In this week’s luxury briefing, a look at how the luxury eyewear space is heating up. Also, how gold and silver prices are affecting a newly launched brand, Whatnot’s funding round, Moncler earnings, executive moves, and the latest Glossy Podcast. For tips or comments, you can email me at zofia@glossy.co.
As luxury houses double down on accessories to offset slowing ready-to-wear growth, the eyewear category is becoming a key battleground for profitability. Once defined by logos and licensing, luxury eyewear is now being reshaped by craftsmanship, comfort and connection, values increasingly resonating with high-end consumers. According to Bain & Co., eyewear makes up about 7% of total luxury accessories revenue, and its steady expansion, up 6% in 2024 to reach $164 billion globally, per market research company Euromonitor, has made it a strategic growth driver. Asia-Pacific remains the fastest-growing region, up 8% year over year, as affluent consumers invest in eyewear for both identity and status.
At Kering, eyewear has been one of the group’s few bright spots in a softer luxury market. In its third-quarter 2025 earnings on October 23, the company reported €448 million ($483 million) in eyewear revenue, up 7% year over year and growing across all key regions. The growth helped offset a 5% comparable revenue decline across the wider group, which reported total revenue of €3.4 billion ($3.7 billion) for the quarter. “Kering Eyewear is a core strategy of ours and instrumental in the development of the group,” said Jean-Marc Duplaix, Kering’s COO, on the earnings call. Recent acquisitions of lens maker Lenti and eyewear manufacturers Visard and Mistral, and a new Valentino eyewear partnership launching in spring 2026, show a long-term focus on the category.
EssilorLuxottica, Kering and LVMH now dominate the luxury eyewear market through different ownership models. EssilorLuxottica operates a traditional licensing system, manufacturing for Prada, Chanel and Versace, while Kering and LVMH have pivoted to full in-house production through Kering Eyewear and Thélios, respectively. These shifts ensure both creative and financial control.
LVMH’s Thélios, established in 2017 in Longarone, Italy, produces eyewear for Dior, Fendi and Loewe. Its 2023 acquisition of Barton Perreira represented a different kind of investment, taking on a fully realized brand with independent retail, loyal customers and Japanese production, giving LVMH a foothold in the growing quiet-luxury eyewear segment.
After the acquisition, Barton Perreira co-founder Bill Barton exited in December 2024. CEO Cedric Moreau, creative director Patty Perreira and vp of sales and marketing Tricia Valbuena are now leading the brand.
“The synergy between Barton Perreira and Thélios allows us to have a more global vision and distribution strategy,” said Moreau. “Our focus now is bringing Europe and APAC to the level of America, in terms of business and brand awareness.”
Even with LVMH’s backing, Barton Perreira remains independent. “We really are operating independently so far, and as far as I know, none of that is going to change,” said Perreira. “We’re continuing to manufacture in Japan. That already separates us, because [LVMH] products are made in Europe, primarily. And, as far as design, I’m still designing and creating the brand.”
Barton Perreira eyewear is handmade using lightweight titanium and custom Japanese acetate, polished for up to two weeks and balanced to eliminate pressure points, according to the brand. “When a customer tries a Barton Perreira frame, the first thing they say is, ‘Oh my God, this is so comfortable,’” said Moreau. “The product is the experience. The quality permits us to have followers and clients who come back regularly because they have a very good return on investment on their eyewear.”
“We’re not trendy,” said Perreira. “We’re classic, in a sense, but a lot of people buy multiple pairs because they’re confident they’re going to last longer than a season. You may even pass it down like you would an Hermès bag.” Perreira and Moreau said word of mouth is the main way customers discover the brand.
Barton Perreira retail for $550-$850, with limited editions surpassing $1,200, on par with Dior and Fendi and above Gucci’s entry optical range.
The brand was worn by Daniel Craig in the James Bond film “No Time to Die,” which drove visibility.
