Exhibitions & Meetings
SILMO 2026, an early report on the Optical Parisien Festival
SILMO 2026 Paris
As the Papal Hoards gathered along the Avenue des Champs-Élysées (700,000) an expected 34000 will be visiting SILMO 2026 over this weekend.
Opchat News arrived at the opening last Friday 25th Sept. and the buzz of expectancy was evident from the start.
After the short hop on Eurostar and a stay close to the Gare de Nord, a quick recap on “Le parlez Francais” we were ready to provide our readers with a tour de France!
Can’t imagine why more of the UK professionals don’t follow us over. Think 100% Optical for which and alongside SILMO we are both Media Partners and think three times bigger.
Noticeably the aisles are more than twice the width and the two halls are massive. Managed by Comexposium there is little spared in expenses visible by the VIP lounges and the exceedingly large and comfortable Press Area, SILMO Club.
Instant takeaways:
Futurology is an invitation to look further ahead: to understand weak signals, anticipate change and act today to build innovation that is useful, responsible and sustainable. Smart glasses, artificial intelligence, predictive health… This year, SILMO Next shone a spotlight on an industry in the midst of transformation. At the Tech Village, demonstrations and hands-on experiences allowed visitors to try out the innovations set to transform both in-store practices and the way wearers use their eyewear. Throughout the conferences, the eye also emerged as a true window onto overall health, paving the way for more preventive optics driven by imaging and AI.
Smart Wearables, we counted and attended 11 stands displaying the latest technology. Read our discussion on how the Wearable Market is changing.
There was a lot of activity on these stands not least on the EssilorLuxottica huge stand which despite its area was still a fight to move around on and the interest was mainly on their new Meta Audio, the new wearable with no camera! Nuance Audio was also causing interest as well as their new AR Coated lens.
Frame companies abound as do their intriguing branding names. Hall 7, the newly expanded Hall some years ago is full of famous and new brand opportunities.
And yet Hall 6 still retains its international brands where we met up with UK companies, In Specs, Mondottica and Stepper. All impressive and a shame we don’t see the likes of Stepper at 100% Optical.
However, two notable stands which drew our attention were:
Eyespace which appeared full of active buyers every time we walked past, how do they do it?
And then we spotted a familiar face, Robert William Morris now running Wright and Bailey once again in his very usual British Branding, portrait of our late Queen in presence but no Red London Bus!
We’ll be back next year, of course but why not you? It’s a great atmosphere as is the gastronomics.
Coming soon here: Wearables where are they heading? & “The French want to ban Optical Advertising, what next!”
Shortly we will also discuss an overview of the Smart Companies Market and what they can offer differently to each other.
▸ THE SILMO D’OR – 33RD EDITION
Chaired by Joachim Froment, a Brussels-based industrial designer and creative director and co-founder of the Futurewave studio, the SILMO d’Or celebrated an edition centred on the dialogue between design, technology and the wearer experience.
The 2026 winners bear witness to this: autofocus glasses for presbyopes, progressive lenses personalised using virtual reality, open-field binocular refraction and luxury smart glasses sit alongside creations of exceptional craftsmanship, from natural slate to Japanese titanium.
- Children: Karavan Kids – Zigzag (Design Eyewear Group)
- Sport: Julbo – Panora
- Vision: Mega Optic – EvosightVR
- Low Vision: Eschenbach Optik – optaro® XL
- Materials / Equipment: Nidek – PHANTOM™
- Technological Innovation in Eyewear: Laclarée – Autofocus glasses
- Smart Eyewear: GETD & Marienfeld – The Luxury AI glasses
- Optical Frames “Labels”: Lancel – Emeline (Grosfilley)
- Sunglasses “Labels”: Victoria Beckham – VB 7015/S (Safilo)
- Sunglasses “Eyewear Designer”: Caroline Abram – Sakura
- Optical Frames “Eyewear Designer”: Maison Lune – Galet
- Sunglasses “Craftsmanship & Know-how”: Brett – Ferdinand Sun
- Optical Frames “Craftsmanship & Know-how”: rolf. Eyewear – Superbird
- Jury’s Special Prize: Paloceras – Pebble RX
More than a trophy, the SILMO d’Or is an internationally recognised label that winners proudly display on their stands and in their communications.
COMMITTED COMPANY AWARD
This award recognises companies that turn their CSR strategy into concrete, measurable action.
2026 winner: Andy Wolf, recognised for an approach as comprehensive as it is demanding: 85% of its acetate frames are now made from Acetate Renew; its product footprint fell by 53% for acetate and 38% for metal between 2021 and 2024; its production chain is 100% European with no air freight; it offers repair and second-hand services; and it has a strong social commitment to inclusion.
OPTIC DESIGN CONTEST
Supporting emerging talent is a key mission for SILMO Paris. For its 5th edition, the contest – chaired by Olivier Lapidus, the French designer renowned for his avant-garde vision – invited design students to reflect on “The future of optics – What outlook?”
2026 winner: DREAMSCAPE by Sophia Denison (Savannah College of Art and Design, USA), an experimental collection that responds to the “attention crisis” by using visual distortion to recreate the sensations of daydreaming.
INTERNATIONAL OPTICIAN OF THE YEAR AWARD
Presented by the IOA (International Opticians Association) in collaboration with SILMO Paris, this award honours the commitment and vision of opticians who move the profession forward.
2026 winner: Jessica Gowing (United Kingdom), Principal Optometrist at Great Ormond Street Children’s Hospital in London, who specialises in fitting eyewear for children with craniofacial anomalies, notably designing custom 3D-printed frames for them.
Jessica received a standing ovation at the Optical Womans Assocaition meeting held in Club Silmo with over 60 attandees
