Blake Kuwahara

“The fashion industry is finally waking up and realizing that the savvy consumer isn’t buying into the hype of outlandish looks. There’s a return to flattering and sensible clothing with designs that have a more eternal shelf life. We’re also becoming more aware of the impact our consumption has on our environment. Sustainability comes in many forms- one of which is buying less but investing in quality items that are well-crafted and that stand the test of time. That’s always been a critical tenant in my design philosophy and is reflected in the Spring ’24 Collection,” says Kuwahara.

The Spring Collection will consist of 12 new styles in a range of both oversized and smaller silhouettes. Intricately patterned block acetate materials as well as more subtle solid and gradient translucent colors are included in this season’s collection.

Kuwahara’s design ethos of creating eyewear that is at once artful yet wearable is evident in his signature frame-within-a-frame laminated technique and use of beveling and skiving details. “The product development cycle takes about 18 months from concept to first production. Because a collection is conceived so far in advance, it requires a unique skillset to design eyewear that is both timeless yet relevant when it comes to market.

Season after season, Blake lives up to that challenge,” says Richard Mewha, President of Fade To Grey, the distributing company for Blake Kuwahara Eyewear.Kuwahara, gained international acclaim as the creator and designer of the exclusive KATA Eyewear brand. His groundbreaking use of engineering and production techniques together with his highly curated eye reinvented the way eyewear design is approached today.

Buzz magazine voted Kuwahara one of the “100 Coolest People in Los Angeles” and Detour magazine called him, “a gifted talent, blessed with savvy and unmistakable sense of style.” Kuwahara was recently named by Brilliant Magazine as one of the “100 Most Important People in the Eyewear Industry”. Kuwahara has also collaborated extensively on eyewear collections for John Varvatos, Carolina Herrera, Isaac Mizrahi, Behnaz Sarapfour, Hanae Mori, and Coach. A celebrity favorite, Kuwahara’s designs are worn by Lil Nas X, Elton John, QuestLove, Brad Pitt, Sandra Bullock, Charlize Theron, Halle Berry, Robert Downey, Jr., Will Smith, Jeremy Piven, Samuel L. Jackson, Casey Affleck, Slash, and Gwyneth Paltrow among many others.