Istituto Marangoni Milano Design celebrates an important milestone: third place for student Mahra Mustafa at the Sergio Cereda Design Awards 2026, along with the nomination of three other classmates among the finalists.

The submitted projects celebrate eyewear concepts that express different approaches yet share the same design direction: combining research, function, and identity in objects capable of going beyond the accessory.

The finalists were Anping Chu, Camille Ferreira, Gustav Craft, and Mahra Mustafa, selected with projects spanning sports performance, architecture, sustainability, and perceptual experimentation.

The Sergio Cereda Design Awards is a prize dedicated to design culture and experimentation, created to promote new generations of designers. Each edition highlights proposals capable of combining creative vision, innovation, and design quality, offering space for research that interprets design as the language of the present and the future.

Designs were evaluated by an international panel of distinguished judges:

• Harvey Ross — Founder, Viva International; Chairman, Ross Holdings; CEO, OPTYX New York

• Lorraine Berton — President, MIDO | Milano Eyewear Show

• Stefania Cereda Oppermann — Design Consultant, EssilorLuxottica

• Caterina Cereda — Design & Strategic Consultant; Co-Founder, Sergio Cereda Eyewear Design Archive

• David Friedfeld — President, ClearVision Optical

• Giovanni Vitaloni — Founder & Creative Director, VANNI Eyewear

• Bruno Palmegiani — Eyewear Designer & Industry Consultant.

Mahra Mustafa – REFRACT

With REFRACT, Mahra Mustafa uses light refraction as a metaphor for unity and diversity. The faceted shape translates a universal symbol into a visual and conceptual experience: eyewear that does not simply protect, but actively interacts with light.

Key features: a faceted structure that refracts light into colours, inspired by the Olympic rings.
Function: not only sun protection, but a visual and conceptual experience that makes light an active part of the design.

Anping Chu – AERFLOW

Inspired by the trajectories of skiing, AERFLOW transforms speed and protection into a fluid, aerodynamic form. Sport, technology, and style merge into a futuristic and functional visual language, designed to follow movement and enhance its dynamics.

Key features: aerodynamic monocoque frame, no nose pads, wraparound structure, and an iridescent finish.
Function: maximum protection and comfort in motion, designed to transition seamlessly from sport to everyday use.

Camille Ferreira – Ligne Alpine / Ligne Claire

With Ligne Alpine / Ligne Claire, Camille Ferreira creates a dialogue between sports design and modernist architecture, inspired by Charlotte Perriand. Natural materials and alpine forms generate two complementary expressions of the same design vision, balancing rigour with contemporary sensibility.

Key features: integration of leather, wood, and metal inspired by alpine modernist architecture.
Function: reinterpreting sports eyewear through an elegant, wearable lens, balancing performance with everyday aesthetics.

Gustav Craft – SERAC / ARCTE

SERAC / ARCTE is an eyewear project made from recycled PET, transforming major events into objects filled with memory and meaning. Each frame is unique—merging sustainability, performance, and alpine landscapes in a narrative-driven material approach.

Key features: marbled recycled PET frames, each piece is one-of-a-kind.
Function: outdoor protection with symbolic value, turning waste into wearable memory.

A shared vision: eyewear as contemporary research

These four projects confirm a clear perspective: today, eyewear is a fully developed field of research, where technology, sustainability, design culture, and imagination coexist. A balance between performance and everyday wear, between material and meaning—where innovation is not only formal, but becomes a language in itself.