LVMH-owned eyewear house Thélios has acquired Vuarnet from NEO Investment Partners.
The deal, revealed earlier this month, marks Thélios’ first brand acquisition – an important milestone in the development of the LVMH eyewear company.
The French luxury outdoor sunglass brand has a 60-year heritage and is renowned for pioneering mineral lenses.
“We are thrilled to announce the acquisition of Vuarnet, becoming Thélios’ first proprietary brand,” said Thélios CEO Alessandro Zanardo.
“Vuarnet is a legendary brand, with a unique history that deserves to be preserved and perpetuated. Its distinctive design, its know-how on mineral lenses and its strong brand values are a perfect match with our ethos and positioning.”
Vuarnet was founded in 1957 by optician Roger Pouilloux and French Olympic gold medallist skier Jean Vuarnet. Its manufacturing site located in Meaux has been certified by the French government as ‘Entreprise du Patrimoine Vivant’ (Living Heritage Company).
The brand’s sunglasses have often been featured on the big screen, worn by Alain Delon in The Swimming Pool (1969), Jeff Bridges in The Big Lebowski (1998), Daniel Craig in James Bond – Spectre (2015) and many more.
The alliance will grant Vuarnet access to Thélios’ extensive resources, including research and development capabilities, technical expertise and global reach – propelling the brand’s growth and global expansion. ✈
