Artistry and Creativity in Eyewear Design

In many ways, eyewear as an accessory has transcended its functional purposes. Designers and users alike are exploring new ways that these accessories can be perceived and utilized. In the book Spectacle, for instance, photographer Guy Aroch focuses on elevating eyewear into an object of study by highlighting how users put “their own twists on these everyday objects.” Today’s emerging creative eyewear designs reflect the wearers’ artistic vision, which is “potentially full of depth and meaning.” 

In the same way that haute couture has pushed the boundaries of clothing for decades, the eyewear industry is now embracing creativity and personalization, providing opportunities for wearers to exercise artistic self-expression. Thanks to innovative designs, eyewear has now become an avenue for designers and creators to merge fashion and function.

Form and function

Credits: Unsplash

In the traditional view of eyewear design, form should always follow functionality. Retailer Clearly’s range of prescription sunglasses reflects this idea, as it features a selection of frames in standard shapes that focus on accentuating facial features to create a more balanced look. The Ray-Ban RB3447, for instance, has round frames that can soften the features of wearers with angular faces, while square-shaped sunnies like the Versace VE4307 help create a structure to balance out a round face. The timeless Aviators, meanwhile, have a distinct line on top of the frames to prevent sweat from reaching the eyes. These features highlight only a few of the many ways that eyewear is used as a complementary tool for vision correction, sun protection, and personal style. 

Credits: Unsplash

Simple materials such as glass can evoke vivid colors, as seen in artworks like Louis Comfort Tiffany and Agnes Northtrop’s The Danner Memorial Window. Glass is similarly gaining popularity in haute couture, with Coperni's sculptural Swipe glass handbag in a range of colors making waves on both runways and red carpets. The use of glass and color, therefore, has allowed the ordinary to become extraordinary. In eyewear, brands like Oakley, known for its optical innovations, have focused on lens colors in ranges like the Holbrook, which features blue and purple lenses that are not only aesthetically interesting but also enhance visual contrast for wearers. By leveraging both material and color, eyewear is able to expand both its functionality and aesthetic appeal.

Pushing the boundaries of eyewear design

Credit: Cubitts on Instagram

Beyond shape and color, eyewear designers are also taking their creativity to the next level by introducing unique design concepts for frames. In September last year, British eyewear manufacturer Cubitts launched a charity auction featuring sunglasses frames made using experimental techniques in collaboration with artists and creators across the fashion and design industries. The collection showcased unconventional specs by designers like Shona Heath, who created a hair clip-inspired pair of sunglasses. Other frame styles include the calabash-inspired goggles by Yinka Ilori. These out-of-the-box designs highlight the direction in which eyewear is headed and its solidifying status as functional art.

Credit: Pair Eyewear on Instagram

Several eyewear designs have also captured the essence of artworks by renowned painters like Vincent Van Gogh, Jason Pollock, and Claude Monet. One example is Pair Eyewear, which released a capsule collection featuring seven frames inspired by Van Gogh’s most iconic works, including The Yellow House, View of a Butcher’s Shop, and Wheatfield. Art enthusiasts can also appreciate the Stella McCartney SC0020O glasses, which are covered in speckled rainbow colors similar to Pollock’s abstract expressionism. Meanwhile, Monet’s impressionist, floral-inspired art style is mimicked in the Bebe BB5118 glasses, which feature a floral motif. These unique frames prove that eyewear has become an avenue for channeling artistic expression, not only through the work of contemporary designers but also as a reference to pieces in the canon of art history.

Eyewear has gone beyond its functional purpose and has now become a statement piece reflecting a unique sense of artistry. Creative designs provide a myriad of opportunities for wearers to showcase their authenticity, highlighting eyewear’s potential to blend art and functionality.