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NEW YORK—Vision Expo has announced the Vision Expo 2020 Talent Search, supported by the eyewear designers of the Council of Fashion Designers of America, known as the edCFDA. The search is aimed to identify and support emerging designers and foster their talent during the symbolic year for the eyewear industry, 2020. “Supporting emerging designers is vital to the growth of our industry and it’s an honor to be working with the edCFDA on such an important program,” said Ashley Mills, CEO of The Vision Council. “As we grow and expand Vision Expo, we’re dedicated to providing a space for all designers to learn from one another and showcase what makes them unique.”

To be eligible for consideration, designers must demonstrate the following:

• Business is legally headquartered in the United States.
• Business was established after Jan. 1, 2016.
• Annual sales are equal to one million or less.
• Press and social media support.


Interested eyewear designers and/or brands should submit their application online before Jan. 20, 2020. Two winners will be announced and introduced to the creative eyewear community during a celebratory event in New York City at Vision Expo East on Thursday, March 26. Each designer and/or brand will receive a complimentary booth in the new Exhibit Hall incubator destination, The Springs.

Applicants will be judged by seven members of the edCFDA:

• Christian Roth, co-founder and designer of Christian Roth Eyewear
• Jeff Press, chief creative officer of Morgenthal Frederics & Robert Marc NYC
• Gai Gherardi, co-founder and designer of l.a.Eyeworks
• Patty Perreira, co-founder/designer of Barton Perreira
• Selima Salaun, owner and designer of Selima Optique
• Shane Baum, founder and designer of Leisure Society
• Blake Kuwahara, founder and creative director of Blake Kuwahara Eyewear

For more information on the Vision Expo 2020 Talent Search and to apply, visit east.visionexpo.com/Apply. Questions can be directed to Tarrence Lackran, The Vision Council’s director of partnerships and programming at tlackran@thevisioncouncil.org.

Registration for Vision Expo East 2020 is open now. Earlier this week, The Vision Council and Vision Expo revealed a reimagination of the show in March 2020, with several new curated exhbition areas and many new events, as VMAIL reported.