Thélios, an eyewear brand of French luxury house LVMH, has acquired the high-end outdoor sunglass brand Vuarnet from NEO Investment Partners.
Financial terms of the transaction have not been disclosed.
Founded in 1957, Vuarnet is one of the few eyewear brands to produce its own mineral lenses.
The brand has a manufacturing facility in Meaux, which has been certified by the French government as “Entreprise du Patrimoine Vivant” (Living Heritage Company).
This is Thélios’ first brand acquisition, marking a major milestone in the development of the LVMH eyewear company.
Vuarnet will complement Thélios’ portfolio of LVMH luxury Maisons while its expertise in mineral lenses will enable Thélios to expand in this field.
Thélios CEO Alessandro Zanardo said: “We are thrilled to announce the acquisition of Vuarnet, becoming Thélios’ first proprietary brand. Vuarnet is a legendary brand, with a unique history that deserves to be preserved and perpetuated. Its iconic design, its unique know-how on mineral lenses and its strong brand values, are a perfect match with our ethos and positioning.”
The combination will accelerate Vuarnet’s growth and global expansion by leveraging Thélios’ extensive resources, including research and development capabilities, technical expertise and global reach.
Thélios also aims to empower Vuarnet to elevate its product quality further and push the boundaries of innovation.