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Boutiques

Sea2see opens store in Grenoble

16th October 2025

The ‘seastainable’ brand opens in Europe’s Green Capital

Partnering with independent French optician, Julien Clavel, Sea2see has opened a branded store in central Grenoble – designed as a dedicated destination for the brand’s sustainable eyewear. The collaboration reflects a shared commitment to environmental impact, innovation, and transparency — offering customers a space to engage directly with Sea2see’s mission and values rooted in ocean preservation and ‘seastainable’ circular design. Situated on one of Grenoble’s pedestrian shopping streets, the new store features a contemporary interior that reflects Sea2see’s sustainable values – using natural materials like wood and stone, and a tranquil natural colour palette inspired by the sea and nature. Above: the first Sea2see eyewear store opens in France

Window displays illustrate the making of Sea2see’s recycled eyewear material, created from marine waste

The full Sea2see sun and optical eyewear collections are showcased in the store, alongside a range of professional premium optical services. These include
comprehensive eye examinations, the highest quality premium lenses – competitively priced to suit all customers’ needs and certified with the OFG (Origine France Garantie) label – supplied by an Essilor subsidiary, and offering – in addition – contact lens dispensing.

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François van den Abeele, Founder, Sea2see said: “It is only natural that we roll out an optical retail concept for Sea2see, where customers can experience our brand values and discover the impact on the environment via the Sea2see Foundation. I am extremely proud that we are taking the first steps on this retail project with Julien in a great city and strong market for our particular type of eyewear focusing on ‘seastainable’ values.” Find out more at www.sea2see.org

17 Rue de Bonne, 38000 Grenoble, France

Reviews

Lafont Paris revealed beautifully crafted ‘Perfect Capsule’ at Silmo 2025

14th October 2025

Parisian elegance with the spirit of rock – a special discovery at Silmo 2025

Among new releases at Silmo Paris 2025, the French eyewear brand’s new Perfect Capsule embodied French sophistication, elegance and contemporary style. Inspired by the archives of the 1980s, the collection is characterised by decorative studs and crystals, applied to some of the label’s most iconic eyewear designs such as Penelope, Showtime and Ramatuelle. Above: the new campaign by Lafont Paris

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Lafont Paris: the iconic Penelope style featuring a bold decoration with studs – part of the Perfect Capsule

With its controlled volumes, luminous bevels and jewellery-inspired design, the capsule collection celebrates the label’s creativity and commitment to fine craftsmanship. Each piece represents the meeting of an elegant aesthetic with a touch of audacity and authentic French sensibility. At Silmo, Lafont also revealed a new campaign to express the “confident gaze” of the women who wear their unique French eyewear designs.

About Lafont Paris – Lafont Paris is an historic family-run optical business founded in 1923. The collection is designed in Paris and produced in the Jura in France. More than 80% of the collection by Lafont is certified with the Origine France Garantie, the most important certification of product origin for French eyewear manufacture. Characteristics of the collection are the label’s approach to colour and design. The company has more than 200 exclusive colours in its contemporary collections, ensuring that each style expresses a unique style through its colour palette, tonal combinations, effects of light and material transparency. Find out more about the new models at www.lafont.com

Boutiques

l.a. Eyeworks: an impressive new retail ‘campus’ has opened in Los Angeles

13th October 2025

The new flagship is located at 900 North Fairfax Avenue, Los Angeles

Comprising two buildings connected by a pergola-covered walkway, the retail campus is set on a corner property that includes on-site parking for customers. “We needed room for the expanding width of our ideas,” notes Director of Communications Brent Zerger. “We refer to it as a campus in the sense of a place to exchange ideas and make discoveries.” In development for nearly two years, the project was designed by Frank Escher and Ravi GuneWardena, principals of L.A.-based Escher GuneWardena Architecture. Above: a striking new home for the iconic eyewear brand, co-founded by Gai Gherardi and Barbara McReynolds  – photo above by Caitlin Carny

Interior: l.a.Eyeworks’ new showroom (photo by Josef Jasso)

The largest of the two buildings houses a showroom featuring a comprehensive survey of l.a.Eyeworks design collections for prescription eyewear and sunglasses. An in-house finishing lab for precision lens work and custom tinting is concealed behind a mirrored wall that reflects a commanding display wall and groupings of slender pedestals in the main space. Walls, ceilings, and exteriors throughout the site are swathed in an immersive glaze of platinum silver paint “which adds an otherworldliness to the oozing, bubbly surface treatment that covers interior ceilings and walls”.

l.a.Eyeworks: a new state-of-the-art events space (photo by Josef Jasso)

Nicknamed “The Lens,” the second building – in addition to its function as a flexible event space – offers an evolving selection of unique objects, including hand-carved bird calls from France, high-tech “smart” telescopes, vintage one-off selections from the l.a.Eyeworks archives, and special collaborative projects with local design and retail entities.

