Kering Eyewear Posts Record Quarter as Lindberg Blok Titanium Wins Red Dot Design Award
It has been a strong fortnight for Kering Eyewear, with the luxury group's optical division posting the best quarterly result in its history while its Danish frame brand Lindberg has added yet another major international design accolade to its trophy cabinet.
Record revenue for Kering Eyewear
Kering Eyewear delivered what the group called a landmark performance in the first quarter of 2026, marking the highest quarter in its history. Sales reached €489 million, up 3% on a reported basis and 7% on a comparable basis year-on-year, reflecting robust demand across the portfolio.
The result is a bright spot in an otherwise challenging period for the broader Kering group. Overall group revenue came in at €3.56 billion for the quarter, down 6% on a reported basis but flat on a comparable basis, with Gucci continuing to weigh on the Fashion & Leather Goods division.
Kering CFO Armelle Poulou described the eyewear division as a demonstration of the "strength, resilience and scalability" of the platform, while calling jewellery a "structural growth engine for the group."
Performance in eyewear was supported by high-profile product launches, including the debut Valentino Eyewear collection developed by Kering Eyewear, as well as successful sales campaigns and impactful marketing and communication initiatives. The Valentino collaboration has been closely watched across the industry since it was announced, and early sell-through appears to have validated the strategic move.
Wholesale revenue across the group rose 6% on a comparable basis, with continued momentum in eyewear cited as a key contributor.
Kering CEO Luca de Meo acknowledged the broader headwinds facing the group, stating that group revenue had stabilised in Q1, representing "an important first step in our recovery and a further sequential improvement," adding that the result "reflects the first tangible effects of our actions, despite a challenging geopolitical environment."
Lindberg adds Red Dot to growing design honours
Separately, Kering Eyewear's Danish frame house Lindberg has secured another prestigious international design award, this time the Red Dot Design Award 2026 in the Eyewear category for its Blok Titanium collection.
The recognition follows hot on the heels of the brand's win at the iF Design Award 2026, with both prizes highlighting the brand's commitment to technical innovation. Lindberg now holds a total of 114 design awards.
The Blok Titanium collection is an exercise in precision engineering. Each frame is crafted from a single sheet of laser-cut titanium and features the brand's signature hinge mechanism, a patented, precisely twisted system that requires no screws, giving the frame a clean, uninterrupted aesthetic. The angular design language pairs with a wide range of colour and finish options, allowing what the brand describes as both an industrial and personal expression.
Commenting on the award, Kering Eyewear CEO Roberto Vedovotto said: "Receiving the Red Dot Design Award for the Blok collection is an exceptional honour, as it celebrates our ongoing commitment to pushing the boundaries of design. After 40 years, Lindberg continues to establish itself as a leader in innovation within the industry."
Together, the record financial result and the design award paint a picture of a division firing on multiple cylinders combining commercial momentum with creative credibility at a time when the wider Kering group is working hard to steady the ship.
