Luxottica is one of the world’s largest companies engaged in the design, manufacturing, and distribution of eyewear. Since 2018, it has been part of the EssilorLuxottica corporation.
Founded: 1961
Country: Italy
Main areas of activity:
- Technological development and design
- Manufacturing – own brands and licensed
- Global distribution: wholesale and retail
BRAND ORIGIN
Luxottica is the brainchild of one visionary man — Leonardo Del Vecchio.
Leonardo Del Vecchio was born in 1935 into a low-income family in Milan. When he was just 7 years old, his widowed mother had to send him to an orphanage. By age 14, Del Vecchio had to find work to support his family. He started as an apprentice to a metalworker who produced metal tools. During his apprenticeship, Del Vecchio learned important metalworking skills. He worked during the day and attended design and engraving classes in the prestigious Brera Academy in Milan in the evenings.
THE START — FROM CRAFTSMANSHIP (1960s)
At age 25, Leonardo Del Vecchio became interested in glasses and frames and began applying his metalworking experience to making eyeglass parts.
At 26, in 1961, he founded a small workshop in Agordo, in the province of Belluno, Italy. Agordo was home to many major names in the eyewear industry and known for its skilled workforce. The town was developing and offered free land and economic support to young entrepreneurs to create new businesses.
In 1961, Luxottica s.a.s. was registered in Agordo. Initially, about ten people worked there. All had skills and experience in eyewear manufacturing and were highly respected. Their craftsmanship built Luxottica’s first loyal audience.
BUSINESS MODEL — VERTICAL INTEGRATION (1970s–1980s)
In 1974, Luxottica made a bold move by acquiring the distributor Scarrone. From 1981, international expansion began — Luxottica opened its first foreign subsidiary in Germany, then in the USA, followed by other markets.
Luxottica pioneered the concept of vertical integration — design, manufacturing, and distribution all under one roof and direct company control. The company ensured high quality. Later in 2001, Luxottica acquired the global retail chain Sunglass Hut.
EXPANSION — ACQUISITION OF FAMOUS EYEWEAR BRANDS (1990s–2000s)
Key acquisitions included:
- Vogue Eyewear (1990): a fashionable youth brand
- Persol (1995): known for timeless Italian craftsmanship
- Ray-Ban (1999): an iconic American brand, acquisition marking one of Luxottica’s most important milestones
- Oakley (2007): leader in sports and high-performance eyewear, adding technological innovation status to Luxottica’s portfolio
GLOBAL LEADERSHIP (2000s–2010s)
Luxottica strengthened its leadership through exclusive partnerships (exclusive licenses) with luxury fashion houses:
- Giorgio Armani in 1988 (although the agreement was soon terminated, the development trajectory strengthened, and the company’s portfolio continued to grow with licensed agreements with many well-known brands)
- Bvlgari (1996)
- Salvatore Ferragamo (1998)
- Chanel (1999)
- Prada, Prada Linea Rossa, Miu-Miu, Versace, Versus (2003)
- Donna Karan (2005)
- Dolce&Gabbana, D&G, Burberry (2006)
- Ralph Lauren, Polo Ralph Lauren, Purple Label Ralph Lauren (2007)
- Tiffany&Co (2008)
- Stella McCartney (2009)
NEW TECHNOLOGICAL STAGE — AUGMENTED REALITY GLASSES
In 2018, Luxottica merged with Essilor, a leading French lens manufacturer.
The new brand ESSILORLUXOTTICA unites two eyewear industry giants: Luxottica — leader in frames, and Essilor — technological leader in lenses.
Today EssilorLuxottica is the undisputed market leader in the industry. The company is also a leader in innovation: actively investing in digital transformation, e-commerce, and sustainability initiatives.
The company has entered a completely new field: development and production of smart glasses and advanced augmented reality technology products.
FACT LIST FROM FCG. LUXOTTICA