The theme of this year’s SILMO Paris was THE PLACE TO SEE and it couldn’t be more perfectly stated. SILMO was absolutely SPECTACULAR and we enjoyed every minute! The event once again lived up to it’s reputation as the premier international fall eyewear showcase.

For those that have not attended the event, SILMO Paris takes place over four days and was held at the Parc des Expositions Paris Nord Villepinte, a gigantic group of trade exhibit halls on the outskirts of Paris and just one stop on the train from Charles De Gaulle International Airport. You can use public transport (bus or train) with direct connections into central Paris and the airport as mentioned. We chose to stay in central Paris as we have in years past and traveled out to the event each day on the Metro and RER which takes between 30-45 minutes each way. Each evening we returned back to Paris each day to take in every bit of the atmosphere and brilliance of this remarkable city.

Heather came along this year and it was lovely to see Paris through her eyes as it was her first trip to the city. Our daughter, an art student, has been able to come the past couple of times but her school schedule is now a lot busier than it has previously been. I managed to walk Hall 7 for a time with Stephanie and Victoria from Art Of Optiks in Minneapolis and Wayzata as well as spending some time with my old friend Nada from Bruce Eyewear in Vancouver, Canada. In particular we spent a bit of our time in the Village Start Up area where many new brands get their international debut. It is always super exciting to see brand new eyewear designs and this year did not disappoint in that regard.

Our defining mission, as usual, was to represent Luxury Eyewear Forum in our media partnership with SILMO for the third year running. The aforementioned Hall 7 is where it all happens for us as nearly all of our favorite luxury and designer brands are located in this space. We were once again overawed by the many new booth designs prevalent at this year’s event. There’s always a few that remain the same (obviously as they cost a lot to build) but this year I noticed many new and visually stunning spaces.

Catching up with your favorite people and making new friends is really the essence of a magnificent trade exhibition like SILMO Paris. This year was again no exception! I caught up with some of my favorite Aussies and even met some I didn’t know from my hometown of Melbourne. Along with seeing many my old road warrior mates it always makes for a special experience. Capturing this spirit of friendship and connection is part of the reason SILMO works so well on many different levels.

The organizers of SILMO 2025 should once again be very proud of the way they put this event together. We noticed new food options both inside the halls and outside. The weather held up and got even better as the event progressed so the outside areas were even more popular. There seemed to be more seating throughout the space which I am personally glad for and overall there was a very happy vibe throughout the spaces we visited.

Part of our work at SILMO Paris involves visiting with many of the brands that are sponsors of Luxury Eyewear Forum and meeting with our European press contacts. We spoke with owners and designers of some of the most popular indie brands that are active on our forum and in the wider North American market. It is pretty evident that the existing trade situation with the USA is a source of particular awareness and frustration. When discussing their new offerings and designs everyone is super excited by the actual product but at the same time a little apprehensive about the current economic situation. We all hope that things become clearer and more favorable for all of our independent colleagues and companies involved in our sector of the wider optical marketplace.

I was once again very honored to be named as one of the press contingent judging this year’s SILMO d’Or Awards. This is without doubt one of the most enjoyable and interesting parts of our schedule during the event. We got to spend time previewing all of the nominated designs and technologies and were able to sample each item by hand and discover the intricacies of each design finalist.

This, of course, preceded the annual SILMO d’Or Awards themselves which was held on Saturday night at Pavillon Gabriel in central Paris . The renowned French fashion designer, Olivier Lapidus, was named the president of the jury for 2025. Since the 2000s, Lapidus has explored the boundaries between couture, interior design, and everyday objects. A 1994 Dé d’Or winner, he designed the FÉLICIEN Hotel in 2013, combining noble materials with immersive graphics. His recent Lounge Bar collection, showcased at the “Places d’Or” at Le Meurice, exemplifies his approach to functional luxury, blending aesthetics, technology, and sensory experience. His presidency of the 2025 SILMO d’Or jury reflects an ambition to explore new horizons, merging aesthetics and technology to shape the future of design.

On Sunday morning we were completely amazed by the traffic at SILMO. It was buzzing the entire day! We arrived early and were blown away with how many people also got there early. It was crazy just trying to get into the venue. By 10.00AM most of the booths were already completely swamped. I went by PRESS Eyewear to have a chat with designer and friend, Jeff Press, and he was completely inundated. The Bevel and Blake Kuwahara booth was also extremely busy the entire time as well as the Ørgreen space. I did manage to spend some time with Henrik Ørgreen and Gregers Fastrup and we talked about their new editions and thoughts about their company’s international growth especially in the Asia market over the past few years. I also spoke with many other vendors who were all having a great show.

Earlier I mentioned the Silmo d’Or Awards and on Saturday prior to the evening event the voting for the awards was held around lunchtime at Silmo Club which is the Press Area of the event. This private space is where weary press adventurers can decompress from the show floor, grab some refreshments and also meet with other contacts in the industry. The facilities were excellent with good internet access and seating as well as some work stations where you could sit and begin writing about the event. We used it to recharge our phones and put together our event videos. It was the perfect place for us to send our updates and post to all our social channels “live” from SILMO.

SILMO Paris is the premier international eyewear event on the calendar. If you haven’t yet experienced it then you must put it on yours for 2026! Once you get the hang of the transport and layout, the rest is just managing your time and making the most of of this amazing opportunity to peruse new collections and technologies. Most of all it’s Paris! It’s really difficult to take a wrong step. SILMO is very well organized as I mentioned so it’s easy to handle your day to day, not too difficult to get to in terms of transport, and best of all it’s super FUN!

In 2025 we extended our trip once again which I would highly recommend for anyone attending for the first time. Not only is there so much to visit in Paris but also in the wider area surrounding it. We visited Bruges in Belgium last year which was wonderful and this year we took a short train trip up to Reims and visited the Champagne region. We spent the day walking the city and also went on a fabulous underground cellar tour at G.H. Mumm which you should definitely find time to do on your next visit. We actually ran into even more Aussies on the tour as well!

For years I worked the show and never really stepped away either before or after the event to enjoy Paris properly. It was a huge mistake that many other industry people make as well. Definitely spend more time and find your own adventure on your next visit!

Can’t wait for next year!!

* Louis Fullagar is an optician and editor/creator of Luxury Eyewear Forum and owner of Spexaddict a media/marketing agency in the optical industry.

Check out more from the event at silmoparis.com