Dragon Sold To Fashion Eyewear Giant

by The Editors on May 1, 2012

Dragon LogoMarchone Eyewear, Inc. (manufacturers nearly every fashion eyewear brand you can think of: Calvin Klein, Diane Von Furstenberg, Fendi, Jil Sander, etc. . . . ) today announced that they have purchased Dragon Alliance for an undisclosed amount.

Will Howard, founder and CEO of Dragon, started the brand in 1993 from his garage in Capo Beach and has seen it grow into an internationally recognized brand. “We are very excited about becoming part of the Marchon family,” said Howard. “With their support and shared vision for Dragon, we will become an even stronger company, while remaining true to our heritage.”

Seems to be the only way to make it in the eyewear business these days. . . For the official word follow the jump.Dragon Alliance Announces Sale to Marchon Eyewear

Carlsbad, CA (May 1, 2012) – Dragon Alliance announced today that it has been acquired by Marchon Eyewear, Inc., one of the world’s largest manufacturers and distributors of eyewear, carrying many of the top fashion and lifestyle brands. This acquisition will increase the global reach of Dragon and reinforce the growing objectives of the brand.

Dragon is a leading goggle and eyewear brand in the action sports market and is distributed in over 40 countries worldwide. Dragon’s premium eyewear products appeal to the youth market and push outside the boundaries of the status quo. Will Howard, founder and CEO of Dragon, started the brand in 1993 from his garage in Capo Beach and has seen it grow into an internationally recognized brand. “We are very excited about becoming part of the Marchon family,” said Howard. “With their support and shared vision for Dragon, we will become an even stronger company, while remaining true to our heritage.”

Claudio Gottardi, Marchon President and CEO said that Marchon plans to extend Dragon’s reach and further develop their designs and leadership in the eyewear market. He asserts, “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. Dragon’s emphasis on quality products and innovative design completely aligns with Marchon’s.”

Dragon’s recent growth has been fueled by innovative products in all eyewear categories. There is an emphasis on creating high-quality, uniquely designed products that appeal to the youth market. This includes the recent ground breaking launch of the frameless Advanced Projects snow goggle line which debuted this winter.

The Dragon team will continue to be based in Carlsbad, California, with Will Howard remaining as CEO, leading Dragon’s growth and the team into the future.

About Dragon Alliance
Established in Southern California in 1993, Dragon is a premium eyewear manufacturer with a deep heritage in the action sports market. The brand is internationally recognized as a youth, lifestyle brand and is distributed in over 40 countries. Dragon has a world class team of athletes which help inspire the design and technology of a range of products including sunglasses, snow goggles, motorsport goggles, and select softgoods.

About Marchon Eyewear, Inc
Marchon Eyewear, Inc. is one of the world’s largest manufacturers and distributors of quality eyewear and sunwear. The company markets its products under prestigious brand names including: 
Calvin Klein Collection, ck Calvin Klein, 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.

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