MODO today announced the acquisition of ITALIA INDEPENDENT. The transaction is part of the strategic plan of the MODO Group a reference in the independent eyewear industry for over thirty years which aims to offer customers a product that can increasingly combine tradition and innovation with style and design MODO Group has been assisted in the transaction by Jefferies as exclusive M&A advisor.
The know-how of the Group which produces and distributes the MODO and ECO brands will be a key factor in the new direction of the brand founded by Lapo Elkann, which will be
able to count on a solid corporate organization and a more incisive presence in terms of international distribution.
“I have always admired the incredible success of ITALIA INDEPENDENT from the very beginning, and we are proud to take charge of its future and to have the opportunity to make a significant contribution to the brand’s development says Alessandro Lanaro founder and CEO of MODO GROUP adding Modo Group and Italia Independent have always shared the desire to stand out from the crowd our aim is to reunite the great community that Italia Independent has created over the years, both in the optical sector and among end consumers “I’m glad that Modo Group acquired the brand Italia Independent I am sure that Alessandro and his team, strong of their track record, will be able to evolve the brand I founded to which I will always remain attached says Lapo Elkann”.
This acquisition combines two complementary forces that blend well together Reactivating the energy and the magic of the brand and driving it into lasting growth is an exciting
challenge for us says Giovanni Lo Faro, CEO of MODO International, the company that distributes the MODO, ECO, and, from next season, ITALIA INDEPENDENT brands.
The first drop of the ITALIA INDEPENDENT collection in the MODO Group’s orbit is scheduled for Spring/Summer 2024 and will be entirely Made in Italy and distributed through an exclusive network of opticians worldwide.
Giovanni LoFaro and Alessandro LanaroAbout MODO
MODO has been a reference in the independent eyewear industry since 1990 with offices in New York, Milan and Stockholm and numerous awards Founded by Alessandro Lanaro, the company produces the MODO and ECO brands, which are distributed internationally in over eighty countries Design, innovation and corporate social responsibility are the Group’s core values in particular, MODO Eyewear believes in the concept of a sustainable company, making ethics a fundamental part of its mission With the initiative “Buy a Frame Help a Child See”, the MODO brand has helped more than 1 7 million children in India gain access to ophthalmic treatment and visual instruments, while the “One Frame, One Tree” project has enabled the ECO brand to plant more than 3 3 million trees and achieve the Carbon Negativity certification in 2023
