And the Winner Is…

Providence Optical’s Onega with Lucas de Staël showing off his Silmo d’Or trophy

The fashion-conscious French know that accessories are as important as clothing.  They underscore this point each year in October with the annual Silmo d’Or awards – eyewear equivalent of the Oscars – celebrating the latest innovations in optical fashion and function.  For 2012, Lucas de Staël took first prize in the Optical Frame category for his “Once Upon a Time” collection.  De Staël is known for his use of organic materials, such as wood and leather, and his passion for color.  He blends these with a sleek yet edgy style that gets attention with a delicate ease.

De Staël’s winning optical frame

Perhaps that sense of color is genetic.  De Staël’s grandfather, Nicholas de Staël, enjoyed enormous success as a painter during the 1940s and 1950s.  Inspired by masters such as Matisse, Picasso and Rembrandt, Grandpa de Staël became known for his use of primary colors and other vivid hues – a forerunner of what would become the Field of Color movement in art of the 1960s and a theme echoed in his grandson’s eyewear design.

An example of de Staël’s exciting color options

Providence Optical is pleased to offer eyeglass frames from de Staël’s Undostrial collection – the original line that brought him international recognition.  This innovative design does away with hinges and those annoying little screws that keep falling out.  The frame fronts – available in either brushed silver or black — are cut from Swedish surgical steel, which has extraordinary flexibility and shape memory. The temples (or side pieces) are made of a soft eco-friendly plastic that hugs your head without the pressure and discomfort of a rigid plastic.  The temples come in a wide variety of colors from understated tones of black, white and gray to eye-popping shades of red, orange, pink, purple and electric blue.  If you’re really adventurous, you can even opt for subtle polka dots.  Come on in and try them on just for fun.