By engaging wide-ranging notions of construction, shaping, volume and color, the frames are nimble enough to align themselves with the swagger of streetwear or strut with the more formal sensibilities of the modern office crowd. With a fondness for craftsmanship, geometric balancing acts and expressive color, the new collection is evidence of l.a.Eyeworks’ enduring brand of optimism.

To turn the conceptual backdrop of versatility into practice, l.a.Eyeworks relinquished control of its beloved mode of expression – portrait photography – to the imagination of Los Angeles-based artist Gabriela Ruiz. Within a mesmerizing installation of her own making, Ruiz and photographer Bibs Moreno present six lush, vibrant photos of artists, performers, models and activists who not only comprise Ruiz’s creative milieu, but also recontextualize the communicative range of eyewear design.