Hawke's Bay spectacle wearer catches Hollywood celebrity's attention

Hawke's Bay local Brian Hobson has been named one of New Zealand's most stylish and confidant spectacle wearers in a Specsavers competition.

A Hawke's Bay man has been named one of New Zealand's most stylish and confident glasses wearers by Golden Globe winner and Emmy Award nominated actress Kim Cattrall.

Hastings Bunnings price integrity assistant Brian Hobson was hand-picked from more than 900 entries by the Sex and the City actress after he entered the Specsavers' Spectacle Wearer of the Year competition.

He and five other finalists are in the running to be crowned the Specsavers' Spectacle Wearer of the Year, which will be announced next month.The competition winner will receive an all-expenses paid trip to New York with a friend, will have the opportunity to meet Ms Cattrall, along with a year's supply of designer glasses from Specsavers.

As a finalist, Mr Hobson has already won $500 cash, a voucher for two pairs of Specsavers designer glasses, and a trip to Auckland where he attended a styling session, professional photo shoot and dinner.

When asked what it felt like to be the centre of a professional photo shoot, Mr Hobson said it all happened so quickly.

"Being in front of the camera was an amazing experience. It really did push me out of my comfort zone," he said.

It was not only Mr Hobson's trendy and polished style that made him stand out among an already-high calibre of entries, but the confidence he had to rock his specs.

Having worn glasses since he was 15, Mr Hobson said he'd always been the "geeky one called four eyes" at school.

However, this competition seems to have turned things around for spectacle wearers around the country, with anyone sporting a pair of lenses eligible for prizes.

Mr Hobson said the competition just goes to show that through hard work you can always prove yourself.

"I would tell children that have to wear glasses to have confidence and wear them with pride. If you feel good in your skin no one can break that down," he said.