To celebrate the 10th anniversary of its founding as a working group within the CFDA, the eyewear designers of the Council of Fashion Designers of America (edCFDA) will present a dedicated collection of limited-edition eyewear designs, with proceeds benefiting Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation for Childhood Cancer.
Of the past and future of the edCFDA, the group’s chairperson, designer Christian Roth (co-founder of Christian Roth Eyewear), notes: “The edCFDA is proud to mark this important first decade of collaboration and impact. When the eyewear designers of the CFDA united as the edCFDA in September 2014, we set forth with a shared vision to drive meaningful initiatives in the optical industry. While we have made significant strides towards our goals, we are focused on the future knowing there is much more we can achieve together.”
The 10th Anniversary collection includes six individual eyewear designs by edCFDA members:
Blake Kuwahara (Blake Kuwahara Eyewear)
Christian Roth and Eric Domege (Christian Roth Eyewear)
Gai Gherardi and Barbara McReynolds (l.a.Eyeworks)
Jeff Press (PRESS Eyewear)
Patty Perreira (Barton Perreira)
Selima Salaun (Selima Optique)
The eyewear – five sunglasses and one ophthalmic frame – are unified by the inclusion of lavender tones in the designs as a signifier of cancer awareness. “We are so pleased to come together on this capsule as a collective while exhibiting each designer’s individual creations to support this impactful cause.” says Jeff Press, founder/designer of PRESS Eyewear.
Dedicated proceeds from sales of each designer’s frame will be donated collectively to benefit the mission of Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation for Childhood Cancer. ”The edCFDA has an impressive history of supporting charities over the years and ALSF is honored to be chosen for their 10th anniversary initiative,” said Liz Scott, Alex’s mom and Co-Executive Director of Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation. “We are so grateful for this partnership – the edCFDA’s donation will have an impact in helping to find cures, while also allowing us to provide support for families affected by childhood cancer.”
The 10th-anniversary capsule of eyewear designs adds to the edCFDA’s legacy of charitable efforts, including its annual and eagerly anticipated Pride Eyewear Initiative, which has donated more than $100,000 to various LGBTQ+ causes since its inception.
Reflecting on the formation and growth of the edCFDA over the past ten years, Lisa Smilor, Executive Vice President of the Council of Fashion Designers of America, adds that “these remarkable designers have repeatedly demonstrated that their unified efforts have not only brought greater global visibility to each of their unique talents, but that – together – they have had the ability to provide truly meaningful financial support to various charitable organizations, and to the communities that they serve. I have the utmost admiration and appreciation for this special group of CFDA Members – which has been led by the indefatigable Christian Roth for the past decade – with the hope that others will be inspired by, and aim to emulate their successful efforts.”
ABOUT THE DESIGNERS
Patty Perreira , Selima Salaun, Jeff Press, Christian Roth, Gai Gherardi & Barbara McReynolds, Blake Kuwahara
BLAKE KUWAHARA (BLAKE KUWAHARA EYEWEAR)
Blake Kuwahara debuted his eponymous eyewear collection in 2015 with his artful but wearable design ethos and signature “frame-within-a-frame” concept. By using a proprietary lamination process, Kuwahara creates a deliberate design tension by fusing two distinctive silhouettes. Kuwahara’s designs are available in high-end optical boutiques worldwide and in such discriminating specialty retailers as L’Eclaireur (Paris), Selfridges (London), Harrods (London), Isetan (Tokyo), Hotoveli (New York), H. Lorenzo (LA), and The Archive (San Francisco).
CHRISTIAN ROTH and ERIC DOMEGE (CHRISTIAN ROTH EYEWEAR)
Christian Roth Eyewear – designed by Christian Roth & Eric Domege – has reveled in its hard-earned reputation as one of the world’s leading optical designers for subverting the conventions of luxury fashion. Christian Roth was the first eyewear designer to join the CFDA. Now, as a part of DITA Group, the storied label deconstructs its own archive to begin a conversation with a generation of consumers for whom a new paradigm of style and design has gained traction with breathtaking speed.
GAI GHERARDI and BARBARA McREYNOLDS (L.A.EYEWORKS)
Designed in Los Angeles by co-founders Barbara McReynolds and Gai Gherardi, l.a.Eyeworks’ glasses are known for their bold shapes, imaginative handling of materials, and expressive use of color. With trademark wit, socially charged messages, and a spirit of creative adventure, the provocative brand vocabulary of l.a.Eyeworks has infiltrated the pop culture landscape from fashion to publishing to art and film. l.a.Eyeworks is a privately owned house of optical imagination, including its namesake retail store in Los Angeles and a wholesale company that channels its influential designs to a global network of independent opticians and retailers.
JEFF PRESS (PRESS Eyewear)
Jeff Press has been a creative force in the eyewear industry for over two decades. PRESS eyewear makes its debut in S/S24, the apex of that creative journey. Crafting materials and working with them as unique wearable sculpture has long been Press’ trademark. Stirring a pot of inspiration from the worlds of art, design, automobiles and fashion, with a deep love of music, the result is detailed creation that allows people to feel amazing and understand that their eyewear is their power. The collection utilizes the finest, eco-conscious materials to bring together the natural and supernatural, elevate the eyewear experience and seamlessly pair form and function.
PATTY PERREIRA (BARTON PERREIRA)
Patty Perreira and Bill Barton revolutionized the art of eyewear design at renowned fashion brands. In 2007, these visionaries embarked on their own path, joining forces to establish Barton Perreira. Their mission was clear: to create an independent brand that perceives things differently, investing time and dedication in the craftsmanship that yields nothing short of the world’s finest eyewear. Renowned for their meticulous attention to unique details, Barton Perreira eyewear comes to life through the expertise and virtuosity of Japan’s leading artisans. In their unwavering commitment to sustainability, Barton Perreira utilizes plant-based acetates derived from wood and cotton, ensuring the use of environmentally friendly materials. Additionally, they offer cleaning cloths and retail bags made from recyclable materials. Barton Perreira eyewear is available at flagship retail boutiques in New York City, Aspen, Bozeman, and Kansas City, as well as exclusive optical stores, premium department stores, and select boutiques worldwide.
SELIMA SALAUN (SELIMA OPTIQUE)
Selima Optique first opened its doors in SoHo in 1996, and now owns four stores across New York City, as well as two more in Paris. Trained as an optician and an optometrist, Selima Salaun pioneered the Soho neighborhood as a high-end optical retailer by introducing new and rare designs in both her signature candy colors and classic shades. Her eyewear has set the mood for many seasons of fashion, with a diverse clientele of glasses lovers from all over the world. Selima’s creative gifts have been inspiring young designers from all fields over the world, and her business savvy has created her an empire that still reigns strong over 25 years later.
About edCFDA
The eyewear-specific designers within the Council of Fashion Designers of America (www.CFDA.com) are known collectively as the edCFDA. This sub-group of the membership aims to inspire, empower, and promote awareness of eyewear design and the vitality of the optical industry through promotion, education, mentoring, and collaborative fundraising initiatives.
About Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation for Childhood Cancer
Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation (ALSF) emerged from the front yard lemonade stand of 4-year-old Alexandra “Alex” Scott, who was fighting cancer and wanted to raise money to find cures for all children with cancer. By the time Alex passed away at the age of 8, she had raised $1 million. Since then, the Foundation bearing her name has evolved into a worldwide fundraising movement and the largest independent childhood cancer charity in the U.S. ALSF is a leader in funding pediatric research projects across the globe and providing programs to families affected by childhood cancer.
