4 reasons why True Vintage Revival is the epitome of Japanese artistry
It goes without saying that when a product or brand is stamped with the "Made In Japan" label, you are rest assured that it has amazing value, supreme quality and impeccable craftsmanship.
And True Vintage Revival (TVR) is a Japanese optical label that epitomises everything that represents Japanese fine artistry.
A label born from the city of Sabae in the Fukui Prefecture, each and every piece of eyewear made is fully handcrafted and produced by its talented local craftsmen.
To better understand this unique label, we present to you 4 reasons why TVR is an optic label that needs to be in your arsenal right now.
A city that produces 90% of eyewear cold in Japan, Sabae can be truly be considered as the "City of Glasses" (one that represents the history of handmade Japanese optics) and in 2013, it gave a home to the budding label True Vintage Revival.
True to its name, TVR is a label that primes on its revival of vintage and classic eyewear silhouettes, which is sourced from across the globe, especially those from the 19th century.
To give an illustration, one of the most popular creations, the TVR512 Vintage Universal Frame, is a revival of the original Universal eyewear worn by James Dean in the film 'Rebel Without a Cause' from the 1950s.
Did you know that Sabae is known for inventing the concept of nose pads and developed the use of titanium frames in the 1980s?
(Photo: James Dean wearing the original Universal Frame).
As we were saying earlier, each TVR frames are painstakingly crafted by hand by veteran craftsmen of Sabae who has decades of experience in the field.
That means each and every piece of Zylonite/celluloid sheet (the base material for eyewear frames) is cut, filed and bent by hand by the craftsman, which takes extremely long hours to complete a single unit.
To put into perspective, we spoke to one of the masters Yamada Mitsukazu, who works with his wife in Sabae to produce TVR frames. He told us, "My wife and I make about a hundred pairs of eyeglasses in a month. The demand is overwhelming but there’s only so much we can do."
That means each TVR eyewear you invest in is of top quality and made to last the test of time.
To master the skills to create perfect handmade frames, Yamada says it takes a decade to master the craft?
(Photo: Master craftsmen at work to produce eyewear frames).
And of course, let's bring you closer to take a look at the design of the eyewear, like the TVR512 Vintage Universal Frame we mentioned earlier.
Among the many collections created since its inception, the TVR516 Crown Panto collection from Fall/Winter 2017 is a visual delight that originated from the 1930s' French classic style.
Made popular by actor Gregory Peck (Roman Holiday and To Kill A Mockingbird) in the '40s, the 516 frames (pictured below) highlights sharp curve and angle are deftly fashioned to give its wearer a bold and masculine attitude.
516 aside, there's another stellar design that we are amazed with – the TVR517 Deco Octagon collection.
Set to launch in Spring 2018, the new design inspired by the rare 1920s Art Deco octagonal spectacles known as the Willson.
Its flawless geometric eight-sided frame features vintage filigree on the eye rim and adopts the underrated double colouring design is the new shiny edition to TVR’s Sun Platinum Metal (SPM) range.
(Swipe to see more of the TVR 512, 516 & 517 collections in gallery below)
With such a prestigious Japanese label, there are, of course, a long list of star-studded fans from the East and West.
Closer to home, in the East, we have the celebrated Korean star Song Joon Ki who prefers the TVR504 JD Shape frames in classic black and also Fan Bing Bing who also wore the same frames.
Over in Hollywood, we have the likes of Teresa Palmer, Zac Efron and Kevin Bacon wearing the TVR504, TVR 502 and TVR506 frames respectively.
(Swipe the gallery below to see them yourself)
Visit www.tvropt.com for more information about True Vintage Revival eyewear.
In Malaysia, you can visit Iconic Lab on t-051, 3rd floor of Mid Valley Megamall to purchase TVR eyewear. For more information, please call +603 2287 1713.
