Safilo

History

The first manufacturing site opened in 1878 to produce lenses and frames in Calalzo di Cadore, in the Venetian Alps. Guglielmo Tabacchi bought this production site in 1934 and founded a new eyewear company, Safilo, today the oldest player in the Italian eyewear industry.

In 1974, the founder of Safilo died and his sons took over. In the 1970s, Safilo opened sales offices in various European countries, patented the Elasta hinge, and introduced a popular UFO model of sunglasses.

In the 1980s, Safilo developed designer collections and gained full control of the American eyewear company Starline Optical Corp. It subsequently acquired then sunglass-maker Friuli-based Oxsol and was introduced on the Milan Stock Exchange in 1987. In 1989, Safilo started to produce Gucci's eyewear, and extended to more PPR-owned (today Kering) brands such as Yves Saint Laurent, Bottega Veneta and Alexander McQueen.

In the 1990s, Safilo entered the Asian market, in Hong Kong, opened branches in more countries in Europe, South Africa, Japan and Brazil. Safilo Group acquired the American sports eyewear maker Smith Sports Optics and Austria's Carrera Optyl.

In May 2001, Safilo's chairman Vittorio Tabacchi (grandson of Safilo's founder) launched a takeover bid to acquire full ownership of the Safilo Group. Still in 2001, the company inaugurated its new centralized warehouse at its Padua headquarters. In 2002, Safilo acquired the Solstice Sunglasses chain in US, which was then sold in 2019 to focus exclusively on the wholesale business model. Roberto Vedovotto was CEO of the Safilo Group from 2002 to 2006 and relieved the group's saddling debt by selling 40% to Crédit Suisse First Boston. The company returned to the Milan Stock Exchange in December 2005. That year, the Safilo Group made $1.1 billion in revenue and produced 2,500 new eyewear designs. Roberto Vedovotto returned to lead Safilo as CEO in November 2009.

In January 2019, HAL Holdings N.V., through its subsidiary Multibrands Italy B.V., increased its shares in Safilo to 49.8%. In 2020, the Safilo Group completed the acquisition of Blenders Eyewear and Privé Revaux, two digitally native brands powered by a strong e-commerce business model. The eyewear group also partnered with The Ocean Cleanup to create sunglasses made with ocean waste plastic.

Safilo owns its private collection about the history of eyewear and of the company.

In January 2024, Safilo renewed its partnership with Levi's until 2029.

Eyewear brands

House brands:

• Carrera
• Polaroid Eyewear
• Smith Optics
• Blenders Eyewear
• Privè Revaux
• Seventh Street

Licensed eyewear brands:

• Banana Republic
• Boss
• Carolina Herrera
• David Beckham
• Victoria Beckham
• Dsquared2
• Fossil
• havaianas
• Hugo
• Isabel Marant
• Jimmy Choo
• Kate Spade
• Levi's
• Liz Claiborne
• Juicy Couture
• Missoni
• Marc Jacobs
• Moschino
• Pierre Cardin
• Ports Eyewear
• Rag & Bone
• Rebecca Minkoff
• Tommy Hilfiger
• Tommy Jeans
• Under Armour

References

References

1. "Financial Highlights".
2. (July 2025). "Official Press Release".
3. "Safilo Annual Report 2023".
4. "Production Sites". Safilo.
5. "Safilo Confirms the Sale of the Martignacco Production Site".
6. "STA: Počivalšek visits Safilo as Ormož plant is slated for closure".
7. "Safilo and the Slovenian Trade Unions and Work Council Reach Agreement Regarding the Closure of the Production Site in Ormoz".
8. "Finalized the Transfer of the Longarone Plant".
9. WW, FashionNetwork com. (6 June 2023). "LVMH-owned Thélios reportedly interested in buying Safilo's Italian factory".
10. Chevalier, Michel. (2012). "Luxury Brand Management". John Wiley & Sons.
11. McCauley, Sean. (2023-03-13). "Shop Sunglasses & Glasses".
12. (23 March 2009). "Safilo at 75". WWD.
13. Tagliabue, John. (2006-03-24). "An Italian Rivalry Born of Expertise in Glass". The New York Times.
14. (14 November 2008). "Safilo e Gucci continuano a guardare nella stessa direzione".
15. Dimama, Elena. (2020-10-26). "Safilo introduces sunglasses made with ocean waste plastic".
16. "Official Museum website".
17. (24 January 2024). "Levi's renouvelle sa collaboration avec Safilo jusqu'en 2029".
18. (18 January 2024). "Safilo et Levi Strauss prolongent leur accord de licence jusqu'à fin 2029".
19. (18 January 2024). "Safilo et Levi Strauss prolongent leur accord de licence jusqu'à fin 2029".
20. Turra, Alessandra. (18 December 2013). "Safilo Group Names Global Commercial Director". WWD.
21. (9 July 2025). "A Safilo l'eyewear di Victoria Beckham. Debutto nel 2026". milanofinanza.it.