The business partnership will come into effect on July 1 and according to a release announcing the deal, it is the culmination of a 30-year professional friendship between Sunshades founder Ms Betty Lasse and Mr Jonathan Hennessy Sceats.

“Betty Lasse was my first account, and she was so supportive and wonderful. My designs at the time were a totally new look and not getting great interest. Betty then sold them well and Vogue did a story, so it was all then accepted,” Sceats said.

“If you look at Sunshades who design their own product, have an innovative design team focus, and export it around the world there is no other Australian optical leader who does this in volume and are successful. That is the big reason I am joining forces with Sunshades – and to produce uplifted products for customers, to create an even prouder eyewear legacy for Australia.”

The partnership will see Sunshades provide back-end support across merchandise planning, finance, and supply chain management, while Sceats and his wife Louise continue to focus on the design and marketing of their boutique eyewear brands – Jono Hennessy, Carter Bond, and Zeffer. Additionally, the same sales and customer support team will still manage the brands in the Jono Hennessy portfolio.