Eyewear finds its place at Milan Design Week 2025 among art, technology, and aesthetic exploration
From the immersive installations of Punto Ottico Humaneyes to the smart lenses by Transitions®, from Gentle Monster’s futuristic pop-up to Movitra’s visual atmospheres.
At Milan Design Week 2025, the eyewear sector also showcases its creative vitality. In a context that celebrates design in all its forms, eyewear emerges as an object in constant transformation: from functional tool to vehicle of aesthetic, technological, and cultural experimentation. Through installations, campaigns, and experiential pop-ups, here are the initiatives that highlight a sector increasingly attuned to innovation.
Unparallel Visions: eyewear as an art installation
In Milan’s Piazza Meda, Punto Ottico Humaneyes hosted Unparallel Visions, a collection by Matteo Cibic that explores the dreamlike and sculptural side of eyewear. Three cellulose acetate models, handcrafted in Italy and enriched by AI-generated visual concepts, became the core of an immersive installation featuring ceramic sculptures and visionary furnishings.
The oversized frames, available in red, black, and transparent, invite viewers to see the world from new perspectives. A bold statement that transforms the store into a multisensory experience, blending design, art, and craftsmanship.
Transitions® GENiuS Squad: technology and lifestyle in the spotlight
Meanwhile, EssilorLuxottica unveiled the GENiuS Squad, a team of selected content creators showcasing the potential of Transitions® GEN STM smart lenses. Launched during Design Week, the campaign featured digital activations and OOH installations across central Milan, with an expected reach of over 66 million impressions.
Influencers such as Sofia Dalle Rive, Ale Giorgini, Giulia Calcaterra, and Irene Colzi interpret light and transformation as a lifestyle, proving that Transitions® lenses are a smart, versatile accessory for people constantly on the move. The campaign’s tagline, #LiveLikeLight, is an invitation to live with the same adaptability and lightness as light itself.
Gentle Monster x Maison Margiela: the futuristic pop-up at 10 Corso Como
In the realm of fashion eyewear, Gentle Monster × Maison Margiela debuted in Italy with an exclusive pop-up at 10 Corso Como—the brand’s first dedicated European space. Spanning nearly 95 square meters, the immersive installation hosts the full collection of this third collaboration between the South Korean label and the French fashion house.
Combining cyber-pop vision and couture craftsmanship, the collection features frames that appear to come from an alternate future. The space is enhanced by a striking abstract installation, transforming the store into a landscape where fashion, art, and experimentation merge. Once again, Milan reaffirms its role as a global capital for avant-garde eyewear.
Ray-Ban x C41: photography, music, and underground eyewear culture
Ray-Ban and independent magazine C41 brought eyewear into the urban realm with a Design Week activation in a classic Milanese kiosk, infused with club culture energy. The project Mega Balorama Ends Up in the Club blends photography, electronic music, and fashion through the lens of photographer Morgan Delaygue, who captured the underground scene in Marseille.
The spontaneous, immersive images—seen through the iconic Ray-Ban Mega Balorama frames—speak of rebellion, identity, and freedom, turning the eyewear into a cultural statement.
Ottica Cavour x Movitra: framing the future
During Design Week, Ottica Cavour previewed Movitra’s new Spring/Summer 2025 campaign, titled Framing the Future. Building on the Fearless Innovators concept, the new campaign projects the brand into a future-forward aesthetic defined by refined, technical design.
Featuring a mix of still life and portrait photography, as well as video content, the campaign showcases the new collection against minimalist backdrops of water, smoke, and abstract landscapes—turning each piece into a visual narrative that is both minimalist and visionary.
Design also speaks through eyewear
Milan Design Week 2025 sheds light on the evolving landscape of contemporary eyewear—where aesthetic exploration, technological innovation, and sustainability take center stage. Far from being a merely functional accessory, eyewear emerges as a vehicle for creative expression and cross-cultural influence.
In a world where design intersects with lifestyle and retail becomes an immersive journey, eyewear is finding its rightful place. A sign of vitality for a sector increasingly aware of trends—and ready to help shape the present, with clarity and style.
