Symbiosis. Five silhouettes, and where they came from.
Symbiosis begins with a simple idea: we thrive when the world around us thrives. The collection was designed with open eyes. Every frame started with something we noticed in the world around us, and kept.
Hoshi. Drawn from a star worn smooth.
Small, soft-edged, and easy to wear every day. A rounded rectangle with a gentle peak at each corner, like the points of a star worn smooth. Hoshi means star in Japanese: quiet, but never dim.
Design notes: multi-barrel hinges, UV400 mineral glass CR39 lenses.

Nova. Inspired by the moment a star flares.
A cosmic wink. Chunky and oversized, Nova sits right between sharp architectural lines and an easy, wearable shape. It’s named for the moment a star suddenly flares bright, and it’s made for people who like to be noticed.
Design notes: multi-barrel hinges, UV400 mineral glass CR39 lenses.

Banoy. Borrowed from the aviator, built for open roads.
The classic navigator with its edges squared off, held together by a keyhole bridge and a flat, confident brow bar. Banoy means aeroplane in Zulu, a nod to the aviators that inspired it. It’s built for long horizons and open roads.
Design notes: multi-barrel hinges, UV400 mineral glass CR39 lenses.

Sabi. Found in the beauty of things left plain.
Slim and glossy, an oval that narrows neatly at the bridge. Sabi takes its name from wabi-sabi, the Japanese idea of finding beauty in imperfection and in things left plain. It’s a quiet frame for people who don’t need to shout.
Design notes: multi-barrel hinges, UV400 mineral glass CR39 lenses.

Wanda. Inspired by Johannesburg, worn with pride.
Big, square, and unapologetic. A thick, bold rim that doesn’t try to blend in. It’s named for Johannesburg designer Wanda Lephoto, whose “cultural luxury” turns South African history and identity into something you wear with pride. His full story is coming soon.
Design notes: multi-barrel hinges, UV400 mineral glass CR39 lenses.

Made to give something back
Every Symbiosis frame is designed in Cape Town and made by hand from Mazzucchelli plant-based acetate. Buy One Give One. You buy a pair. We give a pair. For every frame sold, we donate a pair of reading glasses to a schoolchild in need, through the African Eye Institute.
Inspired by the world around us. Made to give something back.