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Since opening its original store on Melrose Avenue in 1979, l.a.Eyeworks has established a notable history of creating innovative architectural spaces, including its second store at South Coast Plaza in Costa Mesa (Josh Schweitzer, designer, 1988), and the award-winning showroom on Beverly Boulevard (Neil M. Denari, architect, 2002). “The genesis of l.a.Eyeworks’ pioneering legacy is deeply rooted in independent retail,” notes Rob Rich, CEO. “The Fairfax campus is our opportunity to build upon the entrepreneurial impulse of Gai Gherardi and Barbara McReynolds to open a shop on Melrose Avenue more than four decades ago.”

900 North Fairfax Avenue, Los Angeles, California. www.laeyeworks.com

Photography by kind permission of l.a.Eyeworks.

Design & Inspiration

Silmo Paris: September 2025

10th October 2025

Eyewear trends  – Strong colour stories, a myriad of micro trends, and continued focus on fine craftsmanship in the luxury independent collections made for plenty of eyewear design inspiration at the Paris event. The 2025 show was as vibrant and inspirational as ever. The Trends Forum explored a variety of new moods and trends in eyewear – while the 32nd edition of the Silmo d’Or Awards celebrated “excellence, creativity and innovation” for 2025.

The organisers of the Silmo event reported healthy visitor numbers: the show welcomed 33,358 professionals – of those 52% were international visitors and 48% French, representing a net increase of 6.5% in visitors this year. More than 900 companies showcased their expertise and innovations across 75,000 m² of exhibition space. Exhibitors we talked to across the fair during the weekend were pleased with all aspects of the show, and all the events and special showcases organised by Silmo were highly appreciated and well attended. This year, special mention should go to the Moi Aussi Exhibition – Where Art Meets Optics. Conceived and supported by Etnia Barcelona, this exhibition showcased an artistic experience “where eyewear became a canvas for expression”. 90 artists were invited to reinvent eyewear and imagine a creation which transcended its traditional use to become a unique work of art.

Silmo also supports young design talent for the optical business via its Optical Design Contest. In its 4th edition, chaired by Michel Penneman, this year the contest invited design students to imagine “super-hero” eyewear: bold, visionary and innovative. The 2025 winner was GAIA by Hélène Caffin-Pinon (École Design Saint-Étienne), a children’s frame integrating plant recognition via augmented reality. Above: Silmo Paris 2025 – trend display – image courtesy of Silmo Paris

Nina Mûr: the new collection “Luminiers” displayed in the Trends Forum – multi-coloured sustainable wood eyewear made by hand – image courtesy of Silmo Paris

Silmo organisers highlighted a range of trends in the Trends Forum, emphasising a return of iconic styles, and a “quest for lightness and serenity”. Two other moods were underlined: a charismatic and assertive “allure” and energy in experimental graphics. A curated selection of optical and sunglass frames from exhibitors’ collections illustrated these directions with the aim of capturing the spirit of the times and anticipating tomorrow’s aesthetics.

Dzmitry Samal won a Silmo d’Or for model Luc – Eyewear Designer Category – Optical Frame

During the weekend we noticed a significant number of micro trends – from very specific vintage eyewear influences to fresh silhouettes – as well as key moods for 2026. Sustainability and sustainable material development are an ongoing focus while a changing approach to colour trends and colour work in eyewear felt fresh and expressive – created to allow more individual expression (all these areas will be looked at in the months to come on Eyestylist.com).

Ahlem x Campbell Addy Limited Edition – a sneak peek at Silmo Paris 2025 – one of the collab highlights we saw

The finest luxury eyewear brands and artisan labels  – from across the world – were out in force at Silmo this year. Highlights we got to see included the new models at Rigards including the new Rigards x Ziggy Chen style “Moon Owl” (https://www.eyestylist.com/2025/09/silmo-paris-2025-rigards/), and refined handcrafted eyewear by Jacques Durand, Thierry Lasry (a new buffalo horn collection produced with Hoffmann), Lazare Studio, Lafont Paris and Press Eyewear. We are always impressed with newcomers and the start-up area, created to promote new creative talent, and the smaller independent brands showcased so well at Silmo – special mention to two of our favourite brands in France that are consistent in their quality, artistry and brand authenticity – Pontet – by Hermes Pontet (https://pontet-eyewear.com) – and the lovely Maggio Eyewear label, also from the South of France, the work of Julia Maggio (https://www.maggiojulia.com)

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Additionally, Ahlem showed us their new collaboration with Campbell Addy, featuring two truly gorgeous frames, a beautifully crafted “sculpted-look” acetate and a reimagined luxurious gold aviator (pictured above).

FACE A FACE: model Flare won the Silmo d’Or – Eyewear Designer Category – Sunglasses – image courtesy of FACE A FACE

This year, the Silmo d’Or awards were chaired by the designer Oliver Lapidus. Among the winners were QED Eyewear in the Technological Innovation in Eyewear category for their model Phi – featuring a patented fastening system that can be assembled and disassembled quickly and easily with many sustainable advantages. In the independent eyewear designer categories, Dzmitry Samal won with the polygonal optical model Luc which featured coloured resin inserts. FACE A FACE won the Eyewear Designer category – Sunglasses with their impressive sunglasses model Flare. The Jury’s special prize went to the Barcelona brand SAPIENS for the model ER1813-M.

