THE SOMA JOURNAL
FEATURED DESIGNER STUDIES
THE INDEPENDENT EDIT
Different makers.
Distinct perspectives.
A few of the people, materials and ideas behind the eyewear at Soma Optical in Boston’s South End. And many more in store.
MYKITA
Berlin ingenuity, visible in the smallest decisions.
02
Matsuda
Japanese craftsmanship with a fashion designer’s sense of drama.
03
AHLEM
Proportion, intuition and the small decisions that make a frame feel complete.
04
Garrett Leight
Familiar shapes seen through the life of a Los Angeles neighborhood.
05
Mr. Leight
Larry and Garrett Leight bring two perspectives to one carefully made frame.
06
LAPIMA
Brazilian light, generous curves and acetate shaped in three dimensions.
07
SATO
A 1990s reference point, reconsidered through Japanese craftsmanship.
08
RIGARDS
Texture, natural materials and an unusually personal design language.
09
Lunetterie Générale
Julien Couture’s eye for atmosphere, proportion and the stories objects carry.
10
NATIVE SONS
Postwar optimism and industrial design, translated into Japanese-made eyewear.
11
SAUVAGE
Paris and Tokyo meet through carved forms and carefully made components.
12
Shady Characters
A vintage-shop origin, carried forward with Japanese craft.
13
theo
Color, character and a Belgian belief that glasses can start a conversation.
14
FACTORY900
An eyewear maker that treats manufacturing as a creative tool.
15
YELLOWS PLUS
Japanese eyewear that pays attention to balance, not just first impressions.
16
YUICHI TOYAMA.
Japanese craft and a designer’s habit of questioning the finished idea.
17
MASAHIROMARUYAMA
Asymmetry that turns a familiar frame into an unexpected composition.
18
Lucas de Staël
A Paris workshop where unusual materials become a practical design question.
19
ANDY WOLF
Independent design with real workshops behind the color and shape.
A rotating look at some of our featured designers, not the whole collection. Explore a story, then ask us about current availability.