Safilo Adds SPY+ and Serengeti to Its Brand Portfolio

The global eyewear leader has signed an exclusive agreement with the French group Bollé Brands to acquire its two California-based brands, which specialize in outdoor sports and high-end frames, respectively.

Safilo is continuing “its strategy” aimed at “consolidating its presence in key high-value-added segments” and “strengthening its portfolio of proprietary brands,” announced the global eyewear leader in a press release. Safilo already owns Blenders Eyewear, Carrera Eyewear, Polaroid, Privé Revaux, Seventh Street, and Smith as well as nearly thirty prestigious licenses (Boss, Givenchy, Marc Jacobs, Missoni, Tommy Hilfiger…).

Based in Padua, the Italian specialist has just signed an exclusive agreement with the French group Bollé Brands, which specializes in eyewear, goggles, and ski helmets, to acquire SPY+ and Serengeti, two American brands active in sports and outdoor gear and high-end frames, respectively.

Two California success stories

While these two brands generated revenue of $39 million in 2025, the purchase price remains confidential. The transaction is subject to the outcome of consultations with the relevant authorities and the usual conditions precedent.

Founded in 1994 in San Diego, California, SPY+ is a brand that combines sports (surfing, skateboarding, snowboarding) and lifestyle, with a disruptive yet “cool” image, targeting younger generations with its sunglasses and prescription eyewear, as well as its ski goggles, helmets, and caps.

It was acquired in 2019 by the Bollé Brands group, formed a year earlier, to strengthen its position in North America and in the sports and lifestyle segment.

And now, Safilo wants to acquire it in turn to boost its presence in the sports-outdoor distribution channels, where SPY+ will be highly complementary to its American brand Smith. Founded in 1965 in the United States and specializing in mountain sports, Smith was acquired in early 2020 by Safilo, which sought to round out its portfolio with a strong technical brand.

Serengeti, a pioneer in optical technology

For its part, Serengeti has experienced a rise somewhat comparable to that of SPY+.

Founded in 1982 by the New York-based lens manufacturer Corning Inc. but also based in California, the brand has distinguished itself in the high-end eyewear segment as a pioneer in technology.

Acquired in 2000 by the American brand Bushnell, a specialist in optics for hunting and shooting, Serengeti also joined the Bollé Brands family in 2018. Today, Safilo announces, it is expected to “be a major asset for Safilo in the high-end eyewear segment, distinguished by the excellence of its mineral lenses and its strong American heritage.”

The licensing division also strengthened

But while Safilo is consolidating its portfolio of proprietary brands, it is by no means neglecting its licensing ventures.

Having already secured its major partnerships (BOSS, Kate Spade, Tommy Hilfiger) for 2023 and 2024, the group not only renewed its licensing agreements with the brands Dsquared2, Carolina Herrera, Under Armour, and Pierre Cardin in 2025. It also signed, last year, a new agreement with Victoria Beckham. The former Spice Girls singer-turned-successful fashion designer thus chose the same partner for her eyewear as her soccer-playing husband, David, who himself signed a perpetual licensing agreement with Safilo in 2020.

In 2025, Safilo emphasized that it was “the leadership of Smith sports products in the United States, combined with the continued strengthening of its portfolio of contemporary and lifestyle brands (such as Carrera, David Beckham, Tommy Hilfiger, Marc Jacobs, Boss, Kate Spade, and Carolina Herrera, ed.)” that had been “the main driver of growth for the year.”

In 2025, the eyewear company’s net revenue increased by 1.8% at constant exchange rates (but declined by -1% at current exchange rates), to €983.4 million. Its adjusted EBITDA, meanwhile, rose from 9.4% in 2024 to 10.6% in 2025.