From her early days cleaning rimless glasses for her father, a 30-year veteran of Silhouette, to becoming one of Sydney’s most sought-after optical stylists, Emanuela De Dona Zeccone’s journey in eyewear is anything but conventional. Today, as the owner of Face Furniture in Redfern, she helps people to reveal their true selves by bringing her Italian flair and scientific precision to the art of frame styling. mivision sat down with Ms De Dona Zeccone to uncover her secrets.
“For me, it’s all about colour,” says Emanuela De Dona Zeccone, whose childhood in Italy’s home of eyewear manufacturing – the Dolomites – laid the foundation for her unique approach to frame styling. After moving to Australia, she worked with various optometrists to understand market gaps before establishing her distinctive colour-first methodology and opening her own boutique eyewear gallery.
As an optical dispenser trained with industry experts James Gibbins and Chedy Kalach (directors of the Australasian College of Optical Dispensing), Ms De Dona Zeccone combines technical expertise with an artistic eye. Her approach integrates traditional colour analysis with modern styling techniques, considering not just facial features but also how clients want to see themselves and how they want to be perceived.
Emanuela De Dona Zeccone
The Science of Seasonal Colour Analysis
At the heart of Ms De Dona Zeccone’s method is ‘armocromia’ – a colour analysis technique used to define colours that enhance a person’s complexion, hair, and eyes. While the system originally recognised four seasons (winter, summer, autumn, and spring), each of these categories has been divided into four subcategories, resulting in 16 unique seasons to accommodate diverse ethnicities and mixed cultural backgrounds.
To determine a person’s ‘season’, armocromia considers:
- skin colour and its undertone without makeup or tan (cool or warm),
- contrast levels (high or low),
- natural hair colour,
- the colour of the eyes and its undertones, and
- overall facial harmony.
“The wrong undertone will accentuate your imperfections,” Ms De Dona Zeccone explains. “It will highlight under-eye bags or skin irregularities. You might find people comment on how tired you look.”
Beyond the Rules
While traditional optical dispensing often relies on standard rules about face shapes and frame styles, Ms De Dona Zeccone takes a more nuanced approach. “I don’t believe in golden rules. Even a round frame can work on any face if it has the right elements, like subtle corners or proper proportions.
“To determine the best frame shape and style, I work to build a rapport with my customers. I closely observe them to identify what season they are, and exactly what shape they are. Sometimes I can look at a person for a couple of minutes and form a vision in my mind about which frame will work for them.”
Having determined the ideal colour, shape and style, frame selection comes down to three key considerations:
- Balance between eyes, cheeks, and jaw,
- The client’s desired image, and
- Lifestyle requirements and wearing occasions.
Asked whether age should be a consideration, Ms De Dona Zeccone is swift to say no. “Glasses can reverse age… I mean you can take away 10, 15 years of your look if you’re wearing the right specs,” she says.
The Psychology of Frame Selection
Perhaps the most powerful aspect of Ms De Dona Zeccone’s approach is her focus on the psychological dimension of eyewear.
“The most important question you can ask someone is how they want to be seen and how they want to see themselves,” she reveals.
This consideration becomes particularly relevant for clients going through life changes – whether starting a new career, entering the dating scene, or seeking to project authority in professional settings. One of her clients, a politician, transformed her parliamentary presence with magenta frames, creating a memorable visual signature without overshadowing her identity.
As much as encouraging a person to try a new frame style, shape or colour can be invigorating for both the eye care professional and the customer, Ms De Dona Zeccone says that ultimately, it’s the customer that must feel comfortable wearing their selection.
“It doesn’t matter how funky I want them to look, if they walk out of here and they don’t feel confident, and they think it’s too much, the glasses will go in the bottom drawer.
“We need to remember that glasses should not distract from the face, they should not be something a person wants to hide behind. Instead, your customer will feel comfortable in a well-styled pair of glasses, they will feel good about themself; their glasses will become part of who they are.”
Practical Tips for Practitioners
For optical professionals looking to enhance their styling expertise, Ms De Dona Zeccone offers several key recommendations:
- Develop colour understanding through research and training,
- Observe clients carefully, noting both physical features and personality cues,
- Consider the client’s wardrobe and lifestyle – ask them to bring in items so that you can take their fabric choices and jewellery preferences into consideration,
- Think about comfort alongside aesthetics, particularly with heavier acetate frames, and
- Never be afraid to suggest multiple pairs (in different shapes, styles and colours) for different occasions.
