Kering Eyewear
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| Kering Eyewear | |
|---|---|
| Information | |
| Industry | Eyewear |
| Founded | October 2014 |
| Founder | Roberto Vedovotto |
| Headquarters | Padua, Italy |
| Notable Personnel | Roberto Vedovotto (founder, president and CEO) |
| Products | Luxury optical frames and sunglasses; AI smart glasses with Android XR (in development with Google) |
| Parent | Kering |
| Website | https://www.keringeyewear.com |
Kering Eyewear is the eyewear company of the French luxury group Kering. Based in Padua, Italy, it designs, develops and distributes optical frames and sunglasses for a portfolio of 15 brands, among them Gucci, Saint Laurent, Bottega Veneta, Cartier and Valentino, as well as its own labels Lindberg and Maui Jim.[1][2] Kering launched the company at the end of 2014 with a management team led by Roberto Vedovotto, who is its founder, president and chief executive officer.[3][4]
The company's link to extended reality is a partnership with Google, announced on 20 May 2025, to develop AI-powered glasses running Android XR.[5] In April 2026, Kering chief executive Luca de Meo told Reuters that the group aimed to launch Gucci-branded smart glasses with Google "probably next year, 2027".[6]
History
Founding and early growth
Kering Eyewear dates its foundation to October 2014, when it started with what it describes as "a very small team with a big vision"; the company says it was launched by Kering and a group of managers led by Vedovotto.[3] It presented its first range, "Collezione 1", at Palazzo Grassi in Venice in June 2015, and added Gucci eyewear to its portfolio in October 2016.[3]
On 21 March 2017, Kering announced that Kering Eyewear and Maison Cartier, owned by Compagnie Financière Richemont, planned a strategic partnership covering the development, manufacturing and worldwide distribution of Cartier eyewear. Under the agreement Richemont was to take a minority stake in Kering Eyewear, and Kering Eyewear was to take over the Manufacture Cartier Lunettes entity in Sucy-en-Brie, France. At the time, Kering described Kering Eyewear as a specialist company handling the eyewear of twelve Kering Group brands.[7] The company later added Balenciaga (2018), Montblanc (2018), Chloé (2020) and Dunhill (2020), and in September 2019 opened a logistics center in Vescovana in the Veneto region.[3]
Acquisitions
Kering Eyewear signed an agreement on 8 July 2021 to buy the Danish eyewear maker Lindberg and completed the purchase on 30 September 2021, after antitrust clearance; Lindberg was consolidated in Kering's accounts from the fourth quarter of 2021.[8] The purchase of the American sunglass brand Maui Jim followed. Its terms were disclosed on 14 March 2022, and on 3 October 2022 Kering Eyewear said it held more than 90 percent of the company, with Maui Jim consolidated in Kering's accounts from 1 October 2022.[9]
In 2025 the company expanded its manufacturing base through acquisitions. On 3 April 2025 it agreed to acquire all of Visard, a maker of injected plastic optical frames and sunglasses founded in 1985, and a minority stake in the acetate eyewear maker Mistral, with an option to buy the rest of Mistral in 2030; both are based in Belluno, Italy.[10] It also announced the purchase of Lenti, an Italian manufacturer of sun lenses.[11] On 15 September 2025, Kering Eyewear and Valentino announced a global agreement giving Kering Eyewear the rights to develop and distribute Valentino sun and optical collections from 1 January 2026.[4]
Timeline
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| October 2014 | Company founded[3] |
| June 2015 | First collection, "Collezione 1", presented in Venice[3] |
| October 2016 | Gucci eyewear joins the portfolio[3] |
| 21 March 2017 | Cartier eyewear partnership and Richemont minority stake announced[7] |
| 30 September 2021 | Acquisition of Lindberg completed[8] |
| 3 October 2022 | More than 90 percent of Maui Jim held[9] |
| 3 April 2025 | Agreement to acquire Visard and a minority stake in Mistral[10] |
| 20 May 2025 | Smart glasses partnership with Google on Android XR announced[5] |
| 15 September 2025 | Valentino eyewear agreement announced, effective 1 January 2026[4] |
| 16 April 2026 | Kering names luxury smart eyewear as a goal for Kering Eyewear; 2027 target given for Gucci smart glasses[2][6] |
Business
Kering reported that Kering Eyewear had revenue of 1.6 billion euros in 2025, up 3 percent on a comparable basis, and recurring operating income of 252 million euros, a recurring operating margin of 15.8 percent.[11]
As of 2026 Kering Eyewear lists 15 brands: Lindberg, Maui Jim, Gucci, Cartier, Saint Laurent, Bottega Veneta, Balenciaga, McQueen, Valentino, Chloé, Alaïa, Montblanc, Dunhill, Zeal Optics and Puma.[1][2] The company owns Lindberg and Maui Jim; the portfolio also covers Kering's own fashion houses, such as Gucci and Saint Laurent, and outside brands whose eyewear it handles under agreement, such as Cartier and Valentino.[9][7][4]
Smart glasses and XR work
Google announced its eyewear plans for Android XR at Google I/O in May 2025. Shahram Izadi, Google's vice president and general manager of XR, wrote that Google was partnering with the eyewear brands Gentle Monster and Warby Parker first, and that it looked forward "to working with more partners, like Kering Eyewear".[12] Kering Eyewear announced its own partnership with Google the same day. It said the two companies would develop AI-powered glasses with Android XR, with "intuitive, personalized AI-driven functions" for everyday use.[5][13] Vedovotto said the aim was "a pair of masterfully designed, high-quality, stylish glasses that unlock the potential of artificial intelligence". Izadi said that integrating Google's XR platform with Kering Eyewear's glasses would "give consumers the fashion and function to get the most out of Android XR."[5] When the deal was announced, no release date had been given, and the partners had not said which brand from Kering's portfolio would be used first.[14] The equity investment Google announced alongside these partnerships was in Warby Parker.[13]
At Kering's capital markets day in Florence on 16 April 2026, the group said Kering Eyewear had the ambition "to lead luxury Smart Eyewear" and that, in partnership with Google, it aimed "to elevate connected eyewear into a true luxury experience".[2] In an interview on the sidelines of the event, Kering chief executive Luca de Meo told Reuters that Kering aimed to launch smart glasses under the Gucci brand with Google, giving the timeline as "probably next year, 2027". Reuters wrote that the product would compete with EssilorLuxottica, which makes Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses with Meta, and presented the move as part of de Meo's plan to grow Kering's eyewear and jewellery businesses.[6][15]
Glasses from Google's other eyewear partners are scheduled to arrive first. At Google I/O 2026 in May, Google said it had worked with Samsung, Gentle Monster and Warby Parker on intelligent eyewear due in fall 2026; that announcement did not include a Kering product.[16] Those glasses are covered in Samsung Intelligent Eyewear.
