear "Elder_ARAOKAGANKYO" to commemorate its 77th anniversary. Five years after its launch, with the product now a flagship item, the company has undertaken a renewal with the further goal of long-term production.
Text by WAKABAYASHI Satsuki
Manufactured by "Taniguchi Glasses" (Sabae City, Fukui Prefecture), known for its leading domestic craftsmanship
"Elder_ARAOKAGANKYO" is inspired by the browline (a design motif based on the shape of eyebrows) that supported Araoka Glasses' early sales from its founding in 1940 and was cherished by founder Hideyoshi Araoka throughout his life. In 2017, through the aesthetic artistry of Koichi Futatsumata (CASE-REAL / KOICHI FUTATSUMATA STUDIO), an internationally active designer, an unprecedented browline was born. The development reportedly took two years.
The frames have now been renewed as the "Elder_ARAOKAGANKYO (2022 model)" by changing the frame material from conventional acetate to the biodegradable bioplastic "M49." "M49" is an excellent material developed by Mazzucchelli, an Italian company known as the leading manufacturer of eyewear materials. By replacing the plasticizers needed for molding the material with plant-derived ones, it has become a biodegradable substance. Lenses are available in eyeglass and sunglass types (in two shades: light and dark). The sunglasses use the highest quality glass lenses.
Elder_ARAOKAGANKYO (2022 model)
- Colors | gray havana, yellow havana, red havana, solid bordeaux, solid pink, solid chocolate brown
- Price | Eyeglass type ¥40,700, Sunglass type ¥42,900
Inquiries
Blink Gaienmae
Tel.03-5775-7525
http://blinc.co.jp/blinc/