Marcolin

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.

Marcolin's proprietary and licensed brands include:^[12][13][14]