The 2023 SILMO d’Or nominees are…

CHILDREN

DE RIGO with « UK136 » – Police

ETNIA EYEWEAR with « BA-BAAAANG ! »

KALEOS EYEHUNTERS with « Philip C004 »                           

KNCO with « GEO »                                                                                      

VARIATION DESIGN with « K186 Chance »                                                               

SPORT

BOLLÉ with « Windchaser »                                                             

CÉBÉ with « S’tech Autofit »

MARCHON with « Flyfree » – NIKE    

MARCOLIN with « Adidas sport SP0088_02L »                                                                   

VISION 

ESSILORLUXOTTICA with « Varilux XR Series »                                                        

DIVEL ITALIA with « Re-Live »            

MORROW with « Morrow eProgressives »               

OPTISWISS with « Concept Biometrics »                                                     

MATERIAL / EQUIPMENT

COSIUM with « e-StoreConnect »                                                                

ESSILORLUXOTTICA with « Shamir Spark 4 » – Shamir                                              

SAARGOS with « Quicksee Free » – Plenoptika                                                        

SBRUSSET&CO with « Bootle Glass Set »                                                      

OPTICAL FRAME « BRANDS & LABELS »

BOLLÉ with « Epid 02 »                                                          

ESCHENBACH OPTIK with « 503216 Col.30 » – Marc O’Polo                        

MARCHON with « PS24607 KIMPTON » – Paul Smith                                   

ODLM-SEAPORT with « KAAL71 – VEAR » – Paul & Joe                                             

ODLM-SEAPORT with « CC1086 – VEDO » – Carven                                     

SUNGLASSES « BRANDS & LABELS »

ADCL with « MAUS2318 01» – Mauboussin                                                  

DE RIGO with « P8966 » – Porsche Design                                                   

GROSFILLEY with « Billie – LA91033 C1 » – Lancel Paris                   

MARCHON with « CK24503S » – Calvin Klein                        

ODLM-SEAPORT with « CC4091S NOVE » – Carven                          

TECHNOLOGICAL INNOVATION IN EYEWEAR

15-1 DIFFUSION with « Aloha »                                                                               

ATAVU with « Person “nez” lissée » – Les Petits Ponts                                                                     

BUST OUT EYEWEAR with « Twist »                                                                                     

SBRUSSET & CO with « Meyro-nde OP »                                                      

URBAND INTERNATIONAL with « Urband Carbon 3 »                                                                     

SUNGLASSES « EYEWEAR DESIGNER »

ANDY WOLF with « Blossom col.05 »                                   

CLÉMENT LUNETIER with « Opportunity – 5517 »                                        

JEAN PHILIPPE JOLY with « Jean Philippe Joly x Gimm »                              

LUCAS DE STAËL with « Glacier #01 »                                                                      

SASAKI with « Suekichi »                                                                   

OPTICAL FRAME « EYEWEAR DESIGNER »

BLAKE KUWAHARA with « KELLOGG »                                             

CAROLINE ABRAM with « LINE »                                                                  

CUTLER AND GROSS with « 9126 Lunettes Cat-Eye »                                              

RIGARDS with « MODEL RG1009TI »                                                           

VERONIKA WILDGRUBER with « TYRELL »                                                   

Source : SILMO Paris

A graduate of the ESMOD School of Fashion Design  (First  Prize  in  the  Haute  Couture category), Nicolas Fafiotte trained in Paris – particularly with Emmanuel Ungaro – before moving to Lyon in the early 2000s. He opened his design workshop, offering bespoke wedding dresses  and  evening  gowns,  just  off  Place Bellecour. He crafts “exceptional garments for exceptional occasions that express celebration,” in his words. The designer wins clients over with his sense of style and his exacting perfectionism. 

The  champion  of  French-style savoir-faire has a talent for designing sublime gowns that impressed Sylvie Tellier, Miss Lyon 2001, who became Miss France 2002 the same year.  Brought  into  the  spotlight  and  indeed flung to centre stage of the fashion world, he in turn became a loyal supporter of the extensively covered national competition, creating prestigious dresses for the event’s finalists.

Forever on the move and yet careful to choose his collaborations parsimoniously, he regularly works with other brands to create, for example, a jewellery line, handbags, accessories, and the spectacular looks of the “Live Show d’Etam Lingerie”. He also designed the capsule collection “Pronuptia by Nicolas Fafiotte” that was presented at the 2022 edition of Miss France.

Curious to discover other creative worlds, Nicolas Fafiotte was eager to take on the prestigious role of President of the SILMO d’OR awards, especially since he is a native of Oyonnax, in the Ain region, that is the cradle of the French glasses industry. This coincidence is a sign of good things to come for the next edition of the ever-as-sought-after SILMO d’OR awards, to be held in an unprecedented venue of the French capital. As a fashion designer for exceptional occasions, Nicolas Fafiotte is greatly honoured to turn his perfectionist (and glamourous!) eye on the nominated products.

