ITALY. It is with deep sadness that we report the death of Leonardo Del Vecchio (87), Chairman of EssilorLuxottica and the Founder of Luxottica Group.
Del Vecchio founded Luxottica in 1961 in Agordo, a town in the Belluno Dolomites. In the early years, Luxottica Group manufactured components and accessories for the optical industry.
It was Del Vecchio’s mission to create finished eyeglasses worthy of the Luxottica trademark. In 1971, he presented the first Luxottica eyewear range at the MIDO International Optics Exhibition in Milan.
In 1988, Del Vecchio and Luxottica Group signed an agreement with Giorgio Armani, signalling the beginning of its powerful licensing portfolio. Over the years, Del Vecchio grew Luxottica to become one of the biggest manufacturers, designers and distributors of luxury sunglasses and optical frames in the world.
In 2018, Del Vecchio led the merger of Luxottica Group and Essilor International, creating EssilorLuxottica, one of the world’s most powerful eyewear groups. Its portfolio includes Ray-Ban, Oakley, Sunglass Hut, LensCrafters, Michael Kors, Coach, Tory Burch, Tiffany & Co., Polo Ralph Lauren, Oliver Peoples and Paul Smith among others.
In a statement, the company said: “EssilorLuxottica sadly announces today that its Chairman Leonardo Del Vecchio has passed away. The Company expresses its deepest condolences to the family and to the global employee community for this enormous loss. The Board will meet to determine next steps.”
