Sustainable trends: Ferilli Eyewear: Italian flair, sustainable materials

Virtual products showcase: Sustainable trends – The first brand of eyewear to produce a dedicated sustainable collection made from locally sourced prickly pear fibre and other sustainable materials such as olive wood and ebony, the young up-and-coming eco-conscious label Ferilli Eyewear successfully combines refined style and keen pricing in frames designed with a conscience, made to the strictest quality standards in Italy.

Their new line – “Aéras” ( “air” in Greek), is composed of six new unisex models inspired by the beautiful villages of Puglia in Southern Italy – with names such as Ostuni, Castro, Leuca and Porto Badisco. In this line, the focus was to “lighten the silhouette of the frame and highlight the Italian design, the lightweight quality and artisanal precision of the details.”

Sustainable trends – Ferilli Eyewear: the Aéras collection combines lightweight 100% sustainable materials and stylish Italian design

The prickly pear cactus has become increasingly desirable in recent years and as well as having health properties – it is popular in skincare and as a supplement for healthy hair – it  is even being studied for the production of earth-friendly plastic. In the Ferilli Eyewear collection, the patterned finish of the natural material creates a unique and eye-catching element for the fronts of the sunglasses.

Ferilli Eyewear: close-up of the unique patterning of the material, applied on birch wood in layers and covered with an eco-friendly resin

Trained as an optician, founder Cristiano Ferilli was born in Lecce in Puglia and has a special fondness for the region and its beautiful landscape. His eyewear collection uses the raw material, Sikalindi from the prickly pear cactus. The fibre needed for the sunglass production is obtained by a patented and completely eco-friendly method of dehydration without the use of pollutants.

Ferilli Eyewear; the sunglass styles are fitted with UV protective lenses in graduated, bright or more subtle and neutral tones

Ferilli Eyewear won “Best Ecological Sunglasses of the Year” in 2019 at the Monaco International Optics Trophies – the title “Maker of Merit” at the Maker Faire Rome (2019) – and was selected among the best young Italian designers in the “Showcase” – AltaRoma – Rome (2020).

Product: Aéras Collection Brand: Ferilli Eyewear Website: https://en.ferillieyewear.com Contact address: [email protected]

About the Eyestylist virtual products showcase: the Eyestylist virtual products showcase offers a unique launchpad for new avantgarde, artisan or luxury eyewear and sunglass products – through Autumn 2020. The showcase is an initiative designed to connect Eyestylist readers and specialist designers in the absence of international trade fairs + launch events due to the Coronavirus pandemic. For more details email [email protected].