“Stylists and celebrities end up discovering Barton Perreira through our stores,” Valbuena said. “Bradley Cooper’s stylist came into our Meatpacking store and pulled a frame. Jenna Ortega just did a Vogue feature on what’s in her bag, and she said she loves her Barton Perreiras and wears them every day. So that opens the brand to a new household of consumers.” In addition, Anne Hathaway will reportedly wear the brand’s frames in the second “Devil Wears Prada” film. And, according to the brand executives, longtime fans include Mariah Carey, Natalie Portman, actor Taika Waititi and model Alessandra Ambrosio.
“It’s not paid advertising,” Moreau said. “They decided to wear it. When we see those pictures, we are very excited, because it means they truly enjoy the product. It wasn’t a business transaction.”
Moreau said he has spent the past year refining operations to align with Thélios’s global standards while maintaining artisanal control. “We invested in HR to have somebody work on site in Japan,” he said. “It permits us to better follow up on quality and production. We also restructured our internal processes to be more proactive and produce ahead of time, because to maintain our Japanese craftsmanship and quality, we cannot shorten our production lead time.”
Japan’s small-batch manufacturing model makes efficiency difficult, and rising import tariffs have further strained costs. As of late 2025, U.S. tariffs on Japanese eyewear imports stand at approximately 10-15%. “It was a little bit of a roller coaster, because as we’re all aware, tariffs are changing from one week to another,” said Moreau. “Like most of our friends and competitors, we had to generate a minor price increase in America to compensate for part of this situation. Of course, nobody’s happy to increase prices, but our clients understood it was due to circumstances out of our control.”
Barton Perreira’s 2026–2027 roadmap focuses on responsible scaling. “We reorganized the collection with Patty [Perreira], because sometimes, when you have too many SKUs, it becomes too complicated,” Moreau. said.
Next year’s focus will also include market-specific collections. “Since we’re trying to focus more on APAC as a market, I’m developing a capsule collection specific to the design aesthetic and fit for that region,” said Perreira. “One of my challenges for 2026 and 2027 is growing an alternative fit collection so we can be more proactive and relevant in those markets.” The brand’s “alternative fit” range, adjusted for different nose bridges and facial structures, is central to this strategy, reflecting Asia’s growing share of global luxury eyewear sales.
Across Asia, competition in the premium eyewear category is accelerating. According to market research company Statista, Asia-Pacific now accounts for more than 40% of global eyewear growth, led by China, Japan and South Korea. Gentle Monster, founded in Seoul in 2011, is one of the most visible, using gallery-style flagships and collaborations with the likes of K-pop star Jennie, formerly of Blackpink, to turn its stores into cultural destinations. Frames retail for $250-$500, appealing to younger consumers driven by design and experience. In Japan, meanwhile, the eyewear brand Four Nines (999.9) emphasizes engineering and comfort through patented hinges — styles are priced from $400-$900. Singapore’s O+ Eyewear offers bespoke, handcrafted fits starting around $600, while China’s Bolon competes at $150–$300 through mass distribution and celebrity marketing. These brands highlight how APAC labels are challenging European dominance by combining cultural cachet with comfort and design-led identities.
Barton Perreira is taking a quiet, deliberate path, building boutiques in New York and Aspen. “Our clientele are eyewear connoisseurs,” said Moreau. “They are free thinkers, but not followers.”
Gold and silver prices are still affecting jewelry brands
Lobeta, a newly launched New York-based demi-fine jewelry brand founded by Nick Rogers and Daisy Pyo, offers silver pieces priced from $89 to $299. Launched just weeks ago, the brand has been navigating the dual challenges of tariffs on Korean imports and volatile precious metal costs, which have fluctuated rapidly over the last year.
“Prices have already increased almost 30% since we placed our first purchase order in April,” said Pyo. Rogers added that tariffs “hit us, unfortunately,” and for now, “we’re eating that margin” to protect customers. Still, Lobeta’s accessible positioning has resonated. “We 3x’d our monthly goal on launch day,” Rogers said.
