
Deborah Hutton has spoken to us through the pages of the Australian Women’s Weekly; she’s there with us when we watch our in-flight Qantas video and she’s always on the tellie.
Hutton has just finished hosting a series of gigs around Australia with celebrity chef, Rick Stein and completed filming a documentary style series for Channel Nine, not to mention the projects she has underway with companies that include Mirvac, Holden and Olay. Indeed, Deborah Hutton leads a hectic, high profile life.
A few years ago, Deborah’s passion for design led her to develop the Living with Deborah Hutton collection of homewares then her very successful eponymous eyewear range. She spoke to mivision about the future of Deborah Hutton Eyewear.
Without doubt Deborah Hutton IS style and poise.
The charming thing about becoming older is the necessity of wearing glasses! What can I say – I love an accessory
Q: What prompted you to move into designing eyewear?
The charming thing about becoming older is the necessity of wearing glasses! What can I say – I love an accessory. It came to a point where I needed them to read and the creative side in me wanted to offer something different.
When I started to look for frames I couldn’t find anything that I really loved. I knew there were other women like me out there and I saw an opportunity to supply frames to women who were also struggling to find the perfect look. With my love of fashion and the opportunity to design something stylish it became an obsession of mine to come up with the perfect range.
Q: Your name is on the brand. How involved are you in the concept and design process?
I am 100 per cent involved in each step of the process from the first concept to final designs. My biggest concern is how they look and feel… I want function but I also want a fabulous look. I strive to attain the highest quality for both my customers and, of course, myself!
Q: Having designed homewares, how challenging was it to adapt your skills to eyewear?
I have the same approach to designing my homewares as I do with my optical frames; it’s all about how the colours and textures work together. I lean towards a more modern, stylish contemporary look that can stand the test of time. If I’m comfortable with them and would wear them, then I certainly hope others feel the same way.
Q: What is your design process when creating a new optical range?
Working with the design team at VMD, we discuss the direction I envisage for the new season release. This includes new shapes, colours and new temple decorations. They put it all together with the technical aspects and then we fine-tune the final product. It involves pouring over colour swatches and new materials and making even the smallest of changes until each frame has the perfect balance for the Deborah Hutton range and is something I am proud to put my name to.
Q: What is the priority for you, when designing frames?
Importantly, they have to be comfortable and light to wear, but they also require a redeeming feature that makes them attractive to the face. I’m looking for a fabulous combination of both colour and finish and practicality with a focus on using the highest quality materials to ensure they last and give the best performance for the customer.
Q: Where do you get your inspiration?
The best inspiration for any design, whether it is a duvet cover or a pair of reading glasses is travelling and seeing what people are doing around the world. I like to collect samples, understand the trends and then apply all that to my own collection.
Q: What market are you targeting with your brand?
I like to design frames that have what I call ‘timeless appeal’, not subject to fads or being ‘out of date’ the following season. My target market is someone who wants to look their best and who expects the best quality for themselves. The majority of our customers would fall in the 35 plus range. I like to think we offer good options for most women… we’ve actually had great success with some of our deeper sized lenses, suitable for multifocals. We take on the challenge of designing a deeper lens frame with a contemporary twist.
Q: Do you have plans for a sun range?
Throwing on a pairs of sunnies is such an integral part of the Australian lifestyle and I would love to do another sunglass range. I know how important it is to have a pair of prescriptible sunglasses that actually look good and still see clearly. Now that I’m working with VMD, who specialise in prescriptible sunglasses, I’ll be looking at that in the near future – so watch this space!
Q: What colours and styles are you working with right now?
I’m currently working with the technical team at VMD on the latest techniques that will bring new dimension and appeal to the collection while adding aspects that we haven’t done before to keep the range evolving from season to season. These include innovative new temple treatments that allow intricate metal decoration inside the acetate, giving endless design possibilities. We’re also working on several other elements including new colour combinations and detailing that are absolutely stunning. The quality and finish is high-end and I can’t wait to see these ideas come to fruition.
Q: What can we expect from Deborah Hutton optical over the next year or so?
Well, firstly, you can expect to see the release of some fabulous new models. I’m also working on some exciting new concepts to bring to the market in the coming seasons. Its fun being in the optical design business as it’s constantly evolving and changing and I love the challenge of creativity. I’d like to think that the Deborah Hutton Optical collection can make a difference in the way people look and feel about themselves. I can only hope each and every customer gets as much enjoyment out of wearing their frames as I get from designing them.
For more information on Deborah Hutton Eyewear go to www.deborahhuttoneyewear.com