Design Eyewear Group has acquired eyewear company William Morris London.
William Morris London designs optical and sunglass frames that are sold globally to independent opticians and through distributors. The company designs and sells the William Morris London, Black Label and Charles Stone New York collections, among others.
“With the acquisition of William Morris London, we’ve strengthened our position as a design brand house, and we’re pursuing our ambition to become one of the world’s leading multi-brand providers of design eyewear to independent opticians,” said Lars Flyvholm, CEO of Design Eyewear Group. “William Morris London’s brands each have a unique story based on the British design philosophy. The brands’ DNA and position in the market fit perfectly with Design Eyewear Group’s growth strategy and product range, and we look forward to joining forces to offer our customers an expanded, enhanced brand portfolio that caters for many different target groups and price classes.”
Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Robert William Morris, who founded William Morris London just north of London in 1996, said: “I’m also convinced that Design Eyewear Group is the right partner to grow the company further through their global sales network, which was launched almost 50 years ago when Pro Design was founded in Aarhus in 1973.” Robert William Morris has agreed to continue in the new setup as Senior Brand Ambassador. In this role, he will ensure that both customers and employees worldwide gain an insight into the company’s DNA and the British design philosophy, while naturally ensuring that the design style is continued and further developed for all brands under the William Morris London portfolio.”