The eyewear world mourns the passing of Cav. Del Vecchio. ANFAO and MIDO: 'we lose a leader, a visionary and a pioneer'.

Cav. Leonardo Del Vecchio, founder of Luxottica, a symbolic figure of Italian entrepreneurship and one of the leading exponents of the eyewear sector in Italy and around the world, died today at the age of 87.

Over the years, Cav. Del Vecchio contributed to the growth of ANFAO, of which he was President for three terms (from '75 to '77, from '79 to '81 and from '95 to '97). He was among the first to believe in the potential of the MIDO event, with participation since the first edition of the eyewear show in 1970.

“With the disappearance of Cav. Del Vecchio the world of eyewear loses the man who was the first to understand the potential of an object that, from a medical tool, has been transformed into an indispensable fashion accessory: a Copernican revolution in the sector - commented the President of ANFAO / MIDO Giovanni Vitaloni on behalf of the entire Board of Directors. He was a visionary, the first in Italy in the business world to recognize a great commercial outlet in the American market, seizing expansion opportunities first directly through his company, then with important acquisitions. It is precisely the acquisitions and mergers that have built the policy that has lead the company to expand its  field of action from production to distribution on a global scale.

He was a pioneer in Italy on corporate welfare issues, which he was able to innovate by paving the way for a system of participatory industrial relations, attentive to the needs of its employees.

The resourcefulness and the ability to anticipate the times have been a constant in his career, an attitude that has not been lacking even in recent years, when the company has opened up to new technologies by launching smart glasses, in collaboration with Meta.

Our country has lost a guide, an entrepreneur and an extraordinary man: like all pioneers, his model will remain unmatched in terms of consistency, solidity and depth ".