The Future of Frame Styling
As eyewear continues to evolve from medical necessity to fashion statement, Ms De Dona Zeccone sees opportunities for the Australian market to embrace more European sensibilities about eyewear fashion. She regularly visits factories in Italy, staying ahead of trends and curating unique collections for her clientele.
“We’re not just selling glasses,” she enthuses. “We’re creating walking business cards. When clients feel confident in their eyewear, they become ambassadors for both their own style and our expertise.”
This philosophy has proven successful – transforming not just how clients look, but how they feel about themselves. “I don’t change people,” she reflects. “I help them discover themselves again, getting in touch with their creativity and vision – both literally and metaphorically.”
For those interested in elevating their dispensing practice, Ms De Dona Zeccone’s approach offers a blueprint for combining technical expertise with artistic sensitivity, creating not just satisfied customers, but confident individuals who see themselves – and their world – more clearly.
Frames for all Faces
Yalea
Oversized fashion frames are trending, but as with all trends, this may not suit everyone. Yalea has a range of frames specifically tailored for smaller faces. This petite size range is an extension of the standard frame offering and is very popular as an alternative size fitting.
Contact: De Rigo (AUS) 02 9428 1500
Transitions Gen S
Transitions Gen S is available in eight exclusive colours, including the brand-new addition, Ruby. Ruby is a trending tone and was recently named ‘colour of the year’ by a leading colour institute.
All colours have been optimised to be true to tone at all stages of transition, offering vibrant tints. While being fully clear indoors, and beautifully coloured outdoors, these dynamic lenses provide endless possibilities of pairing to complement your patient’s ‘season’ and style.
Contact: cservice@transitions.com
Woodys
The Woodys Eyewear collection offers a variety of shapes and styles in both optical and sunglasses, with frames designed to complement many face shapes. The Woodys’ Pietra, with its striking rectangular design, is versatile and flattering on nearly all face shapes, making it a stylish and easy-to-dispense choice.
Contact: sales@framesetc.com.au
Frank and Fritz
Australian brand Frank and Fritz Eyewear offers sun and optical frames for men and women. With precision craftsmanship and innovative styles, Frank and Fritz frames offer the perfect accompaniment to all face shapes.
Mr B. (pictured) is a unisex frame that is highly regarded for its excellence in design and versatility in fit.
Visit: frankandfritz.com
Frank Seed
Discover the ideal fit with Frank Seed’s bespoke eyewear, meticulously handcrafted for any face shape and size. With customisable options for shape, colour, and size, the brand’s optical glasses and sunglasses ensure your patients can enjoy unmatched comfort and a personal style that reflects who they are. Pictured are models Lobelia and Disa.
Contact: Green Infinity Eyewear (AUS) 0433 737 328
Nike
Marchon Eyewear offers frames to accommodate for all face shapes. Model 7148LB from Nike’s low bridge fit collection features a flexible core wire for easy adjustability and optimal fit, and rubber temple tips to add grip and provide long-wearing comfort for those who struggle with standard frames.
Contact: Marchon (AUS) 1800 251 025
Mondottica
Christian Lacroix eyewear, with its bold shapes and colours, is the perfect fashion accessory for those looking to make a statement. For round shapes that flatter every face shape, look to Joules’ eyewear with natural colours and floral details. For men, the collections by both Scotch and Soda (pictured) and Ted Baker feature flattering round and square styles with funky design twists. While the women’s ranges feature cats eye and oval shapes to flatter those with angular face shapes, oversized styles from Sandro are perfect for larger faces.
Contact: Mondottica (AUS) 1300 638 391
nine Eyewear
nine Eyewear offers an array of ultra-lightweight, timeless optical and sun frames that cater to various face shapes. With materials like Japanese titanium and bio-based polyamide, these frames are durable and comfortable, creating a perfect balance of style and function. Pictured is a frame from the nine Pure collection.
Visit: nine-eyewear.com
Paul Taylor
For heart-shaped faces avoid oversized frames and instead choose more flattering cats eye frame designs like Audrey (pictured) or a butterfly shape like Lynx. The Audrey and Lynx designs offer rounded lines with a twist – upswept edges that complement. Subtle light-coloured frames will also enhance those with a heart-shaped face. Both Lynx and Audrey, along with other Paul Taylor designs, are available in stunning pastel-coloured fronts with contrasting temples.
