Competition judges
The winners of Specsavers Young Innovator Design competition have been announced at Melbourne Fashion Week.
Budding designers Pearson Bulmer, Beth Peele and Ryley Wilson will soon see their frame designs on the shelves alongside the likes of those designed by Alex Perry, Carla Zampatti and Collette Dinnigan.
Young Innovator Design competition winner Beth Peele
The competition was open to current and recently graduated students of any design discipline in Australia and New Zealand. The design brief was simply to design a range of stand-out frames to be sold in Specsavers stores.
Young Innovator Design competition winner Ryley Wilson
From entries received, a shortlist of 10 finalists were selected and invited to a judging day in Melbourne, where six industry experts – Specsavers partner designer Alex Perry, fashion journalist / editor Janice Breen Burns, Managing Director of AMPR and agency partner Sarah Gale, Manager of Melbourne Fashion Week Fiona Twist, Specsavers Australia New Zealand Product Manager Nelly Soleil and mivision publisher Todd Tai – met and interviewed them.
Winning Inspirations
Pearson Bulmer, a recent industry design graduate from University of Technology Sydney, designed an 80s inspired translucent optical or sun frame with pops of pastel colour.
Young Innovator Design competition winner Pearson Bulmer
Beth Peel from Kangan Institute in Melbourne, designed a piece she called ‘malleable metal’ – a modern twist on a classic look inspired by light reflections. Her design features flecks of gold inlaid within crystal clear acetate, and juxtaposed against black titanium metal.
Ryley Wilson, from RMIT Melbourne, designed a frame that pays homage to opera glasses, classical literature and glasses worn by Monet.
Watch the judging process and hear from the designers here.