conceptual, inflated eyewear explores inflatable trend in fashion

From All Design Lab

New Jersey-based design studio All Design Lab wanted to explore the trend of inflatables in the fashion industry after having been captivated by the recent works of the creatives it had gazed its attention upon, primarily Moncler’s collaboration with Craig Green. From this curiosity, the team started to discuss how they can infuse inflatables into fashion accessories, and which product in the industry would they be taking on.

‘We wanted to look specifically into designing without function and improvement in mind for this exercise. Simply looking at form, trend, and speculation to stride away from our regular client work.’ the team says. The process has given birth to three inflatable eyewear concepts, all influenced by individual styles and needs.

images by All Design Lab

The three eyewear

The Athlete focuses on vision, easy inflation, and adjustment features with its two inflatable tips at the end of each leg to maximize inflation. ‘For example, suppose one side gets less air than the other. In that case, it becomes easier to reinflate quickly and keep the movement and actions of the athlete going,’ says the team. The concept also anchors a metal wire located on both legs around each air pocket to give the user the adjustment freedom on the legs of the frame, hugging their head for a more secure and comfortable fit.

The Contemporary underscores the modern eyewear trends brought forward by celebrities and musicians. The notion of impracticality as functionality spearheads the accessory, and the team incorporates accents that ‘could become an expanded feature to build many different colorways and variations. Different transparencies and colors could quickly evolve this style along with an elaboration into placement, size, and amount of dimples.’ The bubble-like shape of its lenses complements the inflatable frame’s soft body, which, at a first glance, looks like it is made of leather.

The Oversized, the last style, visualizes a sizeable puffy frame that would theoretically sit comfortably on the user’s head, and only a single visor would act as its lens. ‘The size for this style was exaggerated purposefully to play with the inflatable feature. This new approach focuses on using a single tubular form that would inflate and only split itself to create a nose bridge for the user’s comfort. Theoretically, the design would accommodate many different nose sizes and fit snugly on most head sizes,’ the team says.

the oversized

Out of the typical eyewear

All Design Lab’s conceptual designs deviate from the typical eyewear shapes and functions as it utilizes the inflatable feature to dictate their forms. These styles, combined with an inflatable approach, put forward questions and challenges alongside possibilities of the inflatable’s future in the world of fashion. ‘For example, will the inflation feature bring more versatility of use? Could the inflatable area expand from the conventional frame into other locations, perhaps for added safety?’ the team asks. The answers are yet to be uncovered.

the contemporary