An Italian in America
According to Claudio Gottardi, the technical frame segment will be one of the main drivers in the future.
How is the eyewear market doing in the USA?The eyewear industry continues to grow because emerging economies are constantly feeding the world demand for fashion eyewear, which is good value for money for various markets and lifestyles.What kind of product are consumers looking for?Luxury eyewear with technological content that is suitable for sports and combines excellent quality with the right price.What do fashion designers think about eyewear?It is rare to find a successful fashion brand that does not want to expand its product offer with an eyewear license. The objective of the majority of designers and fashion houses is to offer a collection that is complete and integrated “from top to toe”.What is your approach to fashion brands?We have always had a strategic approach to the management of the various opportunities of partnerships with prestigious fashion brands by selecting those that can bring added value to Marchon’s existing portfolio. We look at very distinctive brands with a strong global or regional appeal. From this aspect, the license agreement with Marni is the latest addition to our portfolio.Marchon is part of VSP Global®, a not-for-profit organization that does not distribute dividends to its shareholders but rather reinvests them to support the growth of the company. What are the advantages of this business model?As a not-for-profit organization, its strategy is not oriented toward satisfying shareholders’ expectations, but to giving the company sufficient autonomy for managing its time and money in the eye care sector and in innovative projects, such as “Google Glass” and the “Genesis Project”.Additionally, the not-for-profit mission enables investment in programs for providing ophthalmic care and eyeglasses frames for people in difficult situations. We recently launched “We See”, a project for children’s eye health, and built an ophthalmology clinic in Soweto, South Africa. To date, the company has funded numerous initiatives aimed at eyesight care and offered over 173 million dollars worth of free frames.Are there still unexplored territories for eyewear licenses?We are always looking for new opportunities to better serve the global market. In terms of eyewear trends, we believe that the frame technology segment will be one of the main drivers in the future.
How is the eyewear market doing in the USA?The eyewear industry continues to grow because emerging economies are constantly feeding the world demand for fashion eyewear, which is good value for money for various markets and lifestyles.What kind of product are consumers looking for?Luxury eyewear with technological content that is suitable for sports and combines excellent quality with the right price.What do fashion designers think about eyewear?It is rare to find a successful fashion brand that does not want to expand its product offer with an eyewear license. The objective of the majority of designers and fashion houses is to offer a collection that is complete and integrated “from top to toe”.What is your approach to fashion brands?We have always had a strategic approach to the management of the various opportunities of partnerships with prestigious fashion brands by selecting those that can bring added value to Marchon’s existing portfolio. We look at very distinctive brands with a strong global or regional appeal. From this aspect, the license agreement with Marni is the latest addition to our portfolio.Marchon is part of VSP Global®, a not-for-profit organization that does not distribute dividends to its shareholders but rather reinvests them to support the growth of the company. What are the advantages of this business model?As a not-for-profit organization, its strategy is not oriented toward satisfying shareholders’ expectations, but to giving the company sufficient autonomy for managing its time and money in the eye care sector and in innovative projects, such as “Google Glass” and the “Genesis Project”.Additionally, the not-for-profit mission enables investment in programs for providing ophthalmic care and eyeglasses frames for people in difficult situations. We recently launched “We See”, a project for children’s eye health, and built an ophthalmology clinic in Soweto, South Africa. To date, the company has funded numerous initiatives aimed at eyesight care and offered over 173 million dollars worth of free frames.Are there still unexplored territories for eyewear licenses?We are always looking for new opportunities to better serve the global market. In terms of eyewear trends, we believe that the frame technology segment will be one of the main drivers in the future.
