Design Eyewear Group acquires six French brands

Design Eyewear Group, a Danish company that designs, develops and markets a range of eyewear brands worldwide, has acquired six eyewear brands from French company KNCO, as it looks to build an “even more diverse portfolio that reflects the needs of today’s eyewear customers”.

In a statement, the Design Eyewear Group said the acquisition includes two proprietary adult brands, Francois Pinton and Karavan and two proprietary children’s brands, Karavan Kids and Kaliboo, alongside licensed children’s brands Jacadi and Catimini.

The acquisition is part of Design Eyewear Group’s strategy to strengthen its foothold in France, one of Europe’s most important eyewear markets, while also marking its first steps into children’s eyewear, a new product category that the company expects to expand to other key markets.

Lars Flyvholm, chief executive of Design Eyewear Group, said: “This is another important step in our journey. Following our June acquisition of Menrad and the licensing agreements with Jaguar, Joop!, Bogner, and Morgan, this new addition gives us an even broader foundation for growth.

“We are expanding not just geographically but also into new segments, such as children’s eyewear, where we see strong potential. The KNCO brands fit naturally into our portfolio, complementing our existing strengths in design, craftsmanship, and international distribution.”

Along with this acquisition, approximately 15 KNCO employees will join Design Eyewear Group. This includes four experienced designers and product managers who will continue to develop the brands, as well as sales representatives and the customer service team, who already have in-depth knowledge of the customers and product portfolio.