Optician Awards 2017: Frame rubs judges right way

Eyewear is currently enjoying a period of creativity and expression, with bold concepts and complex manufacturing processes.

This was not lost on the judges of the Frame of the Year category at this year’s judging day. The broad mix of entrants included production processes such as 3D printing and on the other side of the spectrum, frames handcrafted from wooden veneer. In the end, it was the RBBR001 from Italian manufacturer Hapter that wooed many of the 20-strong voting panel.

It is fair to say that the RBBR001 is a frame indicative of now. A surgical grade stainless steel one-piece inner core is enveloped within an outer layer of textured rubber. But this is not just any textured rubber.