Amazing Eyewear LOVES treasure hunts… and actually there’s one of them we would not miss: SILMO Paris!
This international optical fair is a must and the place to be when you’re looking for groundbreaking trends.
With SILMO Paris, Future is Now.
In 2017, the international optical fair SILMO Paris was celebrating its 50th anniversary.
A perfect occasion to gather talented eyewear designers faithful to the SILMO around a fundamental question:
“In 50 years from now, what will eyewear be like?”
Here are their answers…
In 2067 colour your mood
“Medical progress will have led to the eradication of vision disorders, glasses as we know them today will become obsolete, however will remain present… attached to our heritage, affirming our personalities, and expressing our feelings and moods.”
Debut at Silmo
First Silmo was as a member of the Alain Mikli team in 1987 / With an eponymous collection was in 2006.
Artwork realized by: Alyson Magee
Artwork realized by: Nicola Del Din
Eyeconic infinite future
“The function becomes shape to surpass an infinitely remote future of the eyewear.
Glasses were born as a medical device, but progress in the scientific, medical and technological fields, in a 50 years perspective, makes its future infinitely remote and uncertain. As a mere prosthesis, eyewear is probably bound to disappear. Should it be able to distinguish itself more and more as an iconic extension of our personality it will survive the oblivion of a past world and the unknown of any future era.”
Debut at Silmo
2010
Time waits for no one
“We often think that the future will be much different than the past.
But, in reality, it isn’t. What we eat, how we dress, how we live changes very little over time. Human behavior evolves even more slowly. Without question there have been advances, but there have also been setbacks. One such digression has been with our environment. Global warming is a real threat to our existence.
In 50 years time, I don’t think the way we dress will be radically different, but we will need more protection from the sun with the destruction of the Ozone Layer.
I picked this painting up in Budapest at a flea market last year.
It’s about 50 years old, but the woman depicted is from another 50 years hence. And even though her clothes are from another era, she still looks contemporary to me. Minimalist. Modern. Chic.
Even though there is more than a 100 year span between her clothing and the sunglasses, they completely work together.
And, I hope they still will in 50 more years..”
Artwork realized by: Blake Kawuhara
Artwork realized by: Caroline Abram
Les dunes de Vénus
“A bridge in the psychedelic universe, of a woman and her galaxy, crossing together the future.
Venus, the hypnotic gaze, abandons herself amidst the elements: water, earth and fire.”
Debut at Silmo
2002
2067
“Looking forward to 2067 will there be a need for eyewear as we know it today? Will science and medicine have solved all the problems of vision impairment, making glasses obsolete?
Eyewear will take a new direction and will be even more relevant in the future.
Visual devices will have evolved, by using advanced technology, eyewear will take on a new mantle as an extremely pure and sophisticated intelligence aid.
Lenses made with all weather flexible agents, fused and printed with finger-print-like micro circuit boards, will monitor atmospheric conditions and light variables. These lenses will react to the eyes’ radiation and brain waves and regulate our visual patterns. Adjusting and balancing external negative conditions protecting eyesight from dangerous UV rays.
Artwork realized by: Simon Chim
Artwork realized by: Christian Roth and Éric Domège
Humans become machines – Machines become humans
“Our hands join the future to celebrate Silmo 50 years Jubilee.”
Debut at Silmo
1985
Seeing without seeing
“Imagine a future where people can see an object without needing to look at it through the eyes. The human brain discovers the next stage of its capabilities, the brain can see an object without actually looking at it – like a 6th sense.”
Debut at Silmo
2011
Artwork realized by: Han Roh, Louis Lee & Dustin Arnold
Artwork realized by: Luca Mainini
Untitled
“Anartist”
Debut at Silmo
2005
The smartphones are no longer used
“From now on, frames are the main communication medium and add an unprecedented function in our daily life called the optico sensoriality, the ability to express our emotions through our gazes.
Love, Deny, Approbation, Hanger… Our endless emotional kaleidoscope, straight in the eyes, Face to Face.”
Debut at Silmo
1995
Artwork realized by: Pascal Jaulent
Artwork realized by: Elizaveta Shipkova / Conceptual idea: Alex Melnikov
Tomorrow was the war
“The visual language of our naive conceptual artwork is infl uenced by retrofuturism. We find it interesting to tell this story from an animated perspective of the world with a combination of both old fashioned items and images of future technologies. In fact, we think that eyewear, as a part of traditional handicraft and an item of human daily utility, will be absorbed by the new technologies. Our artwork is quite dramatic and reflects an apocalyptic mood. It is devoted to the moment when the golden era of eyewear industry surrenders to the era of combined universal and multi-tasking devices incorporated in the human brain or body – a revolution that may be invisible, but is already well under way.
