The contest was held with L’Uomo Vogue.
MILAN, ITALY – Safilo has announced the winners of “A Forward Vision for Eyewear Heritage,” a contest held in association with L’Uomo Vogue.
Launched in April 2016, the contest was “the first-ever tutoring project for the eyewear world,” according to a press release.
The finalists of the three competition categories are “young creative talents who reinvented the eyewear frame with originality while respecting the competition’s guidelines, i.e. to blend heritage with innovation,” according to the release. They had the opportunity to display their work in a special exhibition held in Safilo’s Via Manzoni showroom to coincide with the Milan Fashion Week and MIDO.
There were four winners; two of them tied for first place.
Zixin Yang won the Masterpiece award for the most artistic, original frame. She presented “a very sophisticated design in product terms, almost disengaged from its actual function, and with a fascinating storytelling which reflects the vision of not only a true artist but also a fine designer,” Safilo stated.
The Capsule Collection award went to Nirmit Gupta and Pritam Paraye, “a creative duo who impressed the jury for their fun, contemporary design already prepared in a range of materials and colors, making it particularly appealing and virtually ready for production development.”
Francesco Lazzaro
Vittoria Marchesini
Finally, Francesco Lazzaro and Vittoria Marchesini were equal winners of the Product School category “for the excellent technical grounding shown in the developed products and also during the admission interview for Safilo’s three-year training course, which will enable them to acquire the essential skills needed in all eyewear product areas before continuing their development within the company.”
Luisa Delgado, CEO of Safilo, said the contest “was conceived as a natural continuation of our commitment towards new generations and to support our Product School.”
“When you have a tradition as strong as Safilo has, planning for the future and conveying your know-how to the future generations becomes a true ethical commitment,” Delgado said. “For this reason, we wanted to put energy, creativity and dedication into this scouting project, and I am now very proud of its results. My wishes go to the winners in their further pursuit of eyewear with the same determination and enthusiasm.”
Marcel Wanders, honorary member of the jury, said it’s important that young designers “are given an opportunity to reinterpret tradition and roots, and showcase their creativity.”
“A contest such as this allows Safilo and the world to take notice of amazing talents that might otherwise go unnoticed,” Wanders said.