Ever heard the saying: two’s a coincidence, three’s a trend? For acclaimed Australian designer Kym Ellery, three’s the number that’s driving her spin on fashion trends into the hands of the masses.

The West Australia-born creative who moved to Paris before her first show there Couture Fashion Week has collaborated on a third eyewear collection for optical giant Specsavers, arguably the most high-luxe partnership it’s tapped into. (It’s also done successful multiple collections to with iconic designers Collette Dinnigan, Alex Perry and Carla Zampatti, the latest iterations of both also on sale now, as well as a recent mash-up with musician will.i.am)

Ellery in Sydney for Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Australia 2017. (Credit: Supplied)

For this collection, Ellery – herself a long-time glasses-wearer – looked to the City of Lights for design inspiration. “I was inspired by the thinkers and poets that live in the city of Paris, as well as the city itself,” she told GRAZIA. “I wanted this collection to have a modern, yet classic aesthetic and included a light and dark tortoiseshell, jet black [and] a translucent and champagne-coloured frames.”

How much do fashion trends guide her glass design choices? “I’m inspired by people who wear glasses well more than I am by trends,” she explained.

“In designing past collections, I have looked to iconic figures like Peggy Guggenheim, Iris Apfel, Carrie Donovan and Jerry Garcia as examples of people who have made eyewear part of their identity.”


Credit: Kym Ellery shot by Sascha Heintze and Sally Matthews for The Modist

While the technical process behind creating eyewear is quite different to creating ready-to-wear collections, in both cases her focus is on strong silhouettes, modern classic shapes and neutral palettes with a few touches of colour.

This new range includes six optical frames and four sunglasses styles. “Our goal was to create something for everyone,” she says. “When it comes to eyewear you don’t want to be too trend-driven – this is something that you will wear on your face every day, so you don’t want something you’ll get tired of or that won’t go with your wardrobe.

Kym Ellery with Alex Perry. (Credit: Getty Images)

“That being said, you also want to make a statement. We made the range as versatile but impactful as possible with upswept cat’s eye shapes, strong androgynous brow lines, and retro pilot designs.”

The ELLERY glasses start from just $199 ranging up to $249, including standard single-vision lenses, which is almost half the price of sunglasses under her eponymous designer label.

See three of the 10 ELLERY x Specsavers styles below, plus the range in full here.