Next year, Silmo will take place on 25th to 28th September 2026 at Paris Nord Villepinte. Find out more at www.silmoparis.com

For all the news on the Silmo d’Or awards in 2025, visit https://www.silmoparis.com/en/silmo-awards/silmo-or/laureats

This feature was compiled and written by Clodagh Norton. All rights reserved.

Design & Inspiration

TVR®OPT: Woody Carved Collection celebrates 10th anniversary

8th October 2025

The collection launched in Beijing, China in September; it is now available worldwide

Renowned for his refined digital illustrations that merge fashion with storytelling, South Korean artist Seungwon Hong continues to blur the lines between art and style through his latest collaboration with TVR®OPT. As the Woody Carved collection celebrates its tenth anniversary, Hong reflects on his creative journey, his passion for fashion, and the inspiration behind The Golden Wood Grain—a golden-hued tribute to craftsmanship, nature, and timeless design.

Based in Seoul, Hong is celebrated for his fusion of men’s fashion and impressionistic art. Inspired by stylish individuals and classical masters like Van Gogh, Monet, and Gauguin, his work resonates with elegance and emotional depth. Using digital tools such as tablets, Photoshop, and a MacBook Pro, he has collaborated with major fashion houses including Giorgio Armani, Zegna, and Brooks Brothers, with his illustrations exhibited widely across Seoul. His aesthetic is also shaped by cinematic icons, particularly James Bond, whose refined style continues to influence his creative direction. Above: new “Woody Carved” designs from TVR®OPT 

TVR®OPT: Woody Carved Collection 2025 – the wood grain effect has a unique look

Hong’s relationship with TVR®OPT began in 2016 with a fashion illustration project interpreting the brand’s eyewear through his distinctive lens. This partnership blossomed into a formal collaboration in 2021 with the TVR® Classic JD Blackwood Edition. Now, in 2025, he returns with The Golden Wood Grain, the key visual for TVR®OPT’s Art Edition Packaging Collection, launched to honour a decade of the Woody Carved collection.

TVR®OPT China marked its official return with an exclusive private event and trunk show, held for the first time under the direct management of the Japan team. Taking place at The Ascott Hotel, Beijing in September, the event welcomed VIPs, KOLs, and loyal customers. Guests were invited to participate in a hands-on Woody Carved Workshop, deepening their appreciation of the artistry behind the collection. Themed around art and craftsmanship, the event celebrated both the tenth anniversary of the Woody Carved Collection—which debuted in 2013—and the launch of the new Art Edition, featuring Hong’s illustrations. The wood texture, now iconic to TVR®OPT, traces its origins back to the 1999 Wood Tone Romance Collection, created by master craftsman Eizo Onami. Exclusive décor inspired by Hong’s new artworks further brought the spirit of the collaboration to life.

Event in China to launch the collection, featuring the collaborative works for the launch by South Korean artist, Seungwon Hong

The Woody Carved story began with Mokuchoroman (木調浪漫), or “Wood Tone Romance,” a poetic vision of eyewear that resembled wood without being made of it. This philosophy lives on in TVR®OPT Woody Carved—a modern reinterpretation that combines hand-brushed wood grain artistry with vintage-inspired design. Founder Eizo Onami reflects on this evolution, describing it as a journey shaped by both romance and resilience.

Onami was guided by the Japanese philosophy of wabi-sabi, which embraces imperfection and natural simplicity. He introduced the subtle “Aged Rivet” detail to symbolise the passage of time, creating a design that honours the raw beauty of nature and the acceptance of flaws.

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TVR®OPT: Woody Carved Collection

“I’ve always wanted to create eyewear made from wood, but using real wood presents many challenges. It doesn’t last, it’s difficult to shape, and it wears quickly with weather changes. People may not fully realise the issues that come with actual wooden frames.” — Eizo Onami, TVR®OPT

TVR®OPT: concept and packaging for Woody Carved frames by Seungwon Hong

First launched in 2015, the collection returns with limited editions of the TVR®504 and TVR®505 frames. Key updates include upgraded hinges with 14K gold washers and the 6mm Japanese Zylonite acetate frames. The hand-brushed wood grain textures gain character over time.

Designed and developed by Eizo Onami – With more than 50 years in eyewear, Onami developed the patented Woody Carved technique—a process of over 280 meticulous steps performed by a single craftsman. Each frame is hand-brushed with a metal brush to replicate natural wood grain, gradually developing a glossy patina unique to every wearer. This innovative method, never before used in eyewear, has since inspired many brands worldwide. Following the passing of its original craftsmen, the collection was discontinued for years. Onami devoted over a decade to reviving the technique, training new artisans and refining the process. After five years of intensive development, the 2025 re-release marks a new chapter for TVR®OPT—a testament to the patience, dedication, and pride that define true handmade craftsmanship.

Find out more about the new collection at www.tvropt.com

All images by kind permission of TVR®OPT