De Rigo , one of the world's leading eyewear companies, and the French fashion house Jean Paul Gaultier signed an agreement granting to De Rigo a license to produce and distribute Jean Paul Gaultier optical frames and sunglasses starting with the 2006 collection.
The new collection of sunglasses and eyewear will complete the range of Jean Paul Gaultier's lines of accessories, fully reflecting the identity and style of the fashion firm.
The new 2006 Jean Paul Gaultier Eyewear Collection will be presented at the Silmo Exhibition, in Paris, during October 2005 and distributed beginning in November 2005 worldwide, with the exception of the Japanese market.
"The agreement with Jean Paul Gaultier, the 'Enfant Terrible' of the fashion world and one of the leading fashion and luxury brands, enlarges and strengthens our brand portfolio, offering a growth opportunity for our wholesale business with the most aggressive and daring high-end customers", said our Chairman Mr. Ennio De Rigo.
"In De Rigo we found the perfect partner to expand in the eyewear sector the passion for creativity and tailored products where "everything is possible" developed with strong beliefs, identified by elegance, spirituality, sexuality and influenced by religion and ethnics", said Jean Paul Gaultier.
De Rigo is one of the world's largest manufacturers and distributors of premium eyewear, the major optical retailer in Spain through General Optica, one of the leading retailers in the British optical market through Dollond & Aitchison and a partner of the LVMH Fashion Group for the manufacture and distribution of Celine, Givenchy and Loewe eyewear. De Rigo also manufactures and distributes the licensed brands Chopard, Escada, Ermenegildo Zegna, Etro, Fila, Furla, La Perla, Mini and its own brands Police, Sting and Lozza.
Jean Paul Gaultier, created in 1976 , has gained an excellent international reputation in the luxury world, first with the Women and Men Pret-a-Porter collections, then Accessories, then perfumes and since 1997 within the exclusive world of Haute Couture. The Jean Paul Gaultier style is very strong and identifiable, mixture between the Parisian spirit and the multi-ethnic influences. Some of his basic models like the sailor stripe T-Shirt, the corset, the pant suit for Women and the skirt for Men symbolize the spirit of Jean Paul Gaultier, for whom references must be personal and not diktats. To this date, the brand is distributed in 15 Jean Paul Gaultier boutiques and in numerous multi brands points of sales worldwide.
