Bragging can be annoying, but I'm claiming the Father Exemption, because I can't resist sharing the news about a company being bought for a reported $80 million that my daughter was the first employee of.
I learned about the acquisition of Barton Perreira, a high-end California eyewear company, by LVMH, a luxury conglomerate (Louis Vuitton, Tiffany & Co, and Dior, among others) from my daughter, Celeste Vos, a few days ago.
She no longer works for Barton Perreira, having left to become the Vice President of Sales for Silhouette, another eyewear company. But she has fond memories of her time at Barton Perreira, where she was hired in 2007 by the founders, Bill Barton and Patty Perreira, as employee #1.
Here's a 2017 photo of Celeste doing her Barton Perreira sales manager thing at a Neiman Marcus conclave.
Celeste told me that she's pleased about the sale of Barton Perreira to LVMH, since it's satisfying to know that she helped to build Barton Perreira from a humble startup into the quality company it is now.
A CNBC story, "LVMH buys eyewear brand Barton Perreira as it looks to rebound from luxury showdown," says:
Barton Perreira has a cult-like following among Hollywood stars and collectors of high-end sunglasses and frames. Its models typically retail for $500 or $600, and its limited edition designs, made in small quantities, are especially coveted. Daniel Craig wore a pair of Barton Perreira “Joe” sunglasses in “No Time to Die,” and Demi Lovato, Sandra Bullock and Ryan Gosling are also reported to be fans.
Zanardo said Barton Perreira was an ideal fit for LVMH because of its commitment to quality.
“Barton Perreira has a very strong founding principle, which is design and quality without compromise,” he said.
Since Barton Perriera only has a handful of stores in the U.S., LVMH can use its global reach to take the brand overseas, with better distribution in Europe and Asia, Zanardo said.
Barton Perreira was founded in 2007 by Bill Barton and Patty Perreira, after they left Oliver Peoples when it was acquired by Oakley. Zanardo said the two founders will stay at the company after the acquisition and “make sure the DNA of the brand remains in tact.”
Celeste also worked at Oliver Peoples, where Barton was the CEO and Perreira the designer. Celeste left Oliver Peoples to join Barton Perreira the year her daughter, Evelyn, was born. That makes Celeste's work there even more impressive, in my proud fatherly opinion. I'm sure her husband, Patrick, would agree.
Celeste was born in Oregon and attended elementary, middle school, and high school in Salem after my wife and I moved here in 1977 with our five-year-old. I not-so-fondly remember paying out of state tuition to the University of Arizona when Celeste decided she wanted to leave Oregon for college, where she majored in Fashion Merchandising.
But now that money seems very well spent. I'm super proud of her. There were ups and downs during her time at Barton Perreira, this being the case with every business. The acquisition of Barton Perriera by LVMH is a high point for Celeste, regardless of the fact that she no longer works there.
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