HISTORY
A Spectacular Journey
2014
Kering Eyewear’s journey begins. While the business starts with a very small team, it embraces a big vision: to change the world of sunglasses by creating the first fully luxury company in the global eyewear sector.
2015
In June, Kering Eyewear officially launches its first collection, ‘Collezione 1’. This inaugural eyewear line is presented to the market in the appropriately grand setting of the Palazzo Grassi in Venice. This extraordinary event marks the beginnings of what subsequently shapes as a long-term Kering Eyewear legacy.
2016
Gucci, one of the world’s most illustrious fashion houses, joins Kering Eyewear’s portfolio. The team work closely and passionately with Gucci to deliver a collection that fully embraces the charm, vibrancy and singular aesthetics of then newly appointed Gucci Creative Director Alessandro Michele. Today, Gucci is one of Kering Eyewear’s biggest growth drivers.
2017
Kering Group and Compagnie Financière Richemont sign a strategic partnership for the development of Maison Cartier’s Eyewear category. To celebrate this milestone agreement, Kering Eyewear takes over the Petit Palais in Paris for a spectacularly glamorous celebratory event.
Richemont becomes a shareholder of Kering Eyewear, leading to the two companies presenting their joint collections in October.
2018
Fashion-forward luxury house Balenciaga joins Kering Eyewear’s portfolio. The brand’s strong visual identity and cult following enhance the value of Kering Eyewear’s already outstanding collection of luxury brands. Balenciaga Eyewear collection is launched through a highly selective distribution network in January.
2018
Montblanc and Kering Eyewear strike a partnership to further establish the famed German writing instruments to fashion accessories brand in the eyewear segment. With a renewed focus on refined design, performance and the creation of luxury, design-led eyewear pieces, Montblanc and Kering Eyewear go on to launch numerous well-received collections in domestic and travel retail markets.
2019
As Kering Eyewear continues to make waves in the world of optical frames and sunglasses, it expands its operational capacities to address burgeoning demand. In September the company opens a new logistics centre in Vescovana, Veneto, just a few kilometres from Villa Zaguri, Kering Eyewear’s headquarters in Padua.
The logistics hub is a fully automated centre that enables end-to-end control over the entire logistics process. By 2021, the 15,000 sq m facility will distribute over eight million eyewear products, shipping an average of 32,000 frames daily.
2020
With the pandemic putting a pause on face-to-face trade events, Kering Eyewear teams up with The Moodie Davitt Report to become a Platinum Partner of the inaugural Virtual Travel Retail Expo. At the hugely successful, Frontier Award-winning digital event, Kering Eyewear underlines its mission to become the world leader in luxury eyewear, bolstered by a powerful portfolio of high-end brands. In the same year, Kering Eyewear acquires the Chloé and Dunhill brands.
2021
Kering Eyewear acquires Danish luxury eyewear house LINDBERG. The company manufactures an outstanding array of lightweight, stylish and customisable sunglasses and optical styles with a special focus on titanium frames. A marriage in eyewear heaven sees Kering Eyewear accelerating LINDBERG’s already strong global presence.
2022
In blockbuster news, Kering Eyewear signs an agreement in March to acquire Hawaiian sunglasses and eyewear brand Maui Jim.
Maui Jim is the world’s largest independently-owned high-end eyewear brand, renowned for its distinctive Hawaiian heritage and use of innovative eyewear technologies.
As a thrilling corporate journey continues, Kering Eyewear President & CEO Roberto Vedovotto tells reporters: “Together with Kering Group, I founded Kering Eyewear in 2014 with a group of talented managers to develop in-house eyewear expertise for the Group’s brands. We’ve come a long way since we started. We went from three people and now, we have over 3,500 people.
“We were the first to make this move in the industry. To make a specific, powerful entity to manage and develop this key category in our business. It was the right move and the right time and Kering Eyewear has gone from strength to strength since its inception.”
Now the journey continues.
