Australian eyewear designer, Jono Hennessy Sceats, was inducted into the Design Institute of Australia’s Hall of Fame at the National Gallery of Victoria in June.
In the citation on the night, Sceats’ love of his craft was said to have come from watching his optometrist father expertly fashion bespoke optical frames, leading him to enrol in art school. “When other brands were playing it safe back in the I980’s, Jono was a creative innovator; shaking up the industry by always doing the opposite of what people expected… Jono has had a stellar career, becoming one of Australia’s most successful eyewear designers, with his work featured in film and on television, and worn by celebrities and world fashion leaders alike.”
Sceats’ history of bold design experimentation was recognised when he was appointed inaugural chair of the Design Council at Sydney’s Museum of Contemporary Art. He also represented Australia in design at the Barcelona World Fair and the Powerhouse Museum in Sydney holds a permanent collection of his early work.
In other news, the Jono Hennessy Group, comprising the Jono Hennessy, Carter Bond and Zeffer brands, is now part of Australia’s Sunshades Eyewear business. For more on this, stay tuned to the website, which will feature an interview with Jono from this year’s O-Show in Melbourne.
