Top 10 Finalists Revealed for Prestigious Sergio Cereda Eyewear Design Award

The Sergio Cereda Eyewear Design Award has announced its Top 10 finalists from a record field of 101 international student submissions, with the winners to be crowned at a live ceremony during MIDO Milano Eyewear Show on 31 January.

Now in its latest edition, the award honours the legacy of eyewear industry pioneer Sergio Cereda through the Viva Ross Family Foundation, founded by industry leader Harvey Ross in partnership with MIDO and the Cereda family.

Olympic-Themed Challenge

This year's design brief challenged students to create Olympic-inspired eyewear concepts suited to winter sport performance, extreme conditions and contemporary styling, a fitting theme as Milan prepares to host both MIDO 2026 and the Milano–Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games.

"I am deeply moved by the response from so many young designers—designers who would have made Sergio incredibly proud," said Harvey Ross, founder of the award. "Sergio was a true pioneer at a time when eyewear was just beginning to be recognised as a major fashion accessory. He had a rare, complete understanding of eyewear, from raw materials to finished prototypes, and he believed designers needed to experience their work in a real, tangible way. It is the mission of my foundation to ensure that Sergio Cereda’s legacy lives on and that his name is never forgotten in the world of eyewear design."

International Talent on Display

The Top 10 contenders represent design schools across Italy, the United States and Germany:

• Elisa Albertini – LABA | Libera Accademia di Belle Arti di Brescia (Italy)
• Connor Bybee – Savannah College of Art and Design (USA)
• Anping Chu – Istituto Marangoni Milano Design School (Italy)
• Gustav Craft – Istituto Marangoni (Italy)
• Camille Ferreira – Istituto Marangoni Milano (Italy)
• Megan Broad Merkel – Savannah College of Art and Design (USA)
• Mahra Mustafa – Istituto Marangoni Milano Design (Italy)
• Alessandro Oberti – LABA (Italy)
• Giada Tosana – LABA | Libera Accademia di Belle Arti di Brescia (Italy)
• Leon Voegtle – Muthesius Kunsthochschule Kiel (Germany)

Awards and Exhibition

The top three designers will receive monetary prizes of US$10,000, US$5,000 and US$2,500 respectively, with final placements announced at the awards ceremony on Saturday, 31 January at 4:00pm on The Vision Stage, Hall 1 at MIDO.

Their designs will be exhibited in The Vision Stage Lounge alongside original Sergio Cereda prototypes and archival sketches, creating what organisers describe as a "direct dialogue between legacy and the next generation of eyewear designers."

All competition participants have been invited to attend MIDO to network with jurors, professors, manufacturers and industry leaders.

Industry Backing

Lorraine Berton, President of MIDO and ANFAO, emphasised the award's alignment with the exhibition's mission: "This award reflects the very spirit of MIDO — where heritage, innovation and future vision meet. In a symbolic year for Milan and for Italy, giving space to young designers who can unite performance, design culture and storytelling means investing in the future of our industry."

Stefania Cereda Oppermann, Design Consultant with EssilorLuxottica's North America Product Team and daughter of Sergio Cereda, noted the depth of entries: "The brief was Olympic-inspired, but at its heart, this competition was about understanding my father — his curiosity, his rigour and his respect for craftsmanship. The depth of thought shown in the essays and designs this year truly honours his legacy."

Ketty Cereda, Eyewear Industry / Brand Consultant, commented: “The strongest projects balanced performance with storytelling. These students demonstrated not only creativity, but a genuine understanding of design with purpose — something my father valued deeply."

Distinguished Jury Panel

Selections were made by an international jury panel including:

• Harvey Ross – Founder, Viva International Group; CEO, OPTYX New York Retail Group
• Stefania Cereda Oppermann – Design Consultant, EssilorLuxottica North America
• Caterina Cereda – Independent Design & Strategic Consultant
• Lorraine Berton – President, MIDO/ANFAO
• David Friedfeld – President, ClearVision Optical
• Giovanni Vitaloni – Founder & Creative Director, VANNI Eyewear
• Bruno Palmegiani – Eyewear Designer

The ceremony marks another milestone in preserving Sergio Cereda's legacy as a pioneer who understood the complete eyewear design process from raw materials through to finished prototypes, at a time when eyewear was emerging as a major fashion accessory.