What Great Eyewear Has in Common With $100 Million in Collector Cars: Design, Engineering and Identity

Harvey Ross and OPTYX New York bring Miu Miu, Prada, Oliver Peoples and Ray-Ban Meta into a conversation about the objects we drive, wear and collect – at a Bridgehampton event benefiting two East End charities

BRIDGEHAMPTON, N.Y. – July 30, 2026 – A collector automobile, a finely crafted timepiece and a pair of exceptional eyeglasses may operate on entirely different scales, but each speaks the same design language: proportion, materials, engineering, performance and emotion.

Each begins as a functional object. At its highest level, each becomes a personal signature.

That connection will take center stage when OPTYX New York returns for its fourth year to the Hamptons Concours d’Elegance on Saturday, August 1. OPTYX will present a curated designer-eyewear experience featuring Miu Miu, Prada, Oliver Peoples and Ray-Ban Meta through its relationship with EssilorLuxottica.

Produced by RAND Luxury and held at a private estate in Bridgehampton, the invitation-only charity brunch and collector-car showcase will feature more than $100 million in rare vintage and modern automobiles.

Judged classes dedicated to Ferrari and Porsche will be joined by an approved selection of European collector cars from Lamborghini, Aston Martin, McLaren, Bentley, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars and Maserati.

The 2026 Hamptons Concours benefits the Southampton Animal Shelter Foundation and the South Fork Natural History Museum and Nature Center, connecting fashion, automotive design and culture with animal protection, environmental education and preservation of the East End.

THE CAR, THE TIMEPIECE AND THE FRAME

Collectors have long understood that the objects they choose communicate something about who they are. The automobile in the driveway, the timepiece on the wrist and the eyewear on the face can each express taste, confidence, lifestyle and identity.

Eyewear may be the most immediate of the three. It is worn directly on the face – the first place another person looks.

As designer eyewear has become a more powerful fashion category, people are increasingly building eyewear wardrobes rather than relying on a single pair. Different frames are selected for work, travel, evening, sport and driving, just as collectors choose a timepiece or automobile according to the occasion, environment and mood.

At the center of that conversation is Harvey Ross, an eyewear-industry visionary with 65 years of international experience. At 87, Ross continues to travel the world, study design, develop retail concepts and support the next generation of eyewear designers.

Ross founded Viva International Group and is the owner and CEO of OPTYX New York. He is also the founder of the Sergio Cereda Eyewear Design Award, an international competition presented at MIDO | Milano Eyewear Show that identifies and develops emerging eyewear talent from design and engineering programs around the world.

“The best eyewear designers look beyond eyewear,” said Ross. “Study the line of a great motorcar – the proportion, the materials, the emotion. Elegance and engineering must exist together. A design succeeds only when it is beautiful, functional and possible to produce. That is how an object becomes timeless.”

That philosophy also guides the Sergio Cereda Eyewear Design Award. Created by Ross in collaboration with the Cereda family and MIDO, the competition challenges emerging designers to consider creativity, technical execution, material awareness, brand identity and commercial viability.

FOUR EYEWEAR HOUSES, FOUR DESIGN IDENTITIES

At the Hamptons Concours, Miu Miu, Prada, Oliver Peoples and Ray-Ban Meta will illustrate how differently the shared principles of exceptional eyewear design can be interpreted.

Prada brings an architectural and intellectually experimental approach. Miu Miu offers a more expressive and unconventional fashion perspective. Oliver Peoples is defined by understated form and heritage, while Ray-Ban Meta places next-generation wearable technology inside an instantly recognizable silhouette.

The distinctions are not unlike those among Ferrari, Porsche, Bentley and Aston Martin. Each marque balances form, performance, heritage and emotion differently – and each attracts someone who recognizes part of their own identity in its design.

“Eyewear has become one of the clearest expressions of personal identity because the first thing people see is your face,” said Ingrid Dodd, Creative Director and Regional Director of Marketing for OPTYX New York and Global Director of the Sergio Cereda Eyewear Design Award. “People are collecting eyewear the way they collect timepieces, choosing different frames for specific clothing, lifestyles and activities – and even for the cars they drive. The right driving glasses can project the same confidence and character as the car itself.”

Under the event’s main tent, OPTYX will create a complete designer-eyewear presentation where guests can experience the distinct perspectives represented by the four featured collections.

