Eyewear Designer

Pair Eyewear; Irvine (CA); On-site; USD 170,000 - 180,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, vision, and dental insurance

Generous vacation policy

Retirement savings plan options

Free eyewear (plus discounts)

Job summary

Pair Eyewear in Irvine is seeking a frame designer to own the look, feel, and design identity of our frames. This creative, concept-driven role defines aesthetic direction and brings new shapes and collections to life through sketching, illustration, and hand-drawing, partnering with the development team to move concepts toward production.

You will explore form, proportion, color, and finish across the collection, research trends, and present concepts to cross-functional partners while

Qualifications

• Direct eyewear industry experience designing frames.
• Degree in Industrial Design, Product Design, Fashion Design, or related field.
• Strong hand-drawing, illustration, and digital sketching skills (e.g. Procreate, Photoshop, Illustrator).
• Strong sense of form, proportion, brand aesthetic, and color/material/finish.
• Working knowledge of eyewear materials and construction.
• Portfolio showing original eyewear/frame design, from concept through finished product.

Responsibilities

• Define the look, feel, and design identity of Pair’s frames — from overall aesthetic direction to the details of each shape.
• Conceptualize and develop new frame designs through sketching, illustration, hand-drawing, and digital rendering.
• Explore form, proportion, silhouette, and style across the collection.
• Direct materials, color, and finish (CMF) — selecting and combining acetate, metal, and mixed materials to express each design.
• Develop balanced, on-trend collections aligned with the Pair brand and the product roadmap.
• Partner with the product development team to carry concepts from idea toward production, keeping the design intent intact.
• Research eyewear, fashion, and materials trends, and study competitor product, to keep the line fresh and distinct.
• Present design concepts and direction clearly to cross-functional partners.

Skills

Frame design

Hand-drawing

Digital sketching

Illustration

Trend awareness

Education

Industrial Design / Product Design degree

Tools

Procreate

Photoshop

Illustrator

Job description

At Pair Eyewear, we believe in placing our people at the center of everything we do. We are dedicated to fostering a joyful and dynamic workplace, providing our employees with an environment where they can thrive and make a meaningful impact.

Pair Eyewear is looking for a frame designer to own the look, feel, and design identity of our eyewear. This is a creative, concept-driven role: you’ll define the aesthetic direction of our frames and bring new shapes and collections to life through sketching, illustration, and hand-drawing. You’ll set the design vision and partner with our development team to take concepts toward production. If you have an eye for form, a point of view on style, and a love of eyewear, we want to see your work.

What You’ll Do

• Define the look, feel, and design identity of Pair’s frames — from overall aesthetic direction to the details of each shape.
• Conceptualize and develop new frame designs through sketching, illustration, hand-drawing, and digital rendering.
• Explore form, proportion, silhouette, and style across the collection.
• Direct materials, color, and finish (CMF) — selecting and combining acetate, metal, and mixed materials to express each design.
• Develop balanced, on-trend collections aligned with the Pair brand and the product roadmap.
• Partner with the product development team to carry concepts from idea toward production, keeping the design intent intact.
• Research eyewear, fashion, and materials trends, and study competitor product, to keep the line fresh and distinct.
• Present design concepts and direction clearly to cross-functional partners.

Who You Are

• A frame designer with a strong point of view on style, form, and what makes eyewear feel special.
• A skilled illustrator — confident in hand-drawing and digital sketching to communicate ideas quickly and beautifully.
• Trend-aware and curious, with a feel for where eyewear and fashion are heading.
• Organized and self-driven, able to run multiple designs in parallel against a product calendar.
• Collaborative — you enjoy working with development, category, and brand partners to bring designs to life.

Need To Have

• Direct eyewear industry experience designing frames.
• Degree in Industrial Design, Product Design, Fashion Design, or a related field — design school strongly preferred. Equivalent professional experience considered.
• Strong hand-drawing, illustration, and digital sketching skills (e.g. Procreate, Photoshop, Illustrator).
• A strong sense of form, proportion, brand aesthetic, and color/material/finish.
• Working knowledge of eyewear materials and construction — enough to design with manufacturability in mind.
• A portfolio showing original eyewear / frame design, from concept through finished product.

Nice To Have

• Experience designing for a direct-to-consumer/ wholesale retail or high-volume eyewear brand.
• Specialized eyewear-design training or apprenticeships.
• A background in trend or CMF research.
• Familiarity with optical basics and prescription frame considerations.

Some Benefits And Perks Of Working At Pair

• Medical, vision, and dental insurance
• Generous vacation policy
• Retirement savings plan options
• Free eyewear (plus discounts for family and friends)

At Pair, we carefully consider a wide range of factors when determining compensation. These considerations can cause your compensation to vary. The pay range for this position is expected to be between $170,000 - $180,000 and will depend on your skills, qualifications, and experience. Additionally, this role might be eligible for discretionary short-term and long-term incentives. We encourage all interested candidates to apply.

Pair is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment and will not be discriminated against on the basis of actual or perceived age, ancestry, citizenship, color, disability, familial status, family responsibilities, gender identity/expression, genetic information, marital status, matriculation, national origin, personal appearance, political affiliation, pregnancy or related condition (including breastfeeding), race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law. We also consider qualified applicants regardless of criminal histories, consistent with legal requirements.