SILMO Paris Names Ten Finalists for 2026 Optical Design Contest, From Mycelium Frames to Mood-Sensing Lenses for Kids
SILMO Paris has revealed the ten student finalists in its 2026 Optical Design Contest, with entries ranging from a hearing-aid hybrid inspired by the praying mantis to eyewear grown from mushroom mycelium.
Now a fixture of the show's commitment to emerging talent, the annual competition challenges design students worldwide to reimagine eyewear through design, innovation and new applications. This year's brief, "The Future of Optics: What Vision?", drew entries from design schools across Europe and the United States, with a jury chaired by designer Olivier Lapidus, whose background spans fashion, design and innovation.
The ten shortlisted projects will be exhibited at SILMO Paris 2026, running from 25 to 28 September at Paris Nord Villepinte, ahead of the announcement of an overall winner. The winner takes home a €10,000 prize, split between the student and their institution.
The finalists
Several projects target specific patient and user needs. Alogaki, from a team at Universidad de Valladolid in Spain, is a premium system for deaf and visually impaired wearers: a stabilising "wing," modelled on a praying mantis, lets the frame double as a standalone hearing implant powered by a micro-battery when removed.
Two entries focus on children's emotional and physical wellbeing. Emoslow, designed by Océane Gallais at CY Cergy Paris Université, is smart eyewear for eight- to twelve-year-olds who experience concentration difficulties, anxiety or emotional regulation challenges linked to ADHD or ASD. A built-in heart-rate sensor feeds electrochromic lenses that shift colour as stress rises, paired with a companion app offering breathing exercises. Lupo, also from CY Cergy Paris Université and designed by Amandine Crépin, is a children's frame made from recycled polycarbonate that changes from transparent to violet under UV exposure, nudging young wearers towards better sun-safety habits.
Cognitive performance and focus feature heavily among the nominees. Ground, developed by a three-person team at Rubika ISD in France, uses an EEG sensor to read brainwaves and translate them into animated patterns within electrochromic lenses, helping wearers transition between periods of intense concentration. Halo, from L'école de Design Nantes Atlantique, pairs a corrective lens with a second polycarbonate lens using Suspended Particle Device technology, letting Gen Z office workers electronically darken their peripheral vision at the touch of a button. Learning to See, by Sini Virtanen of Aalto University in Finland, combines eye tracking, computer vision and augmented reality with an AI system designed to let users "see like an expert" in fields such as architecture, biology and history before they've studied the theory.
Sustainability and materials innovation also had a strong showing. Spora, from a Universidad de Valladolid team, is grown rather than manufactured: mycelium cultivated on agricultural waste is moulded and heat-stabilised into a fully biodegradable, compostable frame, with each piece naturally unique. Prome, by Camille Déniel of L'Ecole de Design Nantes Atlantique, reimagines eyewear as "everyday jewellery" in recycled stainless steel, with interchangeable temples in three sizes and magnetic accessories that let wearers restyle their frames without buying a new pair.
Rounding out the field, Arch Terrain, from Megan Brodmerkel at Savannah College of Art and Design, is adaptive sports eyewear for climbing, hiking and cycling, using a BOA-inspired dial with an elastic hinge and rail system to adjust temple tension and lens-to-face distance on the move. Dreamscape, also from SCAD and designed by Sophia Denison, is an experimental collection that uses visual distortion to address what its creator calls a modern "attention crisis."
For eyecare professionals watching where the industry's next generation is looking, the shortlist points to a clear cluster of interests: mental health and cognitive load, inclusive design for sensory disability, and materials that reduce the sector's environmental footprint.
The winning project will be announced at SILMO Paris, held 25-28 September at Paris Nord Villepinte.
