PARIS and LONGARONE, Italy—Thélios, the LVMH eyewear expert, and Vogue Business have announced an exclusive series of industry talks on luxury eyewear. The series of in-person events, titled Vogue Business x Thélios Talks: Framing the Future of Luxury Eyewear, will explore the opportunities, trends and dynamics of the luxury eyewear category. The international series of talks will be hosted throughout the year, starting with New York City on March 16, before venturing to Rome in May and Paris in September.

The talks will be held in the context of the Thélios Conventions, the company’s exclusive collection presentation and sales events organized for its top clientele across the globe.

At Vogue Business x Thélios Talks: Framing the future of luxury eyewear, eyewear enthusiasts, opticians and retailers will discover the importance of luxury brand positioning, how to tell the story of a brand and the value of introducing VIP services into their own businesses. The talks will also explore how to bring elements of luxury fashion merchandising to life in the eyewear environment, as well as how to leverage key moments in the fashion calendar to support in-store sales.

Each event will feature a panel discussion which will be led by Vogue Business editors and specialists and feature senior leaders across Thélios and LVMH Maisons, as well as luxury commentators. Speakers will discuss how luxury standards are defined, how they take cues from luxury fashion and apply them to eyewear, and the development of collection stories from inspiration to design and curation.
 
Guests will be invited from Thélios’ top clients to engage with on-the-pulse insights, ask questions, and enjoy an evening of cocktails and entertainment while networking with industry peers.

Alessandro Zanardo, CEO of Thélios stated, “We are pleased to engage in this conversation on luxury eyewear with Vogue Business. Our company mission is to elevate the experience of eyewear to luxury standards, to the benefit of our Maisons, our clients and the final consumer.

"Since the beginning of Thélios we have dedicated ourselves to raising the bar in the industry, creating exquisite 'Made in Italy' eyewear hand-in-hand with the Maisons, curating a highly selective network of retailers and developing impactful in-store concepts. With this series we aim to invite our partners to learn more about our vision and inspire them to apply these luxury best practices in their own businesses.”

Vogue Business head of Advisory Anusha Couttigane added, “Whether it’s prescription glasses or designer sunglasses, eyewear is something you put on your face every single day. As an eyewear enthusiast myself, how I frame my face is integral to the personal styling choices I make when I head out into the world. For too long we’ve neglected to apply the principles of luxury to the eyewear world.

"It’s about service, storytelling and providing the same sense of elevated experience that you would receive as a shopper stepping into a luxury atelier. We are thrilled to be partnering with Thélios on this series of exclusive industry talks, especially at such a critical time for the global luxury market.”

The series will include:

Session 1: New York, March 16, 2023
Visual perception: bringing luxury brand experiences to life

Session 2: Rome, May 2023
Envisioning luxury standards in eyewear: The power of luxury to elevate eyewear to a new level

Session 3: Paris, September 2023
Crafting a vision: Bringing a collection to life

The New York session will be held at 6:00 p.m. EST at Spring Studios in Manhattan. Speakers will include Valerie Leon, Givenchy, president of the Americas, Sara Osculati, Thélios' chief brand and product officer, and Maghan McDowell, Vogue Business senior innovation editor.

A part of the LVMH Group, Thélios designs, produces and distributes sunglasses and optical frames for some of its most prestigious Maisons: Dior, Fendi, Celine, Givenchy, Loewe, Stella McCartney, Kenzo, Berluti and Fred. With its Manifattura, located in Longarone, Italy, Thélios blends the distinct identity of each Maison with Italian craftsmanship to create exceptional luxury eyewear, the company said. 

Founded in 2019, Vogue Business is the first exclusively B2B digital title headquartered at Condé Nast in London. A sister publication to Vogue, it provides  insights, analysis, reporting and data on the fashion luxury industry for professionals.