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NEW YORK—Thelios, the LVMH Group's eyewear specialist, is opening its U.S. subsidiary with a view to securing growth in this high-potential market. To consolidate its presence on American soil, Thelios is opening a New York showroom to showcase eyewear from the LVMH Maisons that have joined its portfolio: Celine, Loewe, Kenzo, Fred and Berluti. This new structure is designed to better serve the local distribution network, the company said. The New York office will be home to a team dedicated to marketing, sales management and communication, while a forthcoming office in New Jersey will encompass the operational and logistics center as well as a customer service department for American customers.

Prior to this, Thelios drew on local infrastructure belonging to Marcolin USA, the eyewear industry's third biggest player and its minority shareholder. This shift toward independence illustrates the Group's plans to build long-term foundations in the U.S. and to establish lasting infrastructure to meet its ambitious goals of becoming the world leader in luxury eyewear, according to the announcement.

Enrico Sanavia is head of Americas for Thelios and is overseeing NYC and soon the New Jersey office, a spokesperson told VMAIL.

Thelios was born, the company stated, "from the will of the LVMH Group, world leader in luxury, to penetrate the eyewear sector and the expertise of Marcolin Group in the creation of unique frames that can faithfully combine Italian design and craftsmanship with the core values of each Maison." The name is a synthesis of the names of the Greek gods Theia, goddess of light and sight, and Helios, god of the sun, Thelios covers the entire eyewear production cycle, dealing with the design, production and worldwide distribution of sunglasses and optical frames for the represented Maisons within the LVMH portfolio. The company initiated its manufacturing facility for Thelios in April 2018, as VMAIL previously reported.