French luxury retailer LVMH has agreed to buy Barton Perreira, a brand specializing in designer sunglasses and known for its collaboration with James Bond. LVMH’s Thelios division will acquire the California-based company. The amount of the deal was not disclosed.
One is already the second takeover in recent months.In September, Thelios bought the French Alpine brand Vuarnet. Demand for luxury sunglasses and optical eyewear is growing worldwide, especially in Asia. EssilorLuxottica estimates that global eyewear sales will reach $107 billion in 2022.
“For the maisons of luxury, eyewear is in many cases the first contact point with consumers,” said Alessandro Zanardo, CEO of Thelios. “There has also been a shift in the relevance of this category in the whole universe of the maisons. The product is not just something that is made in a factory, to put a logo on and sell. It is something that is really created and designed in the maison environment.”
Thelios was founded in 2017 as a sunglasses manufacturer for LVMH brands Louis Vuitton, Celine, Loewe and Berluti. In 2023, the company decided to expand and acquire several third-party brands.
The models produced by Barton Perreira are in high demand among Hollywood stars and collectors and cost from $500. It is known that “Joe” glasses, in particular, were worn by Daniel Craig’s character in the movie “No Time to Die.”
