MILAN — Furla and De Rigo Vision have renewed the license for the design, production and worldwide distribution of the Italian premium accessories brand’s eyewear collections through December 2022.
The contract between the two companies was first signed in 2007.
“In the last three years the Furla eyewear business increased 20 percent and in the first six months of this year its growth was 30 percent,” said De Rigo Vision chief executive officer Michele Aracri, pointing at the United States, Japan and Italy as the best-performing markets for the brand. “I think that the key element of Furla’s eyewear collections is the fact that they offer the best quality at affordable prices, ranging around 130 euros and 140 euros [or about $148 and $159 at current exchange rate, respectively].”
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“Furla and De Rigo share the same values, we trust in innovation, we are both passionate, we strongly believe that product is king,” said Furla chief executive officer Eraldo Poletto.
On Thursday night, the two companies will host en event at Milan’s MUDEC museum to launch the new Sofia style, which will hit stores in November and which will be also featured in the brand’s new cruise advertising campaign shot by Mario Testino out in December. The high-tech frame, retailing at 139 euros, or $158, is manufactured by assembling different materials to obtain sophisticated color shades.
Furla — which has just opened a flagship in New York and is gearing up to debut a three-story unit in Hong Kong and a 4,305-square-feet space on Rome’s Piazza di Spagna — will also introduce a new exclusive men’s eyewear style available exclusive at its boutiques in January.
According to Poletto, who didn’t exclude a potential IPO, Furla will introduce watches by the end of the year, as well as a customization service for leather goods in 2016. The company is also working at the creation of its first fragrance.
De Rigo manufactures and distributes the eyewear collections of a range of brands, including Blumarine, Carolina Herrera, Chopard, Escada, Lanvin, Loewe, among others.