EXCEPTIONAL DESIGN WITH A GREATER PURPOSE

The fashion and design experience is set within an event created to support two organizations whose work directly affects the East End.

The Southampton Animal Shelter Foundation is an open-admission, no-kill shelter that provides housing, veterinary care, training, rehabilitation and adoption services for animals in need.

The South Fork Natural History Museum and Nature Center advances knowledge and appreciation of the natural environment, with special emphasis on the unique ecology and wildlife of Long Island’s South Fork.

“It’s an honor to once again produce the Hamptons Concours, benefiting the Southampton Animal Shelter Foundation and the South Fork Natural History Museum (SOFO). We are grateful to OPTYX for once again being one of our prestigious sponsors of this charity brunch and car show. These remarkable organizations make a meaningful difference! SASF provides around-the-clock rescue and care for animals in need, while SOFO inspires environmental education and wildlife conservation. We’re proud to bring together an extraordinary day of collector cars, luxury brands like OPTYX and philanthropy!” said Bradford Rand, founder and CEO of RAND Luxury.

“Exceptional design draws us to the Concours,” Dodd added. “The opportunity to protect animals, advance environmental education and help preserve the East End is what brings us back.”

From New York City to the Hamptons, OPTYX has been framing New Yorkers since 1971. The company now has 13 locations across New York, including its East Hampton boutique and Mattituck boutique, creating a year-round connection to both the South Fork and North Fork.

Guests will also experience a fully catered brunch, top-shelf open bar, scotch tastings, hand-rolled cigars and lifestyle presentations featuring timepieces, fashion, jewelry, artwork and private aviation.

2026 HAMPTONS CONCOURS EVENT DETAILS

Hamptons Concours d’Elegance
Saturday, August 1, 2026
11:00 a.m.–3:00 p.m.
Private Estate
900 Lumber Lane
Bridgehampton, New York

The event is invitation-only, sold out and all guests are subject to approval. Complete event information is available on the official 2026 Hamptons Concours d’Elegance website.

ABOUT HARVEY ROSS

Harvey Ross is the founder of Viva International Group, owner and CEO of OPTYX New York and founder of the Sergio Cereda Eyewear Design Award.

During a career spanning 65 years, Ross has helped shape the modern eyewear industry through global brand development, design leadership, retail innovation and his commitment to identifying and supporting emerging design talent.

ABOUT OPTYX NEW YORK

Founded in 1971, OPTYX New York provides comprehensive eye care, advanced lens technology and carefully curated designer eyewear. With 13 locations across New York City, Long Island, Westchester and the East End, OPTYX combines medical expertise, personal service and exceptional design to help every client see- and be seen.

Visit OPTYX.com or follow @optyxnewyork on Instagram.

ABOUT THE HAMPTONS CONCOURS D’ELEGANCE

Produced by RAND Luxury, the Hamptons Concours d’Elegance is an annual invitation-only charity brunch and collector-car showcase held at a private estate in Bridgehampton.

The 2026 Hamptons Concours features more than $100 million in rare vintage and modern automobiles, with judged Ferrari and Porsche classes and approved displays of distinguished European collector cars.

The event benefits the Southampton Animal Shelter Foundation and the South Fork Natural History Museum and Nature Center.

ABOUT THE SERGIO CEREDA EYEWEAR DESIGN AWARD

Founded by Harvey Ross and presented with the Ross Viva Family Foundation, MIDO | Milano Eyewear Show and the Cereda family, the Sergio Cereda Eyewear Design Award identifies and develops the next generation of eyewear designers.

The 2027 competition, themed “The DNA of Design,” will award $20,000 in prizes and culminate at MIDO in Milan, Italy, February 6–8, 2027. Applications are open through November 30, 2026.

Learn more and apply through the official Sergio Cereda Eyewear Design Award application or follow @sergioceredaaward on Instagram.

MEDIA AVAILABILITY

Professionally filmed B-roll, high-resolution photography and interview footage will be available.

Interviews may be coordinated with Harvey Ross, Ingrid Dodd, Bradford Rand and a representative of the Southampton Animal Shelter Foundation.

MEDIA CONTACT

Ingrid Dodd
Creative Director and Regional Director of Marketing
OPTYX New York
Global Director, Sergio Cereda Eyewear Design Award
marketing@optyx.com