PARIS and Longarone, Italy—Givenchy and Thélios, the expert eyewear manufacturer of the LVMH Group, have announced  their strategic partnership for the exclusive design, development, manufacturing, and global distribution of Givenchy Eyewear starting on Jan. 1, 2022. Building on Givenchy’s unique brand identity and Thélios’ savoir-faire in luxury eyewear, the announcement said, this long-term partnership will expand the Givenchy Maison’s eyewear category. Working hand in hand with Givenchy's  Matthew M. Williams, Givenchy's creative director, Thélios will bring forth the designer's ambitious vision for the Maison through innovative product developments, it added.

Renaud de Lesquen, CEO of Givenchy said, “We are delighted to partner with Thélios, a company that is setting new standards in the eyewear industry with Italian craftsmanship and selective distribution. We believe that, together, we can develop exciting and exceptional eyewear that will take Givenchy to a new level in this product category.”

Sara Osculati, chief brand and product officer of Thélios, stated, “Givenchy is the quintessence of contemporary Parisian elegance. We are proud to welcome Givenchy and Matthew M. Williams to our family of LVMH Maisons and look forward to achieving great things together.”

Osculati also told VMAIL, "Givenchy has an iconic history and it is a Maison also very well known in America. And it is very unusual for the house to have an American designer, someone who started as a stylist and It's a very interesting brand with the Parisien origins and for the innovation and strength that Matthew Williams has been injecting in the brand today. You may have seen the creation that Kendall Jenner just wore last week to the Met Gala in New York. There is much buzz around Matthew Williams and what it reflects around the modernity and innovation that he is bringing to such an historical house.
 
"He really injected a new creative direction into the Givenchy leather goods and clothing and of course for the new eyewear collections to have them reflect the new spirit of the Maison. In addition to the four 'Gs'  emblem of Givenchy, which he has been exploring, we are working on adding the right balance of iconic shapes with distinct collections interpreted for men and for women, for both sun and for optical."

Starting with the release of the Spring 2022 collection on Jan. 1, 2022, Givenchy Eyewear will be distributed in Givenchy boutiques, on givenchy.com, and across the highly selective Thélios network of retailers and opticians worldwide.

This week, Thélios will be showcasing all of its collections in a special venue in Paris to preview the collection and all brands. The Givenchy will also be previewed to select accounts by Thélios at Vision Expo West, Osculati noted.

Hubert de Givenchy founded his namesake fashion house specializing in haute couture and ready-to-wear in 1952 and Givenchy immediately earned a reputation for breaking with the fashion codes of its time. Today, Givenchy remains synonymous with the dual notions of fresh modernity and aristocratic elegance, a tribute to the talents of Monsieur Givenchy’s successors, in chronological order: John Galliano, Alexander McQueen, Julien MacDonald, Riccardo Tisci and, most recently, Clare Waight Keller. In June 2020, the iconic House opened a fresh chapter in its history by appointing designer Williams as creative director for women’s and men’s collections.

Thélios is the eyewear manufacturer and developer of LVMH Group, a world luxury leader. Thélios designs, produces and distributes sunglasses and optical frames for some of its most prestigious Maisons: Dior, Fendi, Celine, Givenchy, Loewe, Stella McCartney, Kenzo, Fred, Berluti and Rimowa. With its Manifattura, located in Longarone, Italy, Thélios blends the distinct identity of each Maison with Italian craftsmanship to create exceptional luxury eyewear, offering the highest level of quality and excellence both in its products and service.