On the face and in the woman’s eyes in the background we can read a sense of mixed emotions derived from facing this new reality. The images in the fore represent her memories of the past and specific features of our current existence that will probably never be the same as we know it today.”
Debut at Silmo
2015
Connect2067
“Our vision for the future of eyewear is grounded in building trustful and meaningful relationships with those around us.
It is a call to connect, to rely, to inspire and to share.”
Debut at Silmo
2002
Artwork realized by: Louise Sylvester
Artwork realized by: Marion Frost
Zero Gravity – Powered by ffwd > frost forward technology
“The artwork reflects the offbeat and highly visionary approach of Frost.
With this floating frame it revolves around the theme of gravity.
When imaging the future of eyewear, gravity plays for Marion an important role.
Today, glasses cannot fulfil their function without temples.
We all have the sensation of bearing a weight when wearing glasses, temples need to be adjusted to offer a better confort…
The idea of weightless frames that actually offer a never known confort and feeling of gravity and liberty is exciting for us.”
Debut at Silmo
1997
Tonight we’re gonna party like it’s 3003
“As long as there are people on this Earth or anywhere else, there will be New Year celebrations. And there will still be a need for those awesome glasses everyone wears to ring in the new year.”
Debut at Silmo
2012
Artwork realized by
Concept: Garrett Leight / Design: Joel Axelrod / Layout: Mark Bulford
Artwork realized by: Inhouse graphic team Götti Switzerland
Technology with an organic feel
“In the future, vision will be able to adjust organically.
We will be able to move our eyes independently and have 360 degree vision.
Entering a dark room and seeing everything will be made possible by adapting the receptors on the retina. Not only will we have a perfect sense of direction when we move quickly, but faceted eyes will allow us to see ultraviolet light, and we will be able to see into water.”
Debut at Silmo
1993
Past continuous
“Washing away the Japanese ink, a writing holding the secrets of yesterday and tomorrow comes into view:
“Something hidden. Go and find it. Go and look behind the Ranges…
Something lost behind the Ranges. Lost and waiting for you. Go!”
Rudyard Kipling, The Explorer, 1898
A symbolic composition, a mix of ready-made and expressive calligraphy, but first of all a gesture, realized with HAPTER scrap materials: because creativity and innovation, when tracing back and respecting the past, can create a better future.
Eventually, this work of art has been digitally treated and professionally printed on Lanificio F.lli Cerruti precious fabrics, showing that the value of art and hand-made can be exalted through a wise use of technologies.
The future will not belong to future materials, but traditional materials interpreted in new forms of expression.
Artwork realized by: Gabriella Sperotto
Artwork realized by: Marc Delagrange
Future frames are inside
“The artwork gives a free interpretation on the future of eyewear: intellectual nourishment.”
Debut at Silmo
2000
Artificial Intelligence and transhumanism, the future of humanity ?
“2050 will see AI and transhumanism emerge, 2 main phenomena we’ll have to set in order to avoid fatal swerves for the human beings.”
Debut at Silmo
1997
Artwork realized by: Stéphane Sarnin
Artwork realized by: Hilde Van Daele
Divine
“In 2067 we won’t need eyes to see. We won’t need frames and lenses.
Sight will be generated, with sophisticated sensors, which will stimulate the visual center(s) of the brain. Chances are that we might still need “fashion”, so maybe we’ll have glasses on our nose…only as decoration.”
Debut at Silmo
1989 (with Theo)
Natural experiences
“The general trend and transformation of our world, being more digital and artificial, creates the desire to experience nature, our roots and authenticity.
We love to surround ourselves by natural objects, materials, creatures to re-discover grounding and confidence.”
Debut at Silmo
1994
Artwork realized by: Jutta Kahlbetzer
Artwork realized by: Beomyoung Sohn
Explorer 2070 – romantic space
“In 50 years, smart devices like smart glasses and watches will be common.
Especially for smart glasses, even though the technology is developing rapidly, just only lenses in glasses would be insuffi cient to implement easy-to-use AR services.
So, there would be supplementary screen windows for far more precise navigation.
That’s why the couple in the picture wears extra transparent screens.”
Debut at Silmo
2014
The age against the machine!
“The age against the machine!
We are in 2067, rebellious designers continue to fight the domination of machines that want to annihilate fashion and standardize human vision.”
