Started in 1961 by Giovanni Marcolin Coffen, the eyewear manufacturer owns and licenses twenty-five different brands, including Tom Ford, Adidas, Skechers, Christian Louboutin and Max Mara.

[3] By 2012, Marcolin was Italy's third largest eyewear manufacturer, behind only Leonardo Del Vecchio's Luxottica and the Safilo Group.

It was around this time that a majority stake in Marcolin was acquired by the French private equity firm PAI Partners, initially at 78% but increasing to 83% in December 2019.

[8] In 2024, Marcolin's private equity owners sought a valuation for the manufacturer, attracting takeover bids and interest from various companies across the sector.

With a PAI valuation at around €1.3 billion, the leading bidders for the company were Kering and EssilorLuxottica, though found potential buyers in Safilo, Marchon Eyewear of the US, Italy's De Rigo, and the Hong Kong-based private equity firm FountainVest Partners.