Ronit Furst eyewear

Tel Aviv-based artist Ronit Furst’s distinctive colourful frames, modelled famously for many years by TV chef and The Great British Bake Off judge Prue Leith, are now available in New Zealand through BTP International Designz.

Describing the models and colours offered as “not one-of-a-kind, yet not mass-manufactured, (meaning) we usually produce each frame upon order,” Furst added frame design to her artistic portfolio of sculpture and ceramics in 2002.

Ronit Furst, the artist and director of Ronit Furst eyewear

“Aimed for the creative, unconventional and free-spirited, Ronit Furst eyewear is all about self expression, daring choices and unique chic,” she writes on her website. “Each piece in Ronit Furst’s collections provides impeccable functionality and durability, as each is handmade and hand-painted with materials of the highest quality… When the frame is a ‘canvas’, your eyeglasses are a piece of art.”

BTP International Designz's Trish Orr met and signed up Ronit Furst at Mido earlier this year. “We fell in love with her creativity and flair with palettes,” said Orr. “She tells a story when designing a frame – it has personality and a vision for life. Ronit is a true artist with a passion for all of her creations and hopes all who embrace her eyewear enjoy it as much as she enjoyed creating it.”

That passion is shared by Furst’s family, with Orr explaining her sons Tom and Yoel now work on the marketing and production side of the business. The frames can also be completely custom-made in the colours you choose, she said. “It takes a bit of time, but it's so worth it. They are for people who aren’t afraid to show the fun side of their personality.”