Did you ever wonder how spectacle frames are designed? The Royal College of Art (RCA) runs an annual competition for the best design from its students – the winning entry is shown off at the 100% Optical show. This year’s theme was sustainable sunglasses. Students had to use materials that don’t hurt the planet or people’s pockets during the cost of living crisis. Careers in Eyecare spoke to the winner, Linwei Zheng. What encouraged you to enter the competition?I'm currently…
Frame designer and sustainability champion Yair Neuman
Yair Neuman is a ground breaking frame designer who has used old spectacle lenses to create sculptures, lighting, and new spectacle frames. Read on to discover how he developed a new material and learned how to turn it into glasses and much more. Yair, what was your first job? I worked at a place that was a paradise in winter and a sort of hell in summer, that was in front of a furnace in a foundry for casting sculptures…
Frame design competition finalist: Joyce Addai-Davis
Do you ever wonder how spectacle frames are designed? Students at the Royal College of Art have a chance to take part in an exciting design competition each year, and the winning frames are displayed at the eyewear industry's trade show, 100% Optical. Read on to meet one of this year's finalists. Joyce Addai-Davis What encouraged you to enter the competition and design your first glasses? I never imagined that as a designer I could possibly create eyewear, I thought I…
Frame design competition finalist: Erin Yuwei Yang
Do you ever wonder how spectacle frames are designed? Students at the Royal College of Art have a chance to take part in an exciting design competition each year, and the winning frames are displayed at the eyewear industry's trade show, 100% Optical. Read on to meet one of this year's finalists. Erin Yuwei Yang What encouraged you to enter the competition and design your first glasses? I used to be a jewellery designer and obtained a Bachelor's degree. While…
Frame design competition finalist: Sofia Sanchez
Do you ever wonder how spectacle frames are designed? Students at the Royal College of Art have a chance to take part in an exciting design competition each year, and the winning frames are displayed at the eyewear industry's trade show, 100% Optical. Read on to meet one of this year's finalists. Sofia Sanchez What encouraged you to enter the competition and design your first glasses? My practice centres around recycling plastics in my work as a lingerie designer, so…
Frame design competition finalist: Morag Seaton
Do you ever wonder how spectacle frames are designed? Students at the Royal College of Art have a chance to take part in an exciting design competition each year, and the winning frames are displayed at the eyewear industry's trade show, 100% Optical. Read on to meet one of this year's finalists. What encouraged you to enter the competition and design your first glasses? The competition and brief allowed us to experiment with materials and processes new to us. For…
Frame design competition finalist: Ciccy Lyu
Do you ever wonder how spectacle frames are designed? Students at the Royal College of Art have a chance to take part in an exciting design competition each year, and the winning frames are displayed at the eyewear industry's trade show, 100% Optical. Read on to meet one of this year's finalists. What encouraged you to enter the competition and design your first glasses? My background is in architecture. When I first got into fashion, I found that accessories, as…
Frame design competition winner: Maria Nava
Do you ever wonder how spectacle frames are designed? Students at the Royal College of Art have a chance to take part in an exciting design competition each year, and the winning frames are displayed at the eyewear industry's trade show, 100% Optical. Read on to meet this year's winner. What encouraged you to enter the competition and design your first glasses? I was always interested in accessory design and the product development process behind it. Coming from an Animation and…
Frame design competition winners
Do you ever wonder how spectacle frames are designed? Students at the Royal College of Art have a chance to take part in an exciting design competition each year, and the winning frames are displayed at the eyewear industry's trade show, 100% Optical. Read on to find out more about the competition and meet some of this year's winners. The competition has been a collaboration with the Royal College of Art Fashion Masters degree and School of Design and the 100% Optical…