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Kering and Valentino owner Mayhoola may be postponing plans for Kering to fully acquire Valentino (no later than 2029 under the new terms), but the two players are committed to their partnership.
Two years after Kering announced the acquisition of a 30 per cent stake in Valentino, Kering Eyewear is adding the Valentino Eyewear license to its brand portfolio, effective from 1 January 2026. The license was previously owned by Swiss company AKN Group, which also possesses the eyewear license of other Mayhoola house Balmain.
The Valentino Eyewear Spring/Summer 2026 collection will be the first under the agreement, and will be presented during the Valentino show by creative director Alessandro Michele in Paris on 5 October.
“We are delighted to announce this strategically important partnership with Kering Eyewear” Riccardo Bellini, who was appointed CEO of Valentino in August, said in a statement on Monday. “Marrying Valentino’s matchless creativity and iconic style with Kering Eyewear’s unrivalled know-how in luxury eyewear manufacturing and distribution, we will work together to further elevate the Valentino Eyewear experience. We also wish to express our sincere gratitude to AKN Group for the collaboration and the successful development of our eyewear business over the past years.”
“As a prestigious maison de couture, Valentino stands for masterful craftsmanship, exquisite design and is a symbol of a one-of-a-kind style. We are therefore committed to developing its sunglasses and frames collections in line with its vision by leveraging Kering Eyewear’s expertise in high-end luxury eyewear and Valentino’s iconic codes, unique heritage and savoir-faire,” Roberto Vedovotto, president and CEO of Kering Eyewear, added.
Kering launched Kering Eyewear in 2014, transforming the approach to license internalisation. The vertically integrated model allowed the group to take advantage of the margins, keep the royalties in-house, control the design, manufacturing and distribution, and preserve consistency across brands. In addition to its own brands like Gucci, Saint Laurent, Bottega Veneta and Boucheron, Kering Eyewear also produces eyewear for Richemont-owned houses Cartier, Chloé and Alaïa. (The Swiss conglomerate has a 30 per cent stake in Kering Eyewear.) Kering Eyewear has proved resilient in the luxury downturn: revenue in the first half of 2025 reached €921 million, up 2 per cent on a comparable basis.
Similar to the Kering Eyewear model, the group launched Kering Beauté in 2023. Could one day Kering Beauté get the Valentino Beauty license? L’Oréal and Valentino signed a “long-term license agreement” in 2019 resulting in bestselling fragrances like Born in Roma.
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Kering and Mayhoola postpone Valentino deal