Philippe Lafont.
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PARIS—Philippe Lafont, president of Lafont Paris passed away suddenly on March 6, 2017 at the age of 70, according to a statement from the company and his family.

Lafont, a well-respected leader in the optical market was a tireless advocate for “Made in France.” He was involved in the development and cultivation of the international optics industry in his role as president of Silmo as well as his contributions to GIFO (Groupement des Industriels et Fabricants de l’Optique), the French eyewear association.

Lafont, used his standing in the optical community to promoted French ingenuity and manufacturing. The company’s board members, Thomas and Matthieu Lafont will continue to support their father’s efforts promoting the “Made in France” proposition.

The Lafont house, founded in 1979 by Philippe and his wife, Laurence, will continue the family’s legacy as a pioneer and innovator of luxury eyewear made in France, upholding the company’s core values of integrity, craftsmanship and elegance, the company said.

“The death of Philippe Lafont, president of the Silmo exhibition, is a huge loss for all who were fortunate enough to work with him,” according to a statement from Silmo. “Since 2012, Philippe Lafont has devoted himself to developing the exhibition, seeking to make Silmo a flagship forum for all industry stakeholders.

“Continuing the work begun by Guy Charlot, Philippe’s commitment has seen Silmo become a valuable tool for opticians and helped to raise the profile of the French optics sector. Under his leadership, Silmo has also pursued its international development.

“Silmo’s administrators and teams extend their deepest sympathy to his family and friends,” the statement concluded.