In November it sued Luxottica, claiming patent infringement on lens coatings that produce "vivid" sunglass colors.
In December Oakley got a preliminary injunction against certain Luxottica emerald and blue lenses.
Last November it sued Luxottica, claiming patent infringement on lens coatings that produce "vivid" sunglass colors.
"To this day nobody has made Internet sales work, " said Luxottica U.S. President Andrea Dorigo.
Based in Milan, Luxottica turned 50 last year and is the leader in a fragmented industry.
Fashionable people buy multiple pairs, which is one reason for the success at Luxottica Group ( LUX).
That meant exacting more favorable terms from suppliers, throwing out low-margin brands and restocking his stores with Luxottica frames.
Today some 70% of the frames sold are made by Luxottica, up from 5% at the time of the LensCrafters acquisition.
His success as co-CEO of Luxottica was often overlooked because most of the attention was lavished on his better-known, autocratic dad.
Adding to the company's presence in Beijing and Hong Kong, it will make Luxottica the leading high-end eyewear retailer in China.
Geox, an innovative and successful shoemaker, produces most of its goods abroad, as does Luxottica, the world's leading maker of sunglasses.
ECONOMIST: So easy to pinpoint what is wrong, so hard to put it right
Within weeks of buying the U.S. retailer Sunglass Hut in April, the chairman of Luxottica demanded price cuts from the chain's suppliers.
That made it a challenge for him to run the U.S. arm of Luxottica, the eyewear chain controlled by his father, Leonardo.
The backbone of Luxottica's business is its own brands: Ray-Ban sunglasses, acquired in 1999, account for some 15% of the group's sales.
That made it a challenge for him to run the U.S. arm of Luxottica Group, the eyewear chain controlled by his father, Leonardo.
His success as co-chief executive of Luxottica Group was often overlooked because most of the attention was lavished on his better-known, autocratic dad.
The two groups still work closely together more than a decade later: Armani holds a 5% stake in Luxottica and sits on the board.
The chain eliminated all private-label sunglasses and now focuses on only 20 brands--40% of them made by Luxottica (up from from 15% a year ago).
He closed down four plants, folding them into Luxottica's existing operations.
Last year Luxottica took over Cole National, another big American retailer.
More than a decade later, the two groups still work closely together: Armani holds a 5% stake in Luxottica and has a seat on its board of directors.
Lombardy is regarded as one of the four motors of Europe, a highly industrialized region that powers its country with export-led companies, many family-born, like Pirelli, Campari and Luxottica.
Assets: Owns 72% of Luxottica, which in turn owns Lenscrafters in the U.S. Other holdings include stake in Italy's GS hypermarket chain and 100% of U.S. women's clothing retailer Casual Corner.
But the acquisition, he believed, was the only way to prevent Luxottica from being squeezed by discount chains like Wal-Mart--even if it meant competing with his best customers, small opticians then providing 90% of his sales.
Until then he'd had no direct retail experience, but the acquisition, he believed, was the only way to prevent Luxottica from being squeezed by such discount chains asWal-Mart--even if it meant competing with his best customers, the small opticians that then provided 90% of his sales.
Economic growth has been sluggish, partly due to the strong euro which can be particularly damaging for Italian exporters such as carmaker Fiat (nyse: FIA - news - people ) and luxury-goods firm Luxottica (nyse: LUX - news - people ).
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