EXPLORING THE INTRICATE ARTISANAL UNIVERSE OF RIGARDS

There are brands that follow a fashion cycle, and there are brands that shape their own mythology. Rigards belongs firmly to the latter — a studio where eyewear becomes sculpture, where handwork becomes language, and where materials are invited to speak rather than subdued into uniformity.

Founded with the belief that objects should hold the imprint of the maker, Rigards approaches eyewear not as product design, but as a slow, intimate craft. Every frame begins as raw material — horn, copper, aluminum, or experimental alloys — that is shaped, scraped, oxidized or polished by hand, resulting in forms that carry both human intention and organic unpredictability. To wear Rigards is to enter into a relationship with an object that continues to evolve long after you first put it on.

A LANGUAGE OF HANDS, SHADOWS AND SUBTLE IMPERFECTION

Rigards finds beauty in what others overlook — small irregularities, soft asymmetry, the subtle uneven grain of horn, or the way a surface patinas over time. This is not imperfection. It is expression.

Textures are not engineered; they are discovered. Edges are not machined; they are persuaded into shape. Patinas are not artificial; they form through a careful balance of chemistry, atmosphere and time.

This is eyewear that feels alive — changing silently as it ages, deepening in color, softening against the skin, carrying the story of the wearer.

MATERIAL ALCHEMY: HORN, METAL AND EXPERIMENTAL ALLOYS

Rigards is renowned for its masterful use of water buffalo horn — a material with a unique warmth and tactile softness. Horn’s natural variations create tonal shifts and organic striations, allowing each frame to have its own internal landscape. Yet Rigards' universe extends far beyond horn, with an expanding focus on patinated metals.

• Copper & Aluminum — developing burnished or smoky patinas depending on wear and atmosphere
• Experimental Alloys — proprietary finishes shifting between matte, reflective, aged and polished states
• Textured Surfaces — etched, hammered or brushed to echo stone, bark or weathered bone

These approaches place Rigards in a broader lineage of artisanal craft and sculptural exploration — eyewear as a material conversation.

MODULAR CRAFT — THE ICONIC DOUBLE-LAYERED FRAME

Among Rigards’ many innovations, one stands apart: the double-layered modular frame system. Many celebrated styles pair a core optical frame with a detachable second layer — a sunframe that clips on seamlessly.

• pure optical clarity
• a sculptural, layered silhouette when the sunframe is attached

The transformation is tactile and architectural — eyewear that adapts, shifts and evolves with the wearer. Minimal when worn alone, expressive when layered, always intentional.

This philosophy reflects Rigards’ deeper ethos: design that honors material integrity, human handwork and personal expression.

COLLABORATIONS WITH AVANT-GARDE DESIGNERS: ZIGGY CHEN, UMA WANG & MORE

A defining aspect of Rigards' identity is its collaborations with designers who share a poetic, material-driven vision.

Rigards x Ziggy Chen
Muted tones, architectural aging, asymmetry and atmospheric surfaces that mirror Chen’s cinematic textile world.

Rigards x Uma Wang
Earthy austerity, layered textures and refined nomadic elegance — eyewear designed as extensions of Uma Wang’s sculptural silhouettes.

These partnerships position Rigards firmly within the avant-garde fashion ecosystem — aligned with designers who prioritize craft, emotion and expressive silhouette.

CRAFT AS PHILOSOPHY — NOT DECORATION

At its core, Rigards stands for:

• hand-forming over stamping
• natural patinas over synthetic coating
• material-led design over imposed perfection
• quiet character over loud branding

The result: intimate, tactile objects that reward touch and age gracefully — eyewear for those who value subtlety, ritual and the poetry of time.

RIGARDS AT ORIMONO — A SHARED AESTHETIC VOCABULARY

Within Orimono’s curated selection, Rigards feels like a natural continuation of our values: craft, expressive minimalism and material sophistication.

• sculptural horn frames
• atmospheric metal silhouettes
• textured, hand-finished patinas
• avant-garde collaborations
• frames that complement Yohji Yamamoto, Professor.E, Masnada and more

These are not mere accessories, but extensions of identity — eyewear that articulates presence, expression and individuality.