Marcolin
 | |
| Type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Eyewear |
| Founded | 1961 |
| Founder | Giovanni Marcolin |
| Headquarters | Longarone, |
Key people | Fabrizio Curci (CEO) |
Number of employees | 2,000 (2025)[1] |
| Parent | VSP Vision |
| Website | marcolin |
Marcolin SpA is an Italian eyewear manufacturer founded in Veneto and headquartered in Longarone. Started in 1961 by Giovanni Marcolin Coffen, it owns and licenses twenty-five different brands, including Tom Ford, Adidas, Skechers, Christian Louboutin and Max Mara.[2][3]
Except for 2020, its annual revenue grew every year between 2013 and 2022 – in the latter year, it reached €547 million. In December 2025, California-based VSP Vision announced it had completed the purchase of Marcolin,[4] which had been majority-owned by PAI Partners since 2012.
History
[edit]Founded in Veneto in 1961 by Giovanni Marcolin and originally known as Fabbrica artigiana, it began by manufacturing gold-laminated temples on eyewear. Expanding into the US in 1968 and opening offices in France, Switzerland, and Germany, it was already producing one million frames per year by the 1980s.[5]
By 2012, Marcolin was Italy's third largest eyewear manufacturer, behind only Leonardo Del Vecchio's Luxottica and the Safilo Group. It was around this time that a majority stake in Marcolin was acquired by the French private equity firm PAI Partners, initially at 78% but increasing to 83% in December 2019.[6] By 2018, Marcolin has claimed to sell 14.6 million eyeglasses that year.[7]
Subsequently, the company sold 10% of its shares to the luxury conglomerate LVMH when it partnered with the French group and founded the in-house eyewear manufacturing company Thélios, in which it held a 49% stake. In December 2021, the firms separated, with Marcolin buying back LVMH's stake while transferring its share in Thélios to the French company.[8][9]
Also in 2021, Marcolin acquired the German eyewear manufacturer Ic! berlin.[10] Three years later, its shareholders sought a valuation for the manufacturer, attracting acquisition proposals and interest from several companies in the sector.
With Thélios being the only major rival not mentioned as a potential suitor, Kering and EssilorLuxottica were leading bidders for the company – although offers from Safilo, Marchon Eyewear, De Rigo and Hong Kong-based private equity firm FountainVest Partners were also considered.[6][11]
After announcing the takeover of Marcolin from the French company PAI and its minority shareholders in September 2025,[1] VSP Vision completed the purchase of the Italian firm three months later.
Brands
[edit]Marcolin's proprietary and licensed brands include:[12][13][14]
- Abercrombie & Fitch
- Adidas
- BMW
- Christian Louboutin
- Gant
- GCDS
- Guess
- Harley-Davidson
- Ic! berlin
- J Landon
- Kenneth Cole
- Marciano
- Max Mara
- Max&Co
- Pucci
- Skechers
- Timberland
- Tod's
- Tom Ford
- Web Eyewear
- Zegna
References
[edit]- 1 2 Ebhardt, Tommaso; Lepido, Daniele; Barbaglia, Pamela (2025-09-05). "VSP Vision Agrees to Acquire PAI-Backed Eyewear Firm Marcolin". Bloomberg News.
- ↑ "Marcolin Group: net revenues 2022". Statista. Retrieved 2024-03-19.
- ↑ "Our eyewear brands - Marcolin". Marcolin. Retrieved 2024-03-19.
- ↑ "VSP Vision Completes Acquisition of Marcolin". Vision Monday. Retrieved 2026-02-20.
- ↑ "Marcolin: a history of over 60 years". Marcolin. Retrieved 2024-04-23.
- 1 2 "Marcolin: Rumours intensify about a possible sale of the eyewear manufacturer". FashionNetwork.com. Retrieved 2024-03-19.
- ↑ "BMW Enters In The Marcolin Group Brand Portfolio". PR Newswire. Retrieved 2024-04-23.
- ↑ "LVMH and Marcolin joint statement". LVMH. 2021-12-10. Retrieved 2024-03-19.
- ↑ "Italian eyewear maker Marcolin in stake sale talks with PAI". FashionNetwork.com. Retrieved 2024-03-19.
- ↑ Feldman, Daniel (2023-11-08). "Marcolin Acquires ic! berlin | The Optical Journal". www.opticaljournal.com. Retrieved 2024-03-19.
- ↑ "Kering, EssilorLuxottica Among Bidders for Eyewear Maker Marcolin, the Financial Times Reports". Morningstar, Inc. 2024-03-11. Retrieved 2024-03-19.
- ↑ "Our eyewear brands - Marcolin". Marcolin.com. Retrieved 2024-04-23.
- ↑ Millan, Chloe (2024-02-02). "PRETAVOIR.US | Online Opticians | Shop Sunglasses & Glasses". Pretavoir. Retrieved 2024-04-23.
- ↑ "MARCOLIN AND ABERCROMBIE & FITCH CO. ENTER AN EXCLUSIVE LICENSING AGREEMENT". Marcolin Newsroom. 2024-09-16. Retrieved 10 December 2024.