The SILMO d’Or for the best optical frame design this year went to the Austrian company Rolf which had been awarded with a SILMO d’Or last year already. One might have doubts about the relevance of the Award, the creativity and competence of the jury and the quality of the nominations when a small company which only exists two years, go home with the, according to the organization, most important optical Award of the year. Nothing against the designers who create spectacles from different kind of woods, designed a new kind of hinge and invented a way to mount the lenses without destabilizing the material but two Awards after each other is probably a little bit too much for this collection. One Award last or this year for most promising newcomer would have been an better option. The SILMO should probably have a look at the way the Awards are organized and work on a system which would encourage the best and most innovative companies with proven product and marketing qualities, to join the competition. Especially when it comes to prescription frames and sunglasses this has not been the case for the last few years and has been worsened by a jury of incompetent trade journalists which proved their incompetence this year again by their choice of a completely middle of the road and certainly not innovative pair of sunglasses.
