Luxottica Group S.p.A. and Tory Burch LLC, a lifestyle brand which embodies the personal style and spirit of its co-founder and creative director, Tory Burch, announced the signing of a license agreement for the design, manufacture and global distribution of sun and prescription eyewear under the Tory Burch and TT brands.
The agreement will run for six years starting in January 2009 and it is renewable for an additional four years. The first collection will be unveiled in the summer of this year and will reach the market in the fall.
Since its launch in 2004 as a lifestyle concept with multiple categories, including ready-to-wear, shoes, handbags and jewelry, the Tory Burch brand has received recognition within the industry, including the CFDA Award for Accessories Designer of the Year in 2008. Burch will personally oversee the entire creative process in close collaboration with design and product teams at Luxottica.
"I am thrilled to announce our partnership with Luxottica," said Tory Burch. "I believe there is an exciting opportunity in the market for Tory Burch eyewear, and I look forward to introducing our customers to this new category with the help of such a strong and experienced partner."
"We are very proud to be entering this new partnership with Tory Burch, one of the most highly appraised talents in the new generation of fashion designers," commented Antonio Miyakawa, Executive Vice President, Wholesale and Marketing, of Luxottica Group. "The characteristics of the brand fit excellently in our portfolio, making it even more complete especially in a market as strategic as North America. Thanks to this new license, which shows how we continue to invest even when times are difficult, we are also strengthening our positioning in the US department store segment."
Distribution of Tory Burch collections will be through Tory Burch boutiques and select department stores in the US, where the brand already has a presence, as well as through select independent optical locations and Luxottica's retail chains, starting with North America. It will then be extended across Europe and the rest of the world.
Luxottica Group is a global leader in premium fashion, luxury and sports eyewear, with over 6,200 optical and sun retail stores in North America, Asia-Pacific, China, South Africa and Europe and a strong and well balanced brand portfolio.
Tory Burch is an attainable, luxury, lifestyle brand defined by classic American sportswear with an eclectic sensibility, which embodies the personal style and spirit of its co-founder and creative director, Tory Burch.
The agreement will run for six years starting in January 2009 and it is renewable for an additional four years. The first collection will be unveiled in the summer of this year and will reach the market in the fall.
Since its launch in 2004 as a lifestyle concept with multiple categories, including ready-to-wear, shoes, handbags and jewelry, the Tory Burch brand has received recognition within the industry, including the CFDA Award for Accessories Designer of the Year in 2008. Burch will personally oversee the entire creative process in close collaboration with design and product teams at Luxottica.
"I am thrilled to announce our partnership with Luxottica," said Tory Burch. "I believe there is an exciting opportunity in the market for Tory Burch eyewear, and I look forward to introducing our customers to this new category with the help of such a strong and experienced partner."
"We are very proud to be entering this new partnership with Tory Burch, one of the most highly appraised talents in the new generation of fashion designers," commented Antonio Miyakawa, Executive Vice President, Wholesale and Marketing, of Luxottica Group. "The characteristics of the brand fit excellently in our portfolio, making it even more complete especially in a market as strategic as North America. Thanks to this new license, which shows how we continue to invest even when times are difficult, we are also strengthening our positioning in the US department store segment."
Distribution of Tory Burch collections will be through Tory Burch boutiques and select department stores in the US, where the brand already has a presence, as well as through select independent optical locations and Luxottica's retail chains, starting with North America. It will then be extended across Europe and the rest of the world.
Luxottica Group is a global leader in premium fashion, luxury and sports eyewear, with over 6,200 optical and sun retail stores in North America, Asia-Pacific, China, South Africa and Europe and a strong and well balanced brand portfolio.
Tory Burch is an attainable, luxury, lifestyle brand defined by classic American sportswear with an eclectic sensibility, which embodies the personal style and spirit of its co-founder and creative director, Tory Burch.
