HKDI students sweep top three places in eyewear design competition
HKDI students sweep top three places in eyewear design competition
8 November 2016
HKDI Students and graduates shone in the 18th Hong Kong Eyewear Design Competition, sweeping the top three places as well as winning the Made-to-Sell Award and the first runner-up prize of the Open Group. The winning products has been exhibited in the three-day Hong Kong Optical Fair held at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre from 9 to 11 November.
Year Two HKDI student of the Higher Diploma in Jewellery and Image Product Design, CHAN Wai-mau, clinched the championship of the Student Group with his work Recall. Feeling that Hong Kong people lead hectic lives and have little time for family dinners to enjoy togetherness, he created an eyewear design infusing elements of the everyday furniture of a folding table. The arms of the eyewear are printed with wood patterns, while the joints of the nose bridge and spectacle frame resemble the iron part of a folding table, reminding the wearer to dine more with the family and spend time taking care of family members. Wai-mau was delighted with the win, saying it has boosted his confidence in joining the design industry in the future. He thanked HKDI teachers for their dedication. During his studies at HKDI, the institute has arranged frequent talks for students on the jewellery and product design industry, as well as factory visits and exchanges to update them on the industry‘s latest developments. Wai-mau‘s creativity and techniques have been greatly enhanced as a result.
Current HKDI graduate of the Higher Diploma in Product Design (Timepiece & Lifestyle Product), LEE Cheuk-chung, was first runner-up in the Student Group and winner of the Made-to-Sell Award with his designs named Inclinations and Image respectively. Cheuk-chung feels that each individual has a unique style, so for Inclinations he developed flexible eyewear that enables different people to highlight their own taste. The spectacles are made of magnetic material that can be matched with different frames, accentuating varied styles of the wearer. Image, inspired by photography, creates a vibe of the retro manual Single Lens Reflex camera through its frame and arms made of leather and metal complexes. Cheuk-chung said the programme taught extensive product design knowledge ranging from graphic to product design subjects, which helped give him a broader base to pursue a career in product design.
Another graduate of the same programme, IP Lok-sang, was second runner-up with his work named Earthcraft. The arms of his eyewear are designed in the image of tree branches, exuding a natural style in line with the product theme.
In the Open Group, first runner-up Samuel SO is an HKDI graduate currently working in a global eyewear design company. His work named Stitch is innovatively designed with leather woven on to the spectacle frame and arms, and the wearer can freely match his/her outfit with the leather casing every day.
The 18th Hong Kong Eyewear Design Competition was a joint initiative by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council and the Hong Kong Optical Manufacturers Association to enhance the quality of local eyewear design, encouraging local designers to unleash their creativity, and promoting Hong Kong designs to international buyers. The theme of this year‘ss competition was “Uniqueness”. Designers competed in two categories, the Open Group and Student Group. The entries were judged on such criteria as creativity, design, function and market potential.
