HOW IT CAME TO LIFE

AZYR Specs was born from a single moment on a 1975 film set — a moment that revealed what eyewear could be. While working on the production Pinball, a discovery emerged: vintage frames, still rich with character, craftsmanship, and history, were sitting unused because of outdated lenses. They elevated the actors instantly, yet the industry had deemed them “finished.”

AZYR began as a response to that contradiction.

Fashion felt increasingly wasteful. Eyewear, once an art form, had become disposable. And yet, in those frames from the 1960s and 70s, there was undeniable magic — cultural touchpoints frozen in time, handmade materials that had outlived the decades, and stories waiting to be retold.

AZYR Specs formed around a simple belief:
these artifacts deserved a second life, and people deserved access to them.

Since that pivotal spark, AZYR has recycled and refined over thousands of frames, building global relationships with collectors and discovering hidden pockets around the world. Each frame entering the AZYR universe carries its own legacy — the craftsmanship of past eras, the design language of specific decades, and the emotional resonance of an object that has already lived a life.

AZYR stands at the intersection of sustainability, storytelling, and style.
It exists to preserve the artistry of vintage eyewear, reintroduce forgotten craftsmanship, and offer frames that feel personal, expressive, and culturally significant.

What started as a single realization has grown into a global community.
AZYR is more than eyewear — it is history revived, identity reimagined, and a movement toward making the past part of the future again.

 

About Our Founder

AZYR Specs was founded by Maureen Ryza, a New York–based creative director, costumer, and global vintage eyewear curator. What began as a side project in 2022 has evolved into a movement redefining how the world experiences eyewear.

With roots in film, fashion, and design history, Maureen has sourced thousands of one-of-one frames from archives, warehouses, and collectors across the globe. She brings each frame back to life through modern refinement, new lenses, and a curation philosophy that blends sustainability, luxury, and cultural storytelling.

Under her direction, AZYR Specs has become a trusted authority in vintage eyewear: outfitting music videos, runway shows, international editorials, and creatives around the globe. Maureen’s work champions true vintage craftsmanship while building a new kind of eyewear culture — one centered on history, artistry, and community.

She continues to grow AZYR Specs into a global platform for refined vintage eyewear, expanding into wholesale partnerships, a Manhattan showroom, and an international network of collectors and designers who share her belief that glasses are not accessories, but wearable artifacts of time, identity, and imagination.