MILAN — In the three years since it was founded, Akoni Eyewear has built a strong customer base among what Chief Executive Rosario Toscano calls “innovators” or trendsetters.
Akoni Eyewear is currently undergoing a rebranding process aimed at further improving its positioning to better serve its customer base, aligning with improvements in the eyewear industry as a whole and following the brand motto of “Shokunin” – a Japanese philosophy of honing the craftsmanship of craftsmen.
Toscano, who founded the brand in 2021 as part of the Akoni Group, which was founded two years ago and also runs eyewear licenses for Balmain and Valentino, said the new direction is an “evolution” rather than a rebranding.
“Following our strong performance last year, we began to see the need to align all of our other Akoni assets to ensure that our products were as relevant to the market as they were to provide a true luxury experience for our customers,” Toscano told WWD.
“We are the youngest luxury eyewear brand, which gives us the flexibility to make rebranding changes that would be difficult for larger companies that have been in business for many years,” he said.
The first visible result of the evolutionary strategy is the debut of a new green hue that’s deeper, more emerald-like than the previous, more military-leaning hue, which will be applied to all brand assets and packaging, which Toscano said has also been revamped, with soft leather and hard cases reminiscent of tech gadgets, as well as new cardboard boxes and labels.
The company said the first products equipped with the rebranded accessories will be available in October, with expansion plans planned for December.
The new emerald green shade will be featured on the lenses of Fall 2024 eyewear and on the Japanese acetate of Spring 2025 eyewear.
“We carefully considered and evaluated what Akoni Eyewear would look like during the midterm elections,” Toscano said.
“Today, product alone is not enough to attract consumers… the market demands a certain consistency and coherence across all brand elements. Our luxury (offerings) are more understated than others and require design elements, messaging and materials that open the consumer’s mind and open up a new world. You have to aim for consistency to make people fall in love with your brand,” he explained.
The brand has poured much of its initial investment and unique selling point into offering cutting-edge eyewear rooted in Swiss precision and Japanese craftsmanship, all of which is designed and engineered in Switzerland, where the company is based, and handcrafted in Japan.
This approach has helped Akoni Eyewear build a strong following with approximately 1,000 retail outlets (mostly specialist retailers and opticians) in over 50 countries.
Retail prices range from 600 euros for an entry level price to 1,200 euros for limited edition styles, with the fair value retail price being between 900 and 1,000 euros, Toscano said, suggesting that Akoni Eyewear customers are already buying into the brand’s luxury offerings.
“Our customers today are mostly ‘innovators’. They are proud to wear Akoni, but they should be even more proud to be part of the Akoni (world),” Toscano said. Being in the early stages of market penetration, Toscano believes the evolution strategy will increase the brand’s presence among the next target customer group, such as early adopters.
To this end, Akoni Eyewear plans to strengthen its image direction and visual identity through campaigns, digital initiatives, in-store visual merchandising and other activities that are expected to convey a sense of luxury in sync with the new brand.
Toscano said Akoni Eyewear’s sales have increased 32% so far this year, driven by Asia, which accounts for 20% of revenue and is expected to grow further after the company introduces Asian Fit eyewear in fall 2025.
The brand has been particularly successful in Japan since signing deals with Hankyu Department Store and Isetan to open pop-up stores, with more pop-up stores planned to open at Isetan in the run up to the holiday season.
In the region, the eyewear specialist has distribution partners in South Korea, Singapore and Malaysia, and direct sales in Thailand, Japan, Hong Kong, Taiwan and China. The Chinese market is the next natural step to expand its foothold in Asia, and Toscano expects the company to establish a local subsidiary in the medium term.
The Middle East, including Saudi Arabia and Qatar, and Italy saw strong growth in the first nine months of the year, while the U.S. was flat, although the brand has been increasing its product sales there despite not entering any new markets.
“Akoni Eyewear still has a long way to go. We want the brand evolution to increase the strength and appeal of the brand and convince potential consumers that we are not just about our products, but that we aim to deliver aesthetics and quality standards across all brand segments,” Toscano said.