LONGARONE, Italy—De Rigo Vision S.p.A. and British luxury brand Dunhill, part of the Richemont Group, have announced an exclusive license agreement for the design, production and worldwide distribution of the Dunhill-branded optical and sun collection. The new license agreement is for a period of five years, a De Rigo Vision spokesperson told VMail.

Michele Aracri, managing director of De Rigo Vision S.p.A., said: “We are very pleased to begin this new and exciting partnership with such a prestigious brand as Dunhill, which is synonymous with elegance and luxury. We will use De Rigo’s expertise to develop an eyewear collection reflecting the brand’s commitment to quality and heritage with a contemporary sophistication of design.”

For 120 years, Dunhill has been synonymous with an elegant and discerning British aesthetic, a statement released by De Rigo Vision said today. Always with integrity and charisma, it defines luxury: perfect for purpose but uncompromising in its commitment to use only the finest materials and work with the finest artisans across the world to create its menswear, leather goods, accessories and gifts, the De Rigo statement said.

Fabrizio Cardinali, CEO of Dunhill, said, “We are very pleased to announce our partnership with De Rigo, who with their understanding of our business in terms of aesthetics, impeccable quality and innovation, perfectly combines the values of our two companies.”

The launch of the first Dunhill eyewear collection by De Rigo Vision is scheduled for the beginning of 2016. The distribution network will include the most exclusive opticians and department stores worldwide, as well as Dunhill boutiques, according to the statement from De Rigo.