Debut at Silmo
1996
Artwork realized by: Jean-François Rey / Thierry Caccavale
Artwork realized by: Karim Rashid
Optikal
“In the future there won’t be any eyeglasses.
Our faces will change to have a genetic intelligent skin that will provide protection, UVA/UVB shading and will allow us to zoom in, to see at night, to create color, images, fourth dimensions for meditation, contemplation, information, entertainment.
Our eye skin will connect and our eyebrows will disappear.”
Create the future
“The best way to predict the future is to create it.”
Debut at Silmo
1995
Artwork realized by: Karen Kirk
Artwork realized by: Livio Graziottin & Sergio Eusebi
Create the future
“The future is born from the ability to design the present, designing the future is an illusion that doesn’t take into account the infinite possibilities and capabilities of human being.
We come up with our future model in a code, a code that will be the eyewear-mask of our avatar, an oxygen eyewear-mask in the W3oah color, which is a new color that will be discovered in a few years ; an eyewear-mask of oxygen with a plasma finish and we realized it:KUBO1123581321RAUM.
Keep your code and in fifty years you will have the right technology to use the A101 Mask.”
Debut at Silmo
2012
Eat your glasses
“What will become of eyeglasses – these most analog of devices – in the digitally-mediated world 50 years from now? Obsolescence? And if so, what becomes of the artifacts of the body? Do we discard them? Devour them? Will they be only memories of consumption, or will they carry the vibrant charge of the visions they were witness to?”
Debut at Silmo
1986
Artwork realized by: Huntley Muir
Artwork realized by: Collective work of our design team with the lead of Thomas Lafont
Les yeux sont le miroir de l’âme
“The eyes are the mirror of the soul…regardless of the technical solutions we will be able to offer in 50 years.
Our job will be the same: helping a person express his personality.”
Debut at Silmo
1980
Limitless sense
“In 50 years… 20/20 will no longer be a defi nition of vision.
Instead – a limitless sense – helped by installed computing lenses.
Help your brain and body to relax / strengthen – on demand.
Guide you into different emotional states – on demand.
Help you to retrieve any information you desire at any given moment.
Would it still be fun to wear eyewear once in a while – at least for the looks?”
Debut at Silmo
1990
Artwork realized by: LINDBERG’s Design and Graphic team
Artwork realized by: Alison Hemmes
Future is now
“Fashion is a cycle, and everything comes back around.
Fashion is a marker of the present and will become a source of inspiration in the future.
Fashion is inspired by a decade.
Fashion is NOT a copy of the past but a RE-Volution of it.
Fashion is the result of our vision of what will happen next.
Fashion is you.
Re-Define your fashion.
Future is now.”
Debut at Silmo
1990
When I close my eyes
“Through my eyelids.”
Debut at Silmo
2006
Artwork realized by: Lucas de Staël
Artwork realized by: Masahiro Maruyama
Creation and destruction
“Unfinished art – Beautiful lines – A form born out of raising a question to perfection.”
Debut at Silmo
2013
輝光
“As the needs of society or fashion change over time, MASUNAGA continues to pursue ultimate craftsmanship.
The gradation of colors expresses the changes in the past, the present and the future.”
Debut at Silmo
1990
Artwork realized by: Yasunori Masunaga
Artwork realized by: Zack Moscot (5th generation of Moscots)
Through the warped lens
“In understanding the past can one step into the future.
Through the Warped Lens is a digital compilation that visually explores space-time. Within the eye of the beholder rests a visible landscape, yet among the infinite universe lays a world unknown.”
Debut at Silmo
2008
Future is now
“Typography”
Debut at Silmo
2004
Artwork realized by: Mykita
Artwork realized by: Hugo Martin
Human after all
“This artwork should make us question ourselves about the idea of transhumanism.
In 50 years, popculture, technology and the human body will probably merge and make us “augmented” humans.
To illustrate this idea, we’ve played with actual brands and technologies to make a “fake” advertising. It gets inspiration directly from the Sci-Fi universe (‘Blade Runner’, ‘Ghost in the Shell’, ‘Ex Machina’…) and the sentence “human after all” is a reference to popculture (Daft Punk) and makes us question ourselves about the meaning of humanity.
Today, we can already see this trend coming (I’m sure you can see this guy in the metro, wearing his headphones and cap, watching his smartphone, hiding his eyes behind sunglasses).
And, in a way, if we don’t see eyewear as a product that corrects the vision, but as a product that enhances our vision and capacity, it could already be the first mainstream “transhumanist” product.”
Debut at Silmo
2002
Future is nature
“We are born from nature and yet we must transcend it.
