A New Angle on Klaus Nomi
„NOW YOU NOMI“

hamansutra announces a new project and accessory. As a fanatical collector of specific eyewear from the 80s and 90s, I’ve now completed a major project. This eyewear model was inspired by Musician Klaus Nomi and uses recycled acetate, meticulous down to the last detail, crafted by Funk Eyewear. I’ve always been fascinated by Klaus Nomi as a character. That costume! As striking and memorable as any superhero! His music (although far from my personal taste) was likewise a supreme work of art. Music is a vital part of my life, a non-toxic drug, an inspiration, an impetus to keep actively progressing and developing. I chose to base my homage not on Klaus Nomi’s music, but on his visual style. The associations with David Bowie are unmistakable. Nomi’s impressive triangular “space tuxedo” was inspired by Bowie’s costume for his performance of “The Man Who Sold The World” on SNL. That, in turn, was inspired by a costume designed by Sonia Delaunay and worn by 1920s Dadaist artist Tristan Tzara for the play “Le Cour a Gaz” (The Gas Heart). It was designed by the singer himself in collaboration with Mark Ravitz of Brooks-Van Horn Costume Co. Replicating Bowie’s Dadaist outfit would cost $1,500, which was beyond the pocket of pastry chef Klaus. However, the costumer was so moved by Nomi’s passion that he agreed to make him a triangular tuxedo “bodice” from glossy plastic. The costume’s striking angular form is reminiscent of a traffic sign. Every day on the streets, we are confronted with how the stripped-back work of a graphic designer communicates a strong message with the minimum of means. I ran with this idea and created an eyewear style that recalls Nomi’s triangular costume. It looks simple, but it was no easy job – good design needs to be invisible. This prototype eyewear is tailored to my face. And it works! Funnily enough, the origins of the eyewear design actually came about in my New York studio a while ago. I was on the phone and fooling around at the same time, balanced my set square (or triangle, for you US readers) on my nose and snapped a photo. And then it hit me – hey, why don’t we ever see triangular eyewear? This is the first prototype I’ve created in collaboration with the brilliant team at eyewear producers FUNK in Kinsau, Germany. The company owner had no idea about the project until he saw the finished product, which far exceeded my expectations. The people at FUNK loved it too. My philosophy is that we have to break out of the cookie-cutter system and keep redefining things in radical new approaches. Just because two human eyes need something in front of them to screen the sun or boost their vision, doesn’t mean we have to keep repeating the same old stuff over and over. So here it is, my Homage to Klaus Nomi on his 80th birthday 1944–2024. The world might never have heard of him without David Bowie. Hats off to Bowie for giving him and many other artists a chance of fame. Rest in melody.

Made to Order Eyewear.
Made in Germany