RIGARDS celebrates hand-craftsmanship at its most intense level with a collaboration with avant-garde jeweler Takayoshi Yamanami. The man behind artisan label DETAJ, Yamanami has worn RIGARDS since our fledgling days, and we have maintained a reciprocal respect for his design ingenuity and silversmithing prowess. When the opportunity arose to partner, it felt like a perfect fit.
Our unified vision was brought to life in a purposefully diminutive round silhouette—a nod to the time-honored early 20th-century gentlemen’s style and Yamanami’s penchant for circular specs. The composition is formed by two elements: a genuine horn front and sterling silver arms. Continuing a theme of some of RIGARDS’s new works, the double-layer, cut-out nose bridge references the graceful moon bridges crossing the ponds and canals of classical gardens in the East.
The round rims are enriched by delicate, skillful edgework which catches and plays with the light thanks to RIGARDS’s trademark beveling. Artfully projecting nose-guards, recalling that on charming antique Oxford glasses, provide a light grip without pinching.
The front piece is sculpted and polished by hand from solid horn specially chosen for their exceptional characteristics, before being joined to sterling silver temples marked with DETAJ’s iconic visual code: an intriguing “bandage” finish inspired by none other than the unassuming material used to bind and protect the hand wounds that are an inevitable part of a craftsman’s life.
Perhaps Yamanami saw the bandages as artefacts that reveal the stories of a maker, medals of honor that illustrate his efforts and determination. Viewed with his sensitive eye, the mundane band-aid becomes an inspirational touchstone to a marvelous, gritty motif—that here coexists in effortless harmony with the organic, endearing warmth of horn and culminates in a visual and sensual delight. A frame instilled with the unmistakable spirit of RIGARDS and DETAJ, for distinguished gentlemen and gentle ladies.
