Facial Index New York is a Japanese optical shop that produces very well-made, modern, quietly iconic eyewear. Don't get me wrong, I adore my iconic eyewear of the yesteryears, but after hopping around from one classic "iconic" brand to another (Ray-Bans, then Oakley Frogskins, then Persols, then Moscots), I need something to cleanse the palate. I chanced upon the cool, stone-clad Facial Index boutique in SoHo a few New York trips back and kept them top-of-mind for the time I'd be on the market for new spectacles. Now that I'm in the city and in need of a new pair of sunglasses to replace my over-worn and over-exposed Ray-Ban Wayfarers, I think I might just bite the bullet and purchase a pair of Facial Indices.I've got my eyes set on this pair of milky green-gray frames, but don't know what tinted lenses to place on them. Any suggestions?
The claim on their website that their eyewear "provokes thought and progressively changes the wearer's outlook, which evolves into a fashion icon" might be a slightly funny tall order, but all I can vouch for is that they make glasses of exceptional quality.the workroom at Kaneko Optical, Facial Index's parent company in Japan (photo from Kaneko Optical)
A couple more options:They might have had their moment in the early 2000s, but I am seriously considering gradient lenses.This black+crystal pair looks really sharp, but might look best with clear lenses.
A few more nights of pondering and I might just be seeing New York through my new Japanese second eyes.