Join us on October 1 at the SILMO d’OR space of SILMO Paris to discover the big winners of 2023!

Click HERE for the full press release,

For other related content on Optik NOW, click HERE.

Thanks to support from the optometry profession, alumni and donors across Canada, the University of Waterloo will begin construction next year on the Waterloo Eye Institute (WEI), a state-of-the-art facility supporting advances in vision research, optometric education and patient care.

At a celebration at Waterloo’s School of Optometry and Vision Science on September 19, gifts totalling $8.5 million from two of the country’s leading vision care providers — FYidoctors and IRIS, The Visual Group — were announced.

These contributions and those of other generous donors have enabled the School to turn the corner on its $35 million Seeing Beyond 2020 campaign, making the construction of the Waterloo Eye Institute a reality.

“The Waterloo Eye Institute is needed more than ever as we face a national and global vision crisis, with one in five Canadians at risk of losing their sight from eye disease,” said Dr. Stanley Woo, director of the School.

Dr. Vivek Goel, Waterloo’s president and vice-chancellor, noted that “the WEI will leverage both the School of Optometry’s expertise and the University’s unconventional and collaborative approaches to research and education as well as provide excellent care for patients in our community.” 

The FYidoctors network has made a historical contribution, donating $5 million in support of the WEI (including a $2.5 million corporate donation and $2.5 million in contributions from the company’s individual optometrists). IRIS has generously donated $2.5 million, in addition to an earlier $1 million gift to the WEI, made in November 2022.

With 67,000 square feet of new and renovated space, the WEI will push the boundaries of eye and vision care, clinical education and research to benefit patients in the Waterloo region and across the country.

“The WEI represents the future of optometry in Canada, and it will provide world-class education opportunities, equipping the next generation of optometrists to provide quality eye care. Students will gain immensely by working alongside healthcare professionals and experts in the WEI’s modernized clinic,” said Dr. Alan Ulsifer (OD ’90), CEO of FYidoctors.  

On top of advancing optometric education and patient care, the WEI has the potential to shape the future of health care. Using the eye as a window to the brain, WEI researchers will deploy their expertise in AI, biomedical sciences and digital imagery to develop new treatments for widespread conditions such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease, glaucoma, macular degeneration and diabetes.

Dr. Daryan Angle (OD ’01), vice-president of business development at IRIS, said: “Our support for the WEI aligns with IRIS’s commitment to funding eye and vision research and innovation. We hope to advance the profession in a way that keeps optometry in Canada healthy, strong and moving forward.”

Seeing Beyond 2020: The Waterloo Eye Institute video:

Click HERE for the full press release.

Guaranteed to impress with its square shape and custom laminate gradient acetate, SFK-279 in Black Checker Papaya combines three different acetate patterns for the ultimate fusion of fun and uniqueness. This particular number features eye-catching, harmonious colour combinations that celebrate authenticity and style, two confidence essentials for young trailblazers!

Distributed by: www.westgroupe.com

With Le Club de Lecture, the FW 23/24 campaign, GIGI Studios creates a meeting place for reading, listening, and exploring the world from different perspectives.

The setting: an abandoned Parisian library. The protagonists: nine unique people who come together and connect thanks to their passion for books.

Le Club de Lecture, the FW 23/24 campaign by GIGI Studios, invites us to be spectators of the conversation that this group will have about their favourite books and wants to highlight the importance that literature can have as a trigger for empathy and self-discovery, and the need to take a break from the hustle and bustle of everyday life to be inspired and fully present in the moment.

VANGUARD COLLECTION FW 23/24:

The new GIGI Studios collection presents meticulously crafted models in the Barcelona atelier. Their delicate details and handcrafted finishes reiterate the brand’s commitment to exceptional design.

The new designs of the VANGUARD collection are characterised by geometric shapes and bold volumes in natural Italian acetate. BONNIE is an aviator model in an innovative colour palette.

The VANGUARD Optical FW 23/24 collection consists of eight powerful, uniquely styled acetate designs created to enhance all aspects of each personality. PHOEBE stands out for its two-layer acetate mix, producing unique transitions and gradients.

GIGI STUDIOS MEN FW 23/24:

GIGI Studios expands the MEN collection of optical and sun contemporary designs. A commitment to purity and character is reflected in the MELVILLE optical model, with a thick acetate rim and a slightly geometric shape.

BRYANT, one of the new acetate sun designs, features thick acetate rims and defined shapes. As with the entire MEN sun collection, the CR39 lenses are polarized.

Click HERE for the full press release.