The most “imperfect perfection” avant garde aviator style sunglasses by RIGARDS x Boris Bidjan Saberi
In a first-ever, artisanal eyewear specialist RIGARDS and acclaimed Barcelona-based German-Persian designer Boris Bidjan Saberi have teamed up for a collaboration.
The goal to create an exacting aviator style — all-titanium, ultralight, universally-fitting, with unfailing attention to materiality — laid the foundations for a frame that stands out in its sophisticated synthesis of the notion of “imperfect perfection” and an almost surgical gestalt.
The aviator silhouette of the RIGARDS x Boris Bidjan Saberi RG1011BBS Sunglasses is revisited with a characterful yet flattering circular design, the frame corners nicely anchored by multidimensional crescent half-moon shapes. Special focus is placed on fit, such that the proportions are optimized for a greater range of face and head shapes.
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A major component are the smoothly detachable side-shields which, while physically protecting against light in the peripherals, metaphorically fortifies the wearer, as if paralleling an imperfect yet somehow irreproachable medieval armor. Carved in a form reminiscent of contour-molded body armors, the shields present a highly distinctive profile when viewed from any angel. The shields also feature artful debossed grooves, traced with two slender cutouts in a nod to Saberi’s symbolic affinity for the number eleven. The unique blend of details subtly recalls ancient insect exoskeletons preserved in fossils, while simultaneously exuding a futuristic cyber-organic feel.
Beyond the artistry, emphasis on expertise is the essence of the shields’ genuine functionality. Every aspect — the attachability/removability, material elasticity, stability — was assiduously worked on to ensure technical soundness.
The side shields can be reattached to a necklace chain (offered separately), doubling as pendants for added styling versatility.
As a final flourish, RIGARDS’s trademark ‘Time Machine’ hand-finishing is gently applied to both the frame and shields, creating a bespoke weathered patina as though seasoned by the passage of time — and further inviting reflections on the enigma of imperfection.
RIGARDS x Boris Bidjan Saberi RG1011BBS will be available in June 2023
Previous Boris Bidjan Saberi eyewear collaborations
This is the third eyewear collaboration of Boris Bidjan Saberi. Also check out the foregone collaborations with Dita Eyewear and Werkstatt:München:
Dita Eyewear X Boris Bidjan Saberi Sunglasses
DITA’S collaboration with Boris Bidjan Saberi re-interprets the traditional mountaineering frame with design and manufacturing innovations that combine raw titanium with advanced optical engineering. Designed with functionality and craft in mind, the frame’s minimalist appearance draws upon the engineering of an innovative titanium unibody frame. Manufactured by some of Japan’s oldest and most respected craftsmen, the frame is engineered with a single piece of titanium instead of two separate halves joined with a visible seam.
Werkstatt:München x Boris Bidjan Saberi 925 silver sunglasses M0598
Oxidised Sterling Silver Sunglasses with removable bars: every part of the frame is entirely worked in sterling silver, including removable silver clips. The Rodenstock high tech lenses are capable to sense and react to varying light conditions and meet all optical demand.
Previous RIGARDS eyewear collaborations
The list of collaborations between Rigards and renowned Avant Garde Fashion designers includes Ziggy Chen, Uma Wang, The Viridi-Anne, Detaj, Geoffrey B. Small:
Ziggy Chen x RIGARDS Sunglasses
Created in collaboration with avantgardist designer Ziggy Chen, RG1911CU expands RIGARDS’s iconic “Mad Scientist” form with a bridge based on the Hanzi character for the number 8 — the auspicious number of infinity and abundance in many cultures, East and West. Special production techniques animate the copper material with a gentle verdigris, an artful tribute to Bronze Age ritual vessels. Each pair is an individual piece of art as the copper takes the patina finish differently from frame to frame, so no two are ever alike. An interchangeable clip-on made from ultralight aluminum-magnesium converts the glasses from optical to sun in a heartbeat. The sun-clip also attaches to a chain to double as jewelry. Exclusive spring-hinge mechanism further ensures a product that is both aesthetically pleasing and effortlessly maintainable.
Uma Wang x RIGARDS Sunglasses
Artisanal designer Uma Wang has built one of the most beautiful fashion collections using sumptuous fabrics and prints. Now the virtuoso shares her artistry with RIGARDS, the natural eyewear specialist recognized for its nonconformist spirit and transformative craftsmanship. Special Considerations: The use of natural materials and handmaking processes bring random variations that give each pair of frames their unusual and unrepeatable appearance, color, and finish. These characteristics are not considered a defect, rather they add to the materials’ natural appeal and create a more unique wearing experience. Never use acidic cleaners on your frames. Please see the care guide for tips on keeping your frames in great condition.
The Viridi-Anne x RIGARDS Sunglasses
Created in collaboration with Japan’s master of artisanal fashion Tomoaki Okaniwa, the RIGARDS x The Viridi-Anne joint release is a highly complex yet elegantly restrained structure attained by skillfully juxtaposing four elemental metals: pure titanium for the main frame, hand-hammered .925 sterling silver for the swiveling nose rest, surgical steel for the sleek robotic arms, and aluminum-magnesium for the interchangeable sun-clip. Conceptually, the design considers the perennial themes of time and timelessness, light and dark, old and new. The triple nose bridge, constituted by three different components fitting together to form a cohesive whole, quietly plays off the notion that we often perceive aspects of the past, the present, and the future in synchrony, simply by virtue of our nature as creatures who remember, experience, and imagine.
