A TRIBUTE TO CRAFTSMANSHIP & INNOVATION

PARIS COLLECTION

Last year we celebrated a decade of AHLEM. Ten years that began with a handful of journal sketches and an instinct for a kind of handcrafted luxury eyewear that could transform everyday life, and ended with a living vision that has been battle-tested and perfected over more than 20 collections. Instead of settling into cruise control, we decided to use the milestone as an occasion to aim our sights even higher. We’re so excited to introduce you to the Paris Collection, a new capsule release that represents the apex of AHLEM’s ambition, innovation and craft.

For the Paris Collection we’ve expanded our reach in all directions, letting our imagination go astral while grounding each concept in hardcore technique. Inspired by the intricacy and beauty of Europe’s great watchmaking houses—Cartier, Chopard, Patek Phillippe—these fine jewelry-caliber frames set a new standard for design and performance in eyewear.

The collection’s inaugural styles, Paris 01 and Paris 02, return to elemental forms—the circle, the rectangle—that have been part of AHLEM’s repertoire from the very beginning. Like Bauhaus before us, we love these shapes for the authority of their simplicity: There’s something audacious, even punk, about a pure concept that stands alone, without distraction or embellishment. The Paris Collection amplifies these essential silhouettes by introducing dynamic contrasts in three colorways, as well as an incomparable level of engineering and technique. (We’ve learned to embrace the irony that achieving effortlessness is itself an enormous undertaking.)

Let’s wonk out on the details that take the Paris Collection to another level. Sculpted from solid metal rather than the industry-standard extruded wire, these are double-beveled frames of peerless structural integrity. The interlocking two-piece construction—an inner rim encased in an outer rim—is a feat of engineering, requiring precision cuts from an ultrathin, 0.8mm saw blade. Each frame is specially designed to conform to the natural curves of an individual face, for a customized fit. Finely milled metals are first electrodipped in Ruthenium, forming a deep, grounding base layer, then finished with contrasting tones of 22k gold, creating a richly dimensional surface that evolves beautifully with time. As you might imagine, these innovative techniques can only be achieved by artisans of profound experience and mastery; each piece combines the latest machine technology with generations of French manual savoir faire. With a small-batch production run of 600 pieces per style, every frame is a true heirloom.

The Paris Collection is an evolution and a culmination of AHLEM’s first decade of existence. Without straying from our purpose, we’re expanding our possibilities. We invite you to experience Paris 01 and 02 in person—the look, the weight, the fit and the feeling can only be understood firsthand. These are AHLEM’s signature shapes like you’ve never seen them before.