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For most eyewear designers, the lens exists to disappear.
For Issey Miyake, it has become the centre of the conversation.
The Japanese design house has unveiled UROKO, a striking new eyewear concept developed in collaboration with Kaneko Optical as part of the IM MEN Spring/Summer 2026 collection.
At first glance, the design appears almost impossible.
Eight lenses arranged across a sculptural frame.
Four on each side.
A composition that seems to challenge traditional assumptions about what eyewear should be.
Yet UROKO is not attempting to improve vision.
It is asking us to reconsider how we perceive objects themselves.
Beyond Function
Most luxury accessories begin with utility.
A watch tells time.
A bag carries possessions.
Eyewear protects the eyes.
UROKO begins elsewhere.
While only the central lenses serve a practical optical purpose, the remaining elements exist primarily as architectural components, extending the frame beyond the face and introducing rhythm, depth, and visual complexity.
The result feels less like eyewear and more like a wearable sculpture.
Inspired by Craft
The project draws inspiration from the work of celebrated Japanese ceramic artist Shoji Kamoda.
Its name, UROKO, meaning “scale” in Japanese, references the repetitive patterns found in both natural forms and traditional ceramics.
This connection is significant.
Rather than treating technology and craftsmanship as separate disciplines, Issey Miyake merges them into a single design language.
The repetition of lenses becomes a contemporary interpretation of centuries-old artistic principles.
The Rise of Collectible Design
Luxury increasingly exists beyond traditional categories.
Objects are no longer judged solely by their function.
They are valued for their ability to provoke thought, spark conversation, and express identity.
UROKO sits comfortably within this emerging territory.
It occupies a space somewhere between:
- fashion accessory
- industrial design
- contemporary art
- collectible object
The wearer becomes part of the composition itself.
Material Innovation Meets Minimalism
Achieving the complexity of the design required significant technical innovation.
The lenses utilise a concave geometry that allows multiple elements to sit closely together while maintaining balance and proportion.
The collaboration with Kaneko Optical ensures that traditional craftsmanship remains central to the production process, even as advanced manufacturing techniques enable the unconventional structure.
The result reflects a hallmark of Japanese design philosophy:
complexity executed with restraint.
Grandiose Perspective
The most interesting luxury objects today are often those that challenge expectations.
They ask questions rather than provide answers.
UROKO does precisely that.
It transforms eyewear from a tool into an experience, encouraging viewers to think about perception, form, and the relationship between the body and the objects we choose to wear.
In many ways, it reflects a broader shift taking place across contemporary design.
The future may belong not to products that perform more functions.
But to those that inspire entirely new ways of seeing.
