Fendi used Milano Design Week 2026 to debut the FENDI Design Prize, a new annual platform that backs emerging designers while extending the Maison’s deep ties to craft, architecture and contemporary living. The inaugural edition crowned VIA by Gustav Craft as its first winner, setting the tone for a prize that is as much about storytelling and material heritage as it is about form.
A new annual prize for emerging design voices
Launched during Milano Design Week 2026, the FENDI Design Prize is conceived as a yearly initiative to discover and support new design talents in dialogue with the Maison’s codes of creativity and craft. The project also reinforces the growing role of FENDI Casa as a laboratory for contemporary interiors, bridging fashion, furniture and collectible design.
Curated by designer Giulio Cappellini, the prize is judged by an international panel including Rossana Orlandi, Patricia Urquiola, Cristina Celestino, Neri&Hu Design and…
Research Office, Josh Owen and Joseph Grima, bringing together galleries, architects, industrial designers and curators in one conversation.
In early 2026, a dedicated brief was shared with selected design schools worldwide, asking participants to imagine a living environment through furniture and accessories that could channel Fendi’s Roman roots, craftsmanship and use of leather and fur, including upcycled materials.
From six finalists to one winner From more than 70 submissions, six finalists were selected from leading design schools and independent practices, each proposing a system of objects rather than a single piece.
The finalists’ works explored themes such as modular living, material reuse, and reinterpretations of Rome’s visual language through structure, pattern and tactility…
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