Her thesis focuses on the shared traditions of women and the powerful influence of women as both mothers and daughters. As a specialist in designer eyewear, Hawkins believes that eyewear has evolved from something strictly functional to an expression of an individual's style, creativity and emotions. I would like to bring eyewear to another level, more as jewelry for the face. I hope to see eyewear made with precious metals such as sterling silver and gold, not only for fashion purposes, but also for quality and durability. Over 40 artists were invited to submit two pieces of eyewear.
All designs are wearable, hand fabricated, and functional as eyewear to hold lenses.
Most entries have taken well over 200 hours to design. First prize was awarded to Deb Stoner who runs a freelance business devoted to designing innovative eyewear for clients including Donna Karan. The exhibition opened to the public at the John Waldron Arts Center in Bloomington on October 23 and ran through November 20 th , 1998.