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.
The trio were announced as the winners of Specsavers’ Young Innovator Design competition during Melbourne Fashion Week.
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.
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 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.
Exciting for Young Designers, Customers and Specsavers
Stig Engelbreth Hansen, Global Head of Product Design for Specsavers, said 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.
“At Specsavers we’ve always been a big fan of supporting local designers. The basis of our vision for the campaign and the Young Innovator Design Competition is to support young, emerging designers while helping our customers to feel good and express their individual style through the glasses they wear. We want to offer our customers a range of standout frames. Something totally unexpected for us. We are looking for innovation.
A shortlist of 10 finalists were selected and invited to a judging day in Melbourne, where six industry experts, among them mivision publisher Todd Tai – met and interviewed them.
“All entrants demonstrated excellent creativity and innovation with their designs, making the selection process tough, but five finalists were selected on the judging day to go forward to Melbourne Fashion Week,” said Mr Engelbreth Hansen.
The winning frames will be sold through Specsavers’ stores across ANZ.
“The whole purpose of what we’re trying to do is find something special, nurture it, partner with it and grow with it, and in turn that’s also going to grow our business. We support emerging designers because it’s exciting and it adds life to the growing pool of brands in our stable. But, more than anything else, because it’s good business,” he said.
