Marchon Eyewear purchased Dragon Alliance four years after the goggle and eyewear brand split off from Italian optical giant Luxottica. Terms were not disclosed.
Will Howard, founder and CEO of Dragon said, “This is a very significant day for Dragon. We are very excited about becoming part of the Marchon family. Since our founding in my garage in Capo Beach, California in 1993, Dragon set out to be the leading independent eyewear and accessories brand in the active youth lifestyle market. We do this by supporting the best athletes with the best product, and remaining very connected to our core retailers and consumers. This is the driving force behind the company’s success. With the support of Marchon and VSP, we will become an even stronger company, while remaining true to our heritage.”
Fuelling Dragon’s recent growth have been innovative, diversified products in all eyewear categories. There is an emphasis on creating high-quality functional products that appeal to the youth market and push outside the boundaries of the status quo. This includes the recent groundbreaking launch of the frameless Advanced Projects Infinity snow goggle. Dragon eyewear is currently distributed in 40 countries.
“This new partnership with a young, dynamic team at Dragon will significantly increase Marchon’s presence in the action sports market. Dragon is a first class company in this category,” said Claudio Gottardi, Marchon president and CEO. “ragon’s emphasis on quality products and innovative design completely aligns with Marchon’s. We look forward to further extending the reach of Dragon and leveraging its design and technology leadership.”
The Dragon team will continue to be based in Carlsbad, California. Will Howard will remain as CEO, leading Dragon’s growth and the team into the future. Dragon will continue to be a free-thinking, alternative brand that appeals to the core participants of action sports and youth lifestyle markets.
Marchon Eyewear, Inc. is one of the world's largest manufacturers and distributors of quality eyewear and sunwear. The company markets its products under such brand names as Calvin Klein Collection, ck Calvin Klein, Calvin Klein Jeans, Diane von Furstenberg, Emilio Pucci, Fendi, Flexon, Jil Sander, Karl Lagerfeld, Lacoste, Michael Kors, Nautica, Nike, Nine West, Salvatore Ferragamo, Sean John, and Valentino. Headquartered in New York, with regional offices in Amsterdam, Hong Kong, Tokyo and Venice, Marchon distributes its products through numerous local sales offices serving over 80,000 accounts in more than 100 countries.
