Industry Reacts to Leonardo Del Vecchio’s Death
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MILAN — Leonardo Del Vecchio broke ground in the eyewear industry, but his influence then expanded to the financial and political worlds throughout his life.
Here are some reactions to the death of the entrepreneur at 87.
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“I learned of Leonardo Del Vecchio’s passing with deep sorrow. First and foremost, I lost a friend, with whom I have shared a long and pioneering professional adventure. Together, we invented a phenomenon that did not exist before. When we first met, we immediately realized that glasses, from simple functional objects, would become indispensable fashion accessories. And so it was. We found each other at first glance, kindred in character and experience. Our generation lived through hard times that tempered it: the years of war and reconstruction. At a certain point there was nothing and we had to rebuild from scratch and this scenario offered many possibilities, which we both, each in our own way, seized. We had big dreams, and we made them come true. Of Leonardo I will always remember his direct way of communicating, his practicality, his loyalty. I will miss him very much.” — Giorgio Armani
“A genius, a visionary, an Italian who inspired many just left us. With much sorrow, we are close to [his wife] Nicoletta in this sad moment. Thank you Leonardo for teaching us a lot.” — Donatella Versace and her daughter Allegra said in a joint statement.
“Leonardo Del Vecchio was, without doubt, a visionary man and one of the most successful Italian entrepreneurs of the past decades. Through his tireless work, he strongly influenced not only the luxury sector, but the entire Italian economic landscape.” — François-Henri Pinault, chairman and CEO of Kering
“Leonardo Del Vecchio was a great entrepreneur, who knew how to build an unparalleled industrial group, making Italian ingenuity excel all over the world. He was always close to Ferrari with great passion and enthusiasm, I remember him with deep respect and admiration.” — John Elkann, chairman of Ferrari
“Today we lost a man with revolutionary vision and extraordinary humanity, capable of transforming great intuitions into successful entrepreneurial stories. Constantly in pursuit of absolute perfection, Leonardo Del Vecchio will remain a point of reference for Italian excellence all over the world.” — Moncler chairman and CEO Remo Ruffini
“With the loss of Cav. Del Vecchio, the eyewear industry loses the man who first sensed the potential of an object that would become from prescription device to fundamental fashion accessory, marking a Copernican revolution for the sector. Entrepreneurship and farsightedness marked his entire career, an attitude that he retained in the most recent years when the company opened up to new technologies introducing smart glasses in partnership with Meta. Our country has just lost a guide, an entrepreneur and an exceptional man. As for all forerunners, his model will remain unparalleled for consistency, solidity and depth.” — Giovanni Vitaloni, president of industry association Anfao
“Chairman Leonardo Del Vecchio literally created the eyewear industry. His story, characterized by strong determination, audacity, brilliant ideas and the ability to realize them no matter what, has always served as a lesson and an example to me and to all my colleagues. To me, he was the greatest Italian entrepreneur. His availability and generosity will be remembered forever.” — Roberto Vedovotto, president and CEO of Kering Eyewear
“Leonardo Del Vecchio was an extraordinary entrepreneur who succeeded in creating from scratch a company that became a symbol of Italian industry throughout the world and who worked with determination to innovate the eyewear market. Today we have lost not only a great entrepreneur, but also a great man, and for this reason I would like to express my condolences both personally and on behalf of our group to his entire family and the employees of Essilor Luxottica.” — Angelo Trocchia, CEO of Safilo Group
“I, along with everyone at VSP Vision, am deeply saddened to learn of the passing of our friend and peer, Leonardo Del Vecchio. Leonardo was an icon in the eyewear industry, incredibly well-respected by his colleagues and competitors alike. His influence and impact on our industry will be felt for decades to come. My sincerest condolences go out to his family during this difficult time.” — Michael Guyette, president and CEO, VSP Vision
“[His death] leaves not only a deep void in the sector but also in the many people who had the opportunity to share a professional and personal growth path with a man that had great leadership and that made the history of Italian entrepreneurship. His long-term vision and his determination, which contributed to make global the Italian craftsmanship in eyewear and to enhance the peculiarities of the Belluno district, will continue to be for all of us at Thelios and example and a model of excellence.” — Alessandro Zanardo, CEO of Thélios
“It is with deep sadness that we learned of the passing of Leonardo Del Vecchio. He was a visionary figure, who succeeded in making Luxottica and then Essilor-Luxottica, partner of Chanel for nearly 25 years, the largest player in the optical sector. Our thoughts are with his family, his loved ones and the employees of Essilor-Luxottica.” — Chanel, said in a statement
“We were very sorry to hear this morning’s sad news of Mr. Del Vecchio’s passing. He was an inspirational man and leader, and he leaves an incredible legacy. Our thoughts and deepest condolences are with his family and all the EssilorLuxottica teams at this difficult time.” — Jonathan Akeroyd, CEO of Burberry
“Cav. Leonardo Del Vecchio will forever be a symbol of Italian entrepreneurship. His was an extraordinary story, of an illuminated man who contributed to the affirmation of Italian eyewear in the world, without forgetting his roots. Today we bid farewell to a man who with his vision, tenacity and determination will continue to represent an example of leadership for all of us operating in the eyewear sector, and generally for the business world.” — Marcolin CEO and general manager Fabrizio Curci
“Leonardo Del Vecchio was a brilliant leader and great partner to Coach. We will miss him and are grateful that he has created a strong leadership bench at Luxottica. We believe we will see our eyewear business to continue to grow globally.” — Todd Kahn, CEO and brand president of Coach
“Leonardo Del Vecchio was a man who had a dream and a vision from the time he was a young man starting his company when he was just 25. Those values inspired a meaningful partnership between his company and ours supporting the design and quality of Ralph Lauren Eyewear for 15 years. All of us who knew him are saddened by his passing, but know that his legacy of loyalty, passion and his deep commitment to combining beauty and craftsmanship will live on.” — Ralph Lauren, executive chairman and chief creative officer of Ralph Lauren Corp.
“Leonardo Del Vecchio was a true visionary in the luxury industry. He valued friendship and partnership equally, which made him unique as a business leader. His attention to a brand’s vision to enhance its long-term stature was always at the forefront of his mind. Leonardo will be greatly missed.” — John Idol, chairman and CEO of Capri Holdings, which has licensing deals with Luxottica for Michael Kors and Versace Eyewear
“The dearth of Leonardo Del Vecchio marks a great loss for all of us. A visionary entrepreneur passed away, a man who paved the way for the internationalization of Italian eyewear becoming a source of inspiration for the entire sector. He contributed to the birth of the Italian eyewear sector establishing a global powerhouse, while keeping his heart close to Agordo, committed to support his peoples. He will be sorely missed.” — Ennio De Rigo, president of De Rigo.
With contributions from Misty White Sidell, Samantha Conti, Lisa Lockwood and Lily Templeton.
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