See also
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 "About us". Kering Eyewear. Kering Eyewear. https://www.keringeyewear.com/about. Retrieved 2026-09-29.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 "ReconKering: True Luxury. Next Luxury.". GlobeNewswire. Kering. 2026-04-16. https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2026/04/16/3275021/0/en/kering.html. Retrieved 2026-09-29.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 "Our Journey". Kering Eyewear. Kering Eyewear. https://www.keringeyewear.com/about/ourjourney. Retrieved 2026-09-29.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 "Kering Eyewear and Valentino announce Global Partnership agreement". Kering Eyewear. Kering Eyewear. 2025-09-15. https://www.keringeyewear.com/newsroom/2025/Kering-Eyewear-and-Valentino-announce-global-partnership-agreement. Retrieved 2026-09-29.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 "Kering Eyewear partners with Google to develop smart glasses". Kering Eyewear. Kering Eyewear. 2025-05-20. https://www.keringeyewear.com/newsroom/2025/Kering-Eyewear-partners-with-Google-to-develop-smart-glasses. Retrieved 2026-09-29.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 Tassilo Hummel (2026-04-16). "Gucci-owner Kering aims to launch luxury Google glasses next year, CEO says". Reuters (via Investing.com). https://www.investing.com/news/stock-market-news/gucciowner-kering-aims-to-launch-luxury-google-glasses-next-year-ceo-says-4618778. Retrieved 2026-09-29.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 "Kering Eyewear and the Maison Cartier partner for the development of the eyewear category". Kering press release (AMF filing). Kering. 2017-03-21. https://echanges.dila.gouv.fr/OPENDATA/AMF/BWR/2017/03/FCBWR099471_20170321.pdf. Retrieved 2026-09-29.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 "Kering Eyewear completes the acquisition of Lindberg". GlobeNewswire. Kering. 2021-09-30. https://www.globenewswire.com/en/news-release/2021/09/30/2306441/0/en/Press-release-KERING-EYEWEAR-COMPLETES-THE-ACQUISITION-OF-LINDBERG.html. Retrieved 2026-09-29.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 "Kering Eyewear completes the acquisition of Maui Jim". GlobeNewswire. Kering. 2022-10-03. https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2022/10/03/2526493/0/en/Kering-Eyewear-completes-the-acquisition-of-Maui-Jim.html. Retrieved 2026-09-29.
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 "Kering Eyewear acquires Visard and a minority stake of Mistral as part of its industrial development strategy". Kering Eyewear. Kering Eyewear. 2025-04-03. https://www.keringeyewear.com/newsroom/2025/KERING-EYEWEAR-ACQUIRES-VISARD-AND-A-MINORITY-STAKE-OF-MISTRAL-AS-PART-OF-ITS-INDUSTRIAL-DEVELOPMENT-STRATEGY. Retrieved 2026-09-29.
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 "Kering - 2025 results: Sequential improvement, unlocking the next phase of sustainable and profitable growth". GlobeNewswire. Kering. 2026-02-10. https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2026/02/10/3235000/0/en/Kering-2025-results-Sequential-improvement-unlocking-the-next-phase-of-sustainable-profitable-growth.html. Retrieved 2026-09-29.
- ↑ Shahram Izadi (2025-05-20). "A new look at how Android XR will bring Gemini to glasses and headsets". The Keyword. Google. https://blog.google/products-and-platforms/platforms/android/android-xr-gemini-glasses-headsets/. Retrieved 2026-09-29.
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 "Google to Partner With Warby Parker, Kering Eyewear and Gentle Monster for Development of Smart Eyewear; Commits to Equity Investment in Warby Parker". Vision Monday. 2025-05-21. https://www.visionmonday.com/eyecare/article/google-to-partner-with-warby-parker-kering-eyewear-and-gentle-monster-for-development-of-smart-eyewear-commits-to-equity-investment-in-warby-parker/. Retrieved 2026-09-29.
- ↑ Danielle Wightman-Stone (2025-05-21). "Kering Eyewear to develop smart glasses with Google". FashionUnited. https://fashionunited.uk/news/fashion/kering-eyewear-to-develop-smart-glasses-with-google/2025052181777. Retrieved 2026-09-29.
- ↑ Matt Horne (2026-04-16). "Android XR could get its own luxury rival to Ray-Ban Meta next year". Android Authority. https://www.androidauthority.com/gucci-android-xr-smart-glasses-timeline-3658332/. Retrieved 2026-09-29.
- ↑ Shahram Izadi (2026-05-19). "Intelligent eyewear is coming this fall". The Keyword. Google. https://blog.google/products-and-platforms/platforms/android/android-xr-io-2026/. Retrieved 2026-09-29.