LVMH's Eyewear Arm Bolsters Portfolio with Iconic French Eyewear Giant In a notable move, Thélios has successfully acquired the historic eyewear brand Vuarnet from NEO Investment Partners, marking the first proprietary label to be included in Thélios’ repertoire. Alessandro Zanardo, Thélios's CEO, conveyed

Thélios Acquires Vuarnet: Elevating Iconic Eyewear Legacy

LVMH’s Eyewear Arm Bolsters Portfolio with Iconic French Eyewear Giant

In a notable move, Thélios has successfully acquired the historic eyewear brand Vuarnet from NEO Investment Partners, marking the first proprietary label to be included in Thélios’ repertoire.

Alessandro Zanardo, Thélios’s CEO, conveyed that the acquisition emerged as an ideal alignment of Thélios’ strategic growth plans. Having steadily cultivated expertise in design, prototyping, quality, and a global commercial network, Thélios, under the LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton umbrella, boasts a solid foundation. They design, produce, and distribute eyewear for a pantheon of fashion stalwarts such as Dior, Fendi, Celine, and Givenchy, to name a few.

This acquisition is particularly pivotal as Vuarnet stands out as an original eyewear brand, not merely an extension of a fashion label. Established in 1957 by optician Roger Pouilloux and French Olympic ski gold medalist Jean Vuarnet, the brand marries Olympic tenacity with a luxurious style aesthetic. Vuarnet’s revolutionary sporting innovations, combined with iconic eyewear designs, have secured its place in pop culture, as seen in films like “The Swimming Pool” (1969) and “James Bond – Spectrum” (2015).

Zanardo emphasized Vuarnet’s commitment to sustainability and craftsmanship. Notably, the brand’s Meaux-based manufacturing site in France, which crafts sunglasses using glass or mineral lenses — an increasingly rare and eco-friendly practice, has earned the “Entreprise du Patrimoine Vivant” (a Living Heritage Company) certification from the French government. This acquisition promises to enrich Thélios’s own manufacturing expertise.

Despite Vuarnet’s sportswear roots, Thélios envisions it as an urban lifestyle brand, with plans to elevate Vuarnet’s market positioning and maintain its brand purity. Thélios remains discerning about expanding its proprietary brand portfolio, focusing on brands that offer unique value, design, and craftsmanship.

Situated in Longarone, Thélios’ state-of-the-art production facility, inaugurated in 2018, spans over 194,400 square feet. This latest acquisition fortifies LVMH’s already impressive footprint in the eyewear industry.