The first models of eyewear created for Spring-Summer 2024 by EssilorLuxottica for Brunello Cucinelli as part of their ten-year licensing agreement, were unveiled last March in the magnificent setting of Rome’s Villa Aurelia.
The collaboration between the Franco-Italian multinational EssilorLuxottica and the Italian Brunello Cucinelli was announced at the end of 2022. The former would be responsible for licensing the manufacture and distribution of the latter’s signature eyewear.
This announcement confirmed and amplified the diversification into eyewear of cashmere specialist Brunello Cuccinelli, initiated in 2021 through an initial collaboration with Oliver Peoples, itself a subsidiary…of Essilor Luxottica. The latter develops eyewear under license for luxury brands such as Chanel, Dolce & Gabbana, Prada, Versace, Burberry and Ralph Lauren.
First collection Spring-Summer 2024
Signed for a ten-year start on January 1, 2023, the agreement called for the launch of a first collection in early 2024 for the Spring-Summer season.
This was achieved last March, in the idyllic transalpine setting of Rome’s Villa Aurelia, a 17th-century Baroque resiliency perched atop one of the city’s seven hills, the Janiculum, and offering spectacular panoramic views over the city. Originally built for Cardinal Girolamo Farnese, then Governor of Rome, Villa Aurelia was restored by an American heiress, Clara Jessup Heyland, before she donated it, in her will, to the American Academy in Rome.
On March 21, guests were able to discover 14 models, including 10 sunglasses and 4 optical frames, highlighted by models, all obviously dressed in Brunello Cuccinelli.
Priced from $710 to $2,710, these pairs play the “Quiet Luxury” card, in the words of the House, with above all classic designs, shades inspired by the House’s ready-to-wear palette and Italian sunsets. The materials used – titanium frames made in Japan and 18-carat gold-plated temples – are sophisticated but not bling.
Made in Italy
Last but not least, for Brunello Cucinelli, which is proud of its commitment to Made in Italy (with exclusively local production for its ready-to-wear collections and over 50% manual operations), the lenses for the frames all come from the Barberini factory in Silvi, in the Italian region of Abruzzo.
Brunello Cucinelli, the brand’s Executive Chairman and Creative Director, described the fruits of “this sincere collaboration” as “exceptional pieces of luxury craftsmanship”, representative of a “Made in Italy that is recognized and embraced the world over”.
When announcing his agreement with EssilorLuxottica, Brunello Cucinelli said he had been inspired by a conversation with Luxottica founder Leonardo Del Vecchio, who died shortly afterwards.
A new concept of luxury
His words hit home. “Dear Brunello, I don’t know if the eyewear we make is beautiful, but it’s certainly made in the best way in the world! The eponymous CEO of the cashmere House explained that, “today, admiring the excellent result of such formidable work and harmony”, he thinks back to the words of this man (…) “who saw in his company in Agordo what he liked to call ‘the beautiful factory’, much as I do with Solomeo”. This Umbrian commune is the site of Brunello Cucinelli’s entrepreneurial and quasi-utopian project, dubbed the “Hamlet of Harmony”, almost a living space, combining production, culture and education.
“Brunello Cucinelli has succeeded in creating a new concept of luxury, fuelled by respect for work and its dignity….. We are bound by more than just an employment contract. We are bound by more than just an agreement: Brunello Cucinelli is not only a great entrepreneur, but also a friend whom I respect and admire. The collection we helped create under his and his family’s creative direction expresses all these values, perfectly combining technology and superior craftsmanship,” emphasized Francesco Milleri, CEO of EssilorLuxottica, who co-created the collection with Brunello Cucinelli’s dedicated team.
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Featured Photo: © Brunello Cucinelli