We come to realise that we are not merely speck in the cosmos, we are the entire cosmos in a speck.”
Debut at Silmo
2015
Artwork realized by: Pawaka Creative
Artwork realized by: Ron Arad
1 piece
“Glasses in 1 piece for 1 person.”
Debut at Silmo
2011
Death is for sure
“We all behave, as if we’d live forever – but better be prepared to leave our body…”
Debut at Silmo
1998
Artwork realized by: Ralph Anderl
Artwork realized by: Ti N. Kwa
Spirit of craftsmanship
“In 50 years, the robot revolution will have blurred the line between man and machine, yet the innate human appreciation for beauty and aesthetic pleasure remains. The desire to create art and the worship of artisanship become the ancient dream that feeds the mechanized craftsman in the transhumanist future. In a turn-about way, it’s Terminator mimicking man, the ultimate flattery.”
Debut at Silmo
2013
Eye-woman
“In 50 years a magical eye-woman will come down to Earth and rain eyewear over every green place.
How lucky that ROLF Spectacles already produces only natural eyewear!
To prepare for her visit, the ROLFs have started to build huge bowls on the highest mountains and placed their Silmo d’Or trophies in there.
You wanna know why?
Because these trophies are the eye-woman’s favorite meal.
After she eats them the sky will pour eyewear.
This is perfect because ROLF loves spectacles!
Watch out and hide in the woods!”
Debut at Silmo
2009
Artwork realized by: Johannes Wacker, Christian Wolf
Artwork realized by: Sheila Vance
Oblivision
“How vision will be in 50 years: refined, limitless, essential.
Refined in that eyewear, being the ultimate human sense, will be the sole hub for the internet of things.
Limitless in that there will be no bounds to the information available, and the access permitted directly via our eyewear.
Essential in that our well-being, social networks, source for information, and interface for all of our needs will be in one place.”
Debut at Silmo
1997
You can’t take the I out of eye-catcher
“We believe we could all live in a wonderful world.
Where humans make up their own minds, share insights and process visual information.
A world where there will be eye-contact.
We keep on seeking for your superb eyes, with or without the need of glasses.
The beauty is behind our glasses…so we are there for you to enhance your beauty!”
Debut at Silmo
1989
Artwork realized by: Frank van Herck
Artwork realized by: The TL studio
TL state of mind
“We have imagined the typical TL girl wearing the WAVVVY, one of the most popular frame and iconic of our collection. There is also a link with the toys, having a very important influence in the DNA of the brand.”
Debut at Silmo
2007
Tribute to Lee Breevard and David Hockney
“In 2067, with my unconnected glasses, I shall witness from Nirvana, the collapse of the temples of our antique civilization.
I shall follow the track of humanity towards outerspace.
Shall we see palm trees on Junon?
That is the question.”
Debut at Silmo
1968
Artwork realized by: Thierry Gros
Artwork realized by: Vanni Style Department
Interactive eye shield with interchangeable pattern
“2067: the world is a crucible of races languages and colours.
Eyewear no longer exists as sight is corrected at birth and a single protective lense is applied to protect the eyes from intense UV rays.
Interactive eye shields with interchangeable pattern are the new high tech fashion accessory. With a simple blink it materializes on your face as you select the colour, pattern and shape of the shield to fit your mood or coordinate with your style.”
Debut at Silmo
1990
Techno city, the city of the Future
“VAVA concept is closely linked to the “post-industrial” society in which we live, and the growing belief of belonging to a “post-human” age.
We play around people’s imaginary and “science fiction”.
Therefore we are very much inspired by androgynous characters.
The androgynous figure helped us to create a minimal silhouette and a monochromatic figure, while aiming to achieve also some sort of gender manipulation.”
Debut at Silmo
2014
Artwork realized by: Katrin Kuhn – Berlin
Artwork realized by: Veronika Wildgruber
Augmented spectrum
“The hypothetical expansion of the visible spectrum.”
Debut at Silmo
2010
An eye to Mars
“It’s an acetate puzzle of an allegory of the future: vision in 50 years.
Human beings have always been attracted by new land.
Most of them to escape from a hard everyday life, but also for a desire of adventure. Humans have used up the Earth’s ecological resources of a full year in just over seven months, affirms the think-tank of Global Footprint Network.
That’s why many people are starting to think of moving to other territories.
But where? Mars or other planets in a vessel travelling through the infinity of space.
What is sure is that we will have to fight against the rays from the space.”
Debut at Silmo
1996
Artwork realized by: Xavier Derome and Lolo
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