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LUGANO, Switzerland—In 2020, Balmain Eyewear marked its initial licensing venture with Akoni Group, paving the way for the introduction of the Group’s own specialty eyewear line, Akoni Eyewear. Subsequently, in 2022, Akoni Group secured the license for Valentino Eyewear. The Switzerland-based Akoni Group oversees the design, production and global distribution of its eyewear products.

Akoni Group CEO Rosario Toscano, said, “The luxury eyewear market has been evolving rapidly in the last few years, with a lot of acquisitions and change of license from one company to another. One thing that hasn’t changed is the fact that the word ‘luxury’ now has been abused. I think this is a big issue, because in other specialty accessory spaces luxury has been cleaner and more streamlined.”

He added, “In eyewear, the consumer mindset today is not just to buy a logo, but they will take a deeper dive into the meaning of the product, the quality and design—and that’s the reason why the Akoni Group has been growing extensively in the last few years. We’re very appealing to optical stores and boutiques because we create a product that is truly luxury, from its inception on the design to the manufacturing and the quality of the materials. A luxury is a combination of quality and exclusivity.”