Eccentric bespoke spectacles from a Japanese duo

Nackymade specialises in unusual arms and hosts pop-ups across the world

Husband-and-wife team Naoki “Nacky” Nakagawa and Tomoko “Mocky” Nakagawa create quirky bespoke glasses under the name of Nackymade. Their company is based in Kobe, Japan, but stages pop-ups across the world (including several each year at The Armoury in New York and Hong Kong), and their sculptural spectacles have drawn a discerning clientele from London to Paris to Shanghai.

Nackymade glasses at The Armoury

One of Nackymade’s signature touches is eccentric arms: from dinosaur-shaped tips that tuck behind the ears, to eggplant-inspired arms (made for an ardent vegetarian) and a pair with wine-bottle-shaped sides – a bordeaux on one, a burgundy on the other – for a collector of French vintages. No request is too bizarre for the couple, who delight in working directly with their customers. “It’s rare and refreshing in this day and age to sit down across from the person who will actually be wearing your product,” says Naoki.

Nackymade glasses are renowned for their eccentric arms

No request is too bizarre for the couple, who delight in working directly with their customers

Commissioning a pair (from $900) with the gregarious duo is a fun process, and takes approximately four months from ordering to delivery.  While most of Nackymade’s orders tend to come in acetate (allowing for more inventive designs), other materials such as bamboo or various metals are available, in shapes anywhere between oval and rectangular. At an initial client meeting, measurements are taken and a style is selected. Frame width, height, lens shape and width are all taken into consideration, as are the hinges, which can range from vintage silver to cherry red.

When the finished product is ready, the Nakagawas like to perform the fitting themselves. Every pair also comes with a hard case that is a sculptural work of art in itself. “We want to provide exactly what the customer wants,” Naoki adds… even if that is a pair of panda-like specs inspired by a pair worn by Hong Kong billionaire Li Ka-shing.