For years, the eyewear industry has been dominated by a handful of giants like EssilorLuxottica and Marcolin. These conglomerates have built their empires on scale, wide-reaching distribution, and consistent branding. However, a subtle yet groundbreaking shift is underway. As style sensibilities evolve—particularly with the rise of the "quiet luxury" movement—forward-thinking fashion labels are looking beyond corporate scale and toward independent eyewear creators who bring something far richer to the table: craftsmanship, authenticity, and imaginative design.
A Turning Point for the Industry
Industry murmurs suggest that Marcolin might be preparing for a sale later this year or early next. This signals more than just corporate restructuring—it heralds a shift in how fashion brands perceive eyewear production.
Fashion Houses Embrace Independent Design
Several luxury houses are already making waves with independent eyewear collaborations:
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The Row has teamed up with Japanese cult brand Eyevan, aligning with its minimalist ethos and artisanal finesse.
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Giorgio Armani has launched an exclusive line with sculptural innovator Yuichi Toyama, signaling a turn toward avant-garde eyewear design.
These collaborations suggest that prestige today rests less on sheer production power and more on the creative integrity of the partnership.Akoni: The Hybrid Model Taking Shape
One standout example of industry evolution is Akoni Group. Though backed by serious capital through Alsara Investment Group (affiliated with Balmain and Valentino), Akoni operates with the agility and creative spirit of an independent studio. Its acquisition of Götti—a minimalist Swiss eyewear brand rooted in quiet luxury—demonstrates its strategic commitment to marrying artistic vision with fashion-forward branding.
Quiet Luxury: The New Fashion Frontier
Brand investments and market activity show that the era of flashy logos and hype is waning. Quiet luxury, marked by subtlety, quality, and thoughtful design, is increasingly capturing the spotlight. Former streetwear moguls are shifting their attention to brands that cater to mature, style-savvy audiences seeking timeless elegance.
Consumers Demand Storytelling
SSENSE, once a dominant force in youth-focused e-commerce, recently filed for creditor protection. This highlights a broader reality: today’s consumers, especially the discerning luxury cohort, value narrative, craftsmanship, and scarcity over flashy branding or celebrity endorsements.
What Lies Ahead?
Fashion’s top houses have two clear paths to stay relevant in the eyewear space:
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Build internal design and production teams—creating eyewear in-house with a luxury-focused creative core (as seen in Akoni’s approach).
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Partner with independent eyewear artisans—leveraging their design prowess, exclusivity, and craftsmanship.
Both routes underscore one truth: the modern luxury eyewear customer wants more than a name etched on the temple—they seek a story, an experience, and a product that resonates with quality on every level.
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If you have shopped for eyewear in Auckland, you have no doubt visited the renowned Sunglass Bar on Vulcan Lane. Owned and operated by Sherry Bell since 1996, it’s a destination for premium luxury sunglasses. Bell is the eyewear expert; from the shape, fit and style, she’s earned a reputation for choosing the perfect eyewear for you before you knew it existed.
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New brand - Akoni Eyewear
New to Sunglass Bar, from the makers of Balmain, Akoni Eyewear.
“Akoni rests on the twin pillars of intelligent design and honest luxury,” notes Akoni Group CEO and Co-founder Rosario Toscano. “Our goal is to accelerate the evolution of eyewear, by melding together the best in finesse and innovation. In every area—design, materials, finishes and functionality—we will always be the one pushing the envelope, to deliver the type of quality and design that
our customers are searching for.”
Reflecting the brand’s dedication to time-honoured techniques and craftsmanship, Akoni is lucky to work with some of Japan’s finest
artisans to create every frame. The unmatched standard of their work serves as a manifestation of the Akoni Shokunin philosophy - which could be best summed up as a complete devotion to craft, with attention paid to each fine detail, helping to elevate the final product from great to stellar. In addition, as Akoni embraces the social obligation that is a key part of the Shokunin philosophy, the brand is committed to working to better the community.
Akoni’s Green Harmony forms a key part of that commitment. Determined to lighten its environmental footprint at each step in the creation of every frame, the eyewear brand opts for earth-friendly materials and procedures whenever possible. Additionally, Akoni believes that long-lasting, timeless design is the truest form of sustainability. In this era of deceptively low-priced, quickly discarded fast fashion, truly superior creations possesses their own distinct form of sustainability—since very few of us will ever freely discard a beautiful object that continues to improve our lives. That’s why Akoni Eyewear believes that perhaps the greenest strategy possible for all of us is to continually insist on timeless designs, intended to last a lifetime.
Underling the brand’s timelessness, many of its frames riff on the type of remarkable additional touches that set apart luxury watches and the world’s finest writing instruments—for, just as those symbols of individual achievement are destined to become enduring heirlooms, Akoni’s resilient frames are designed for a lifetime of use. Beginning with the finest materials—including a uniquely lightweight and hypoallergenic ceramic used for nose pads as well as two key ingredients from Japan, Japanese Cellulose Acetate (Zyl) and titanium—and created with a single-minded dedication to quality and craft, at every stage Akoni makes clear its unwavering commitment to true excellence and its guiding belief in the singular importance of a well-designed frame.
“As we create each of our collections, we are constantly aware of the exceptional importance that eyewear can play in each of our lives,” explains Salma Rachid, Akoni’s Artistic Director and Co-founder. ”The age-old saying about ‘eyes being the reflection of the soul’ holds a lot of truth—which means that we are actually fashioning a frame for that soul. Knowing that we have taken on such an
incredible responsibility is what creates the obsession and love that we have for this work. We know that our Akoni Eyewear creations are not only helping others see more clearly the beauty of this world—they are also helping to make it possible for the world to witness the beauty that each of us sees inside ourselves.”
Rachid notes that brand’s distinctive focus on beauty and vision is also reflected in how each of the collections and styles are designed. “Basically, Akoni looks to the stars. Each frame is named for a key element of the cosmos—or for those intrepid visionaries who were inspired by the power of those celestial bodies. That unusual naming is our way of making it clear that we are determined to always channel that same spirit of wonder and boldness in each of our own discoveries.”
That commitment to a never-ending quest for beauty can be seen in the latest brand images from Akoni. Based on an original “macro” concept, Akoni Eyewear’s Fall 2021 ADV highlights the luxury brand’s uniquely transparent messaging, as well as its signature melding of design with technological innovation. The images and the videos shot by Robi Rodriguez, with their tight crops and sharply magnified vision, emphasise the high value that Akoni places on genuine and ingenious designs. The final result, notes Salma Rachid, is “a campaign that shows the scientific and the emotional attitudes of the journey.”
Discover the collection in store and online here.
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