Heroes of Eyewear Design

For eyewear designers, that diversity also expands scope to create frames in shapes, sizes, and colours to suit the many different faces of our population.

While very few eyewear designers have their frames made in Australia, they all have their fingers on the pulse when it comes to manufacturing as they search to find the point of difference that will stand them ahead of a competitive international market.

Cheers to Australian eyewear designers. There’s no doubt that they’re operating in a competitive environment and, due to the perils of distance and a relatively small population that’s inundated with choice, they work hard to even survive, let alone thrive.

And yet they do.

Well-established designers like AM Eyewear, Sunshades Australia, Paul Taylor, and brands developed by Jono Ross-Hennessy Sceats have led the way and built a solid following locally and around the world.

The likes of VAANYARD and Otis are relatively new, pushing into the mainstream market; and then there’s Frank Seed, Niloca, and Peter Coombs working on the outskirts to push the boundaries of design.

It’s exciting. And the differences in their approaches to design are tangible.

For VANYAARD, a boutique eyewear company from Sydney’s inner west, the point of difference comes down to details like a thicker acetate, sharper bevelling, the style name on the top of the frame, and graphic details inspired by typography to appeal to its urban target market.

VANYAARD founders, Lee Kan (an architect) and Paul Gilligan (a brand and product specialist), have drawn on their complementary backgrounds to build their business, which now has an impressive list of international stockists, including high-end stores in South Korea, Hong Kong, Scandinavia, and Europe (as well as a growing client base in Australia).

Otis, hailing from Yallingup in Western Australia, is a confluence of influences. The brand captures the vibe of its intimate coastal hometown, while also reflecting the latest trends in fashion because, as lead designer Sally Kerr told mivision, when you live and work in a small town, “it’s important to get out and see what people are wearing, to look at the big fashion houses, Instagram, and celebrity profiles to work out the trends coming through”.

Since its inception, sustainability has been top-of-mind for Otis.

“We’ve always used mineral glass lenses in all our sunglasses; it beats the alternatives because it is sourced from natural elements like sand and soda ash, it’s non-toxic, endlessly recyclable, and far more environmentally friendly than plastic. It is also more scratch resistant and optically correct,” she said.

BOLD, COLOURFUL, AND SUSTAINABLE

Ethical, sustainable practices are also a stated priority for Paul Taylor and his eponymous brand.

“We are at the forefront of ethical and sustainable practices, embracing inclusivity and promoting diversity in our creations,” he said. “We are increasingly using eco-friendly materials, reducing waste, and ensuring fair labour practices.”

For Paul, being an Australian fashion designer is a matter of pride, innovation, and cultural expression. “Our commitment to storytelling and identity reflects the rich tapestries of Australian culture and heritage.”

Another icon of Australian eyewear design is Jono Ross Hennessy Sceats. Perhaps unsurprisingly given Jono’s success (and charisma) his long-term partner Louise Sceats and their son Teiger have followed in the same footsteps, creating the ODMA award-winning brand The Elusive Miss Lou.

Having worked alongside Jono for 15 years, Louise said it’s been a long apprenticeship, but something she always wanted to do.

Louise designs her frame shapes as well as fabrics. The fabrics are then printed and laminated within layers of acetate, in a process that enables the completed frames to be bent and moulded for comfort and fit.

Having taken a brief step back from eyewear design then seen Louise’s success, Jono has returned to the market with a new brand, Jack De Ross. It seems that once an Australian designer, you’re always a designer.

Jono is a fount of knowledge when it comes to Australian eyewear design and two talents he picks out are Sunshades, led by designer Hamish Tame and Frank Hwang from Frank Seed Eyewear / Green Infinity.

Sunshades has built up an enormous stable of brands including Le Specs, Oroton, Saint Laurent, and Karen Walker. As well as designing solo, the company has initiated “daring collaborations” with acclaimed designers Adam Selman, Jordan Askill, Henry Holland, Double Rainbouu, and Missoma. The resulting frames have attracted the likes of Beyonce, Rihanna, Gigi Hadid, and Justin Bieber.

Frank Hwang is a relative newcomer to eyewear design and according to Jono, he is technically brilliant (not to mention highly creative). Ninety per cent of the frames Frank Seed sells are bespoke, however practices that take on his brand don’t start out by customising frames for specific customers.

“With bespoke frames the possibilities are endless – you can have a left temple in one colour and shape and the right in another; the bridge can be narrower or wider, higher or lower, and of course the front can be whatever shape or colour you want, including with inset colours and shapes,” said Winston Leung, who manages customer service for Frank Seed.

“Because many practices and their customers can be challenged by the concept of designing their own eyewear, Frank Seed starts new clients off with a small selection of frames, that can be bought as is, or used as the base from which to mix and match colours, shapes, and materials.

COMING BACK WITH MORE

Colin Redmond from Niloca in Melbourne has a strong following from customers in the United States and Europe, as well as people from throughout Australia.

After a hiatus during which he’s been designing and building a new studio in country Victoria, Colin is preparing to launch a new collection affectionately called ‘The Mullet’.

Always one to swim against the tide by designing timeless frames that ignore the trends, he said one of the aspects of design he most enjoys is that he can create eyewear that “is completely different, because everyone is completely different”.

“In my view, if you’re not designing something different then you’re not working with integrity, and that means you’re not being authentic to yourself,” he told mivision.

When you’re designing your own eyewear there is often a story behind the it – the inspiration for shape and colour, the material selection, the manufacture, and story of the brand itself.

“Consumers love to hear that design-story connection, it creates a point of difference, especially with boutique brands. Telling the story behind a product can help customers engage with the brand on an emotional level,” he said.

JEWELLERY FOR THE EYES

Jeweller and eyewear designer Peter Coombs closed his Adelaide shopfront in early 2022 and is focussing on designing bespoke eyewear, mainly for an international clientele that discover him via word of mouth or searching for his frames online.

“I designed one frame for a preacher in New York City. One of his colleagues saw it and ordered the same frame in about eight different colour combinations.”

Peter, a former National Councillor of Design Institute of Australia, believes the Australian design industry is robust.

However, although he’s seeing a lot of innovation, he said that innovation is very much being used to produce what’s gone before. “What was made by hand is being made by machine, which means we’re losing some of those subtle differences that come with hand crafting.

“So we’re seeing a lot of round shapes right now, plastics are big and in metals, chunk is king.” He said colours are very much driven by geography with Melburnians preferring black and darker hues, in contrast to Adelaideans who are going for colour.

“People in their 20s particularly, are looking for the look. It’s fast fashion and if it breaks, they simply replace it.”

FINDING THE DISCONNECT

However, Peter said there is a small gap in the market that affords an opportunity for eyewear designers like him. “I’ve found a demand for petite frames for people with smaller heads – because they do exist, especially within certain cultural groups, and they are really appreciate finding a frame that sits well on their face.”

He is also bridging the gap between eyewear design and jewellery having recently designed a piece for a retired senior academic with monocular vision.

“What started as a single lens frame became a piece of jewellery on a chain – essentially a magnifying glass. I suggested making the piece from anodised aluminium and embedding boulder opals and Australian chocolate and white diamonds. She was thrilled. It’s something she said she will wear all the time.”

Australia has a growing number of Australian eyewear designers, appealing to all ages and demographics. You’ll see many of our local heroes on the following pages. We need them, please support them!