All Paul Taylor’s cats eye designs suit oval face shapes, along with most other designs in his collections. Just avoid small narrow designs as this will make the face appear longer.
Visit: paultaylor.com.au
Ogi
ProOptics frames are meticulously crafted by eyewear designers who prioritise facial geometry and comfort. Each frame is designed to complement diverse face shapes, ensuring a range of fits and optimal aesthetics. Combining style and functionality, ProOptics collections, such as l.a.Eyeworks and Ogi Eyewear, enhance both vision and personal expression without compromising on quality or design integrity.
Contact: ProOptics (AUS) 02 8007 6041
Ryan Adda
Ryan Adda crafts its frames from Elevate titanium to ensure both lightweight comfort and durability. The Zen collection, recently included in the SILMO Singapore Trends 2024 showcase, features frames that blend innovative design with timeless elegance. Square faces benefit from softer, round, or oval frames, while oval faces enjoy versatile options like geometric shapes. Angular frames, such as cats eye or rectangular styles, suit round faces by adding contrast. Heart-shaped faces shine with bottom-heavy or rimless frames, which balance their wider forehead. The Zen Collection’s sleek titanium designs, combined with Ryan Adda’s expert craftsmanship, ensure perfect harmony between style and function for any face shape.
Contact: Asia Contacts 1 (AUS) 0413 243 782
The Langley
The newly released Langley by Garrett Leight California Optical is a large frame with medium thickness. It merges retro and classic design elements with a modern twist: an angular keyhole nose bridge, two front vertical pins, and five-barrel hinges for enhanced durability and precision.
The Langley is a rounded square frame which offers impressive versatility when it comes to fitting and is suitable to nearly all face shapes. With the added benefit of a generous 23 mm keyhole bridge, the fit accommodates a variety of nasal features, and a 48-eye size ensures it suits both men and women equally well.
Add a detachable flip-up sunglass clip for an equally sharp sunglass.
Visit: propergoods.com.au
Carrera
Carrera boasts an extensive selection of shapes and sizes across optical frames and sunglasses, expertly designed to complement various face shapes and preferences. This enables optometrists and dispensers to meet a wide range of consumer needs within a single brand offering, to help everyone find their perfect fit.
Contact: Safilo (AUS) 1800 252 016
SMEC
SMEC Eyewear’s Bloom collection comprises a variety of designs that have been created to fit a variety of face shapes. The Amanda design is best suited to oval, square or heart-shaped faces, whereas Andrew, John, Jean, Jessie, and Anne frames are best suited to those with oval, round, triangular or heart-shaped faces.
Visit: smeceyewear.com.au
The Elusive Miss Lou
The Elusive Miss Lou frames range from 46 mm to 55 mm, with designs like The Runway and The Spring offering versatile fits for various face shapes. Ensure frames follow the eyebrows and consider lens strength when adjusting fit. Prioritise comfort and angle for the perfect blend of vision correction and style.
Visit: theelusivemisslou.com
VAANYARD
VAANYARD’s gender-neutral eyewear boasts a recognisable aesthetic that’s “built to outlast trends”.
Signature details include the unique style name applied to the top of the 8 mm thick, sharply bevelled acetate frame face.
Manufactured in Japan, VAANYARD is already sold in high-end stores in South Korea, Hong Kong, Scandinavia, Europe, and Australia. Pictured is Velocity, inspired by the energetic spirit of the 1980s urban culture.
Visit: vaanyard.com
venEyes
Choosing the right glasses for each face shape is all about finding balance, highlighting the best facial features while drawing attention away from others. By pairing opposite shapes, glasses can accentuate contours and create symmetry, beautifully complementing each face. For example, for a round face, opt for rectangular or narrow frames to enhance their natural beauty and balance. The right materials ensure durability and comfort for all-day wear, boosting confidence throughout the day.
venEyes offers stylish and comfortable custom 3D-printed optical frames and sunglasses designed to suit various face shapes, allowing for personalisation with a diverse range of sizes, colours, and patterns that reflect individual personalities.
Visit: veneyes.com.au
