PADUA, Italy/SÃO PAULO, Brazil—Safilo Group (SFL.IM) and Alpargatas, the Brazilian footwear, clothing and accessories company, have announced their new global Havaianas eyewear license until 2021 and renewable upon mutual agreement. The new Havaianas eyewear collection will be designed, developed, manufactured and distributed by Safilo across the world through an extensive distribution network, starting in the second half of 2016.

“We are thrilled about this new partnership and trust,” said Luisa Delgado, CEO of Safilo Group. “We have an exciting opportunity - the unique vibrant Brazilian personality of Havaianas with its iconic creative simplicity has inspired us to create innovative cool eyewear with broad appeal for the world. With Havaianas, we add significant value to our portfolio and strengthen our corporate play in the fast growing big mass-cool consumer segment, as anticipated by our 2020 Strategic Plan.”

Carla Schmitzberger, global director for Havaianas, added, “With eyewear we now take the joy of Havaianas further to the total look. It is for us a strategic category with long-term potential. We are delighted to count on Safilo as our strategic eyewear partner who offers unique best in class capabilities, product design leadership, longstanding know-how, focus on quality, innovation and proven high quality distribution. We feel that we share a common vision for this exciting business opportunity, and approach it with shared focus on customer satisfaction.”

Havaianas was created in 1962 as the “original flip-flops,” and embodies the fun, vibrant and spontaneous way of Brazilian life.