SAFILO and The New School’s Parsons School of Design recently joined together to celebrate the Safilo x Parsons Design Thesis Competition Partnership. As a part of their final thesis assignment, six BFA students were presented with the opportunity to design their own eyewear while working alongside Safilo designers and the Parson’s School of Fashion staff.

The students worked closely with Alessandro Marcer, VP and creative director of Safilo USA and Safilo CAD engineering to improve upon their design’s functionality and technical elements, creating frames that feature eye-catching designs with bold colors and unique rims.

After the students saw their designs come to life, four lucky candidates had their prototypes showcased in the school’s fashion show attended by key fashion industry members, including Rihanna. The six finalists are: Olivia Le Blanc, Myung Eun Cha, Eun Byul Kim, Seh Yoon Lee, Ji Hyun Myung and Samantha Sutton.

Winner Olivia Le Blanc, was presented with the Safilo Award and a $5,000 prize, while the remaining finalists’ work were displayed at Vision Expo East.

The Safilo x Parsons Design Thesis Competition strives to encourage and educate the next generation of eyewear designers, while also maintaining the company’s continuous commitment to preserving eyewear craftsmanship. The competition reinforces design and product excellence, which mirrors Safilo’s goal as a design and brand focused eyewear manufacturer.

–Anna Smutny