BUSINESS CFDA Eyewear Designers Honor 10th Anniversary with Eyewear Collection, Proceeds Benefiting Alex’s Lemonade Stand By Staff Friday, September 20, 2024 12:18 AM NEW YORK—To celebrate the 10th anniversary of its founding as a working group within the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA), the eyewear-specific designers within the council (edCFDA) has announced it will present a dedicated collection of limited-edition eyewear designs with proceeds benefiting Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation for Childhood Cancer. Christian Roth, co-founder of Christian Roth Eyewear and the group’s chairperson, said, “The edCFDA is proud to mark this important first decade of collaboration and impact. When the eyewear designers of theCFDA united as the edCFDA in September 2014, we set forth with a shared vision to drive meaningful initiatives in the optical industry. While we have made significant strides toward our goals, we are focused on the future knowing there is much more we can achieve together.” This special 10th anniversary collection includes six individual eyewear designs by edCFDA members Blake Kuwahara (Blake Kuwahara Eyewear); Christian Roth and Eric Domege (Christian Roth Eyewear); Gai Gherardi and Barbara McReynolds (l.a.Eyeworks); Jeff Press (PRESS Eyewear); Patty Perreira (Barton Perreira); and Selima Salaun (Selima Optique). The collection is comprised of five sunglasses and one ophthalmic frame, all unified by the inclusion of lavender tones in the designs as a signifier of cancer awareness. Jeff Press said, “We are so pleased to come together on this capsule as a collective while exhibiting each designer’s individual creations to support this impactful cause.” According to the edCFDA, dedicated proceeds from the sales of each frame will be donated collectively to benefit the mission of Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation for Childhood Cancer (ALSF). The organization emerged when 4-year-old Alexandra “Alex” Scott, who was fighting cancer herself, set up a front yard lemonade stand to raise funds for find cures for all children with cancer. By the time Alex passed away at age 8, she had raised $1 million; since then, the Foundation has evolved into a worldwide fundraising movement and is the largest independent childhood cancer charity in the U.S. (Clockwise) edCFDA x ALSF designs from Selima Optique, Barton Perreira, Christian Roth, Jeff Press, Blake Kuwahara and l.a.Eyeworks. It helps to fund pediatric research projects worldwide and provides programs to families affected by childhood cancer. Liz Scott, Alex's mom and co-executive director of Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation, said, “The edCFDA has an impressive history of supporting charities over the years and ALSF is honored to be chosen for their 10th anniversary initiative. We are so grateful for this partnership—the edCFDA’s donation will have an impact in helping to find cures, while also allowing us to provide support for families affected by childhood cancer.” Reflecting on the formation and growth of the edCFDA over the past 10 years, Lisa Smilor, executive vice president of the CFDA, said, “these remarkable designers have repeatedly demonstrated that their unified efforts have not only brought greater global visibility to each of their unique talents, but that together, they have had the ability to provide truly meaningful financial support to various charitable organizations, and to the communities that they serve. I have the utmost admiration and appreciation for this special group of CFDA Members, which has been led by the indefatigable Christian Roth for the past decade, with the hope that others will be inspired by, and aim to emulate, their successful efforts.” This capsule is the latest addition to the edCFDA’s legacy of charitable efforts, including its annual Pride Eyewear Initiative, which has donated more than $100,000 to LGBTQ+ causes since its inception.