Earnings
Reported on October 28, Moncler Group’s nine-month revenues were flat at €1.84 billion (~$1.96 billion), with Q3 down 1%. The Moncler brand was also down 1%, while Stone Island stayed flat overall, supported by +11% DTC growth offsetting weaker wholesale. Elena Mariani, director of strategic planning and investor relations, said Moncler’s new AI-powered website, built with Google, transforms moncler.com into “a true brand destination.” Luciano Santel, chief corporate and supply officer, said Grenoble is “not luxury-only anymore,” pointing to its growing technical credibility, and noted that Stone Island’s DTC growth shows the “collection clearly resonates with customers.”
Funding rounds
- Live shopping platform Whatnot raised $225 million in a Series F round led by investment firm DST Global and Alphabet’s growth fund CapitalG, valuing the fast-growing startup at $11.5 billion. The platform, known for its focus on collectibles, sneakers and streetwear, has begun expanding into luxury resale and designer fashion categories as it scales internationally and adds new features.
Executive moves
- Saks Global has restructured its leadership to streamline operations and strengthen brand and vendor relations, with CEO Marc Metrick taking a more hands-on role in brand partnerships. As part of the shakeup, president and chief commercial officer Emily Essner, chief transformation officer Bill Bine and chief operating officer Rob Brooks have exited the company, while Kim Miller becomes chief customer officer and Paolo Riva will now report directly to Metrick.
- Chanel Inc. has appointed Katie Welch as head of U.S. brand and company communications, a newly created role effective January 5. Reporting to U.S. president Stephane Blanchard, Welch will oversee divisional brand communications and join Chanel Inc.’s U.S. Management Committee, following her previous role as global CMO of Rare Beauty.
- Frame has appointed Silvia Merati, former CEO of Americas at Golden Goose, as its new CEO. She succeeds Nicholas Dreyfus, who becomes executive chairman, and will focus on driving the brand’s international and retail growth.
- Gabriele Maggio has exited his role as CEO of Elisabetta Franchi’s parent company, Betty Blue SpA. This followed Marco Bizzarri’s July divestiture and September resignation as chairman.
- Gucci has appointed Dario Gargiulo, currently CEO of Bottega Veneta in Greater China, as its new chief client, marketing and commercial officer, effective November 15. He will be reporting to CEO Francesca Bellettini, who is streamlining top management and reinforcing a client-centric strategy as the brand prepares for a turnaround under creative director Demna.
News to know
- Diane von Furstenberg has launched DVF Vintage, a curated collection of archival and pre-loved pieces from the 1970s to the mid-2000s, available online and through a Meatpacking District pop-up until November 30. The initiative includes a buyback program that offers customers store credit for consigning DVF items.
- Art Basel Paris 2025 drew 73,000 visitors and featured 206 international galleries at the Grand Palais. Highlights included Jacquemus’s sculptural Mythes exhibition, Pharrell Williams’s conceptual Joopiter projects, K-Way’s immersive 60th-anniversary installation, Miu Miu’s avant-garde 30 Blizzards performance and Icicle’s debut Paris showcase of Beijing artist Cai Lei.
Listen in
In the latest episode of the Glossy Fashion Podcast, senior fashion reporter Danny Parisi and international reporter Zofia Zwieglinska discuss Grace Wales Bonner’s appointment as Hermès’s new menswear creative director, making her the first Black woman to lead a major European luxury brand. The episode also covers Dsquared2’s layoffs and restructuring amid its legal dispute with Staff International and Saks Fifth Avenue’s continued post-merger struggles with Neiman Marcus. Later, Zofia joins editor-in-chief Jill Manoff and research director Li Lu to unpack insights from Glossy’s 2025 Holiday Research Report, which reveals muted expectations for the season: 56% of marketers anticipate less than 10% revenue growth, and 27% expect no change at all. The team also explores how tariffs, price hikes, discounting strategies, and the performance of marketplaces like Amazon and legacy retailers like Macy’s are shaping this year’s cautious holiday outlook. Listen here.
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