Givenchy switches from Safilo to Thélios for eyewear
As expected, Givenchy will not renew its eyewear contract with Safilo. The Parisian couture label, owned by LVMH, has decided to license its eyewear collections to Thélios, the joint-venture company set up by LVMH with Italian manufacturer Marcolin to internalise eyewear development and production for the luxury group’s many labels.
Givenchy's announcement comes two months after Fendi, another label owned by the French giant, also turned to Thélios for the development of its eyewear lines, previously made by Safilo. In a press release, Givenchy and Thélios said theirs is “a strategic partnership for the design, development, production and exclusive worldwide distribution of Givenchy Eyewear from January 1 2022.”
Thélios will work “side by side with Matthew M. Williams, creative director of Givenchy,” to bring to the fore “his ambitious vision by creating innovative products.” The first collection, for spring 2022, will be commercialised from early 2022 via Givenchy stores, the label's e-shop and also “a highly selective network of retailers and opticians worldwide.”
Thélios was founded in 2017, and in the same year it took over the licence for Celine eyewear, held by Safilo since 2011. In 2019, Thélios bagged a major contract for the eyeglasses and sunglasses collections by Dior and Dior Homme, which had been managed under licence for 23 years by Safilo.
Safilo, controlled by Dutch investment fund Hal (with LVMH holding a 10% stake), now holds the eyewear licence for only one of the luxury labels owned by Bernard Arnault, that for Marc Jacobs, set to expire in 2026.
Besides the eyewear collections for Celine, Dior, Fendi and Givenchy, Thélios’s portfolio also includes those for other LVMH labels like Loewe, Stella McCartney, Kenzo, Fred, Berluti and Rimowa, in addition to its own brand, 9.81.
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