On June 20th, Sébastien Garnier was awarded the prestigious title of Best Craftsman of France at the Sorbonne. For almost 10 years, Sébastien has been involved in eyewear design.
Sébastien Garnier took his first steps into the world of optics in 1997 when he joined the Morez school in Jura. At that time, this city was the capital of French eyewear. After gaining experience in various regions of France, Sébastien Garnier settled in Var in 2001, staying there until 2011. He then decided to open an eyewear store in Antibes until 2017. Since then, the eyewear designer has been employed in Monaco.
The Best Craftsmen of France Competition
In order to break away from routine, alongside his work, this adopted Niçois began in 2014 to make custom-made frames. He initially started handmade eyewear, then equipped himself with a CNC machine. For him, it’s a way to stand out from his peers. He befriended previous editions’ MOFs who gave him valuable advice. It’s a friend who registered him in the 27th edition of the Best Craftsmen of France competition.
The competition is held every three or four years and includes seventeen categories of trades. Sébastien Garnier competed in the precision technical trades category, which includes eyewear design. Winners earn the title of Best Craftsman of France, a medal, and a State diploma. To achieve this coveted title, a score above 18/20 is required.
As soon as he learned about the nature of the final test, he imposed on himself a rigorous schedule. “I would come home at night after a day of work and dedicate three hours to it.” It was an on-site test where candidates were given a technical drawing to work on. They had eight hours to create a raw frame with a tenth of a millimeter accuracy for the width. There were 70 registered participants, 25 finalists, and two winners. Sébastien finished 30 seconds before the end of the test.
An Adventure Rich in Encounters
While preparing for this competition, Sébastien Garnier was delighted to have met many people and experienced a spirit of solidarity and kindness along the way. Today, he is preparing for the International Eyewear, Optical, and Optician Equipment Show which will be held in Paris from September 29 to October 2.
In the future, he would like to share the knowledge he has acquired. “I was fortunate to have friends who were Best Craftsmen of France, who kindly shared their knowledge with me, I must in turn share this expertise.” Perhaps by being a jury member for the Best Apprentices of France.
