Leica has announced it has entered a “substantial partnership” with fellow German company, eyewear label MYKITA, to bring the highest level of German engineering to the eyewear market. That’s basically the marketing way of say, “hey, look we are making eyewear together!”
Do not expect to find Leica Rangefinder-shaped frames, though. MYKITA x Leica Sunglasses is more sophisticated than that.
Two designs will be offered: a pure stainless steel model and a hybrid model that combines stainless steel with a proprietary 3D-printed material called MYLON.
The difference between two are not just colors and materials; there are subtle design differences. For example, MYLON model sports a top bar across the eyewear that mimics the camera lens hood, serving to protect the wearer’s eyes from overhead sun rays by minimizing the gap between the wearer’s brow and the frame.
Meanwhile, the red-lacquered edges on the all-stainless steel model is a nod to the grip on the camera maker’s camera lenses:
And then there’s this bit of detail that has gotten us all excited:
The eye wire (or eye frame) and lenses that reminiscent of the front view of a Leica camera lens hood. No protrusion like a lens hood, though. That would silly and awkward looking.
The lenses are optical-grade quality and are 100 percent UV protection with polarized options and treated with AquaDura Vision Pro coating. MYKITA x Leica Sunglasses will arrive in June 2020 and available from both brands’ websites. Pricing is yet to be announced.
Images: Leica.
