Editor Lesley Springall enjoying the Musée des Arts Forains, venue for the 2018 Silmo D'Or awards

Given last year was Silmo’s spectacular 50th anniversary celebration at the Grand Palais, complete with stilt walkers and ballet, it was a wonderful surprise that this year’s Silmo D’Or Awards night celebration was equally spectacular and, possibly, even more fun.

The venue for this year’s awards, the Musée des Arte Forains, houses a private collection of performing arts memorabilia from the 19th and 20th centuries and a wonderful, still working, collection of old fairground attractions. The ‘throw the ball in the hole and make your waiter move’ sit down, wooden racing game, had queues for all 12 places three-deep at times. While it was impossible not to ride the old cycle-themed merry-go-round without hooting with laughter, especially as guests were liberally fuelled with champagne and delicious and unusual canapés.

International opticians recognised

Thus, it was with great merriment and bonhomie that Silmo president Amélie Morel finally took to the stage to welcome guests, award nominees and introduce Elaine Grisdale and Fiona Anderson, the British-based director of development and president, respectively, of the International Opticians Association (IOA).

The new partnership between Silmo and the IOA was announced at this year’s fair. It was marked with the introduction of a new annual award designed to honour an international optician, recognising the importance of the optician in the optical business and their role in choosing and fitting the right eyewear for their clientele.

The inaugural winner, Robert Grimard, has been an executive committee member of the Canadian Opticians Association since 1992, chair of the Canadian Opticians Council since 2015 and runs a network of independent, high-end optical practices in Montreal. He demonstrates the professionalism, entrepreneurial spirit and innovation at the heart of this award and the profession, said Anderson. “He is passionate about promoting the skills of our profession and encouraging the best vision care for consumers around the world.”

The 2018 Silmo d’Or Awards

Designed to recognise the creativity of the profession, the 2018 Silmo d’Or awards once again showcased the technological advances being made by the sector. Belgian designer and interior designer Michel Penneman, who headed the 2018 jury, presented this year’s awards to:

• Frame technological innovation: L’Amy, McLaren Ultimate Vision
• Children: Urband, Eyelet Active
• Optic frame – fashion: Marni, ME 2623 Marchon
• Sunglasses – fashion: Salvatore Ferragamo, SF184S Fiore Marchon
• Vision: BBGR Optique, Bluv Xpert
• Vision: Zeiss, UV Protect
• Material/equipment: Essilor, Vision R-800
• Optic frame – eyewear designer: Mora Busoli, Venti
• Sunglasses – eyewear designer: Impressio, 609 Vortex2
• Premiere Classe Award: Thierry Lasry, Shorty 1654
• Special Jury Award: Nathalie Blanc, Suzanne 253