Silhouette Clear Sky Collection – translucent SPX Green+ material

Silhouette has come a long way since Anneliese and Arnold Schmied founded the company in Linz in 1964 with the radical idea that eyewear should be as beautiful as it is functional. Six decades later—after milestones like inventing ultra-light SPX (1983) and the screw-less Titan Minimal Art that even made it into space (1999)—the brand invited industry insiders to its new flagship brand store on Wollzeile, Vienna for a Sustainability and Innovation Masterclass.

Why Hold the Conversation in the Store?

Touch and Feel: attendees passed around sub-4 g Clear Sky frames, making lifecycle claims tangible, not theoretical.

Live Shopper Flow: curious walk-ins reminded everyone that real customers judge comfort first.

Glass-walled Transparency: panoramic views onto Vienna’s 1st district mirrored the brand’s push for transparent sourcing and CO2 data.

William Amey: Translating Tech Talk for Customers

“Customers ask, ‘Is this really better for the planet or just marketing?’ Holding the frame while I explain its plant-based origin makes the answer believable.”

His bottom line: sustainability must ride on uncompromised fit and longevity—the very values Silhouette has refined over 60 years.

A Panel Framed by Shelves, Not Spotlights

Alongside eco-advocate Arizona Muse, Brand Director Atissa Tadjadod, biomaterials chemist Professor Stephen Wallace, sustainability strategist Damita Pressl and optician William Amey, the discussion ranged from circular design to why luxury must lead on environmental standards. The stores airy acoustics turned the Q&A into a salon style chat—guests sipped espresso, chimed in and compared frame finishes on the spot.

William Amey – What I Took Away
Context is a catalyst: hearing about bio-circular polymers while surrounded by the product line makes the science stick.
Retail teams are educators: Amey's stories showed opticians bridge lab innovation and consumer trust.
Heritage fuels credibility: a brand that has pushed materials since 1964 carries weight when it pledges new sustainability goals.
Tangible beats theoretical: feeling Clear Sky’s weight—or lack thereof—while learning its CO2 savings is unforgettable.
By opening its living lab in Vienna, Silhouette turned a store visit into a lesson on responsible design, proving that sustainability is not a trend but the next chapter in a 60 year pursuit of lighter, longer lasting eyewear.

Watch the full 35 minute Masterclass here:
https://www.silhouette.com/at/de/events/masterclass