Roberto Vedovotto.

NEW YORK—Kering Eyewear, which is in the midst of establishing its own, direct worldwide eyewear business as a division of the major luxury and sport lifestyle group, Kering (FR 0000121485, KER.PA, KER.FP), intends to focus initially on nine of the Kering Group portfolio of 22 designer and sport brands, in previews this summer, with plans for its new eyewear subsidiaries to be opened in the second quarter, for its sales force to be hired in the third quarter and for deliveries to begin in the fourth quarter of this year.

In an exclusive interview with VMail, providing a top-line view of the new business, which taking a unique approach in in eyewear among leading luxury brand players, Roberto Vedovotto, CEO of Kering Eyewear, said that initial brand focus “will include three pillar brands: Saint Laurent, Bottega Veneta and Puma, and four brands with great potential: Stella McCartney, Alexander McQueen, McQ and Boucheron. There will also be two new brand entries from us into the eyewear market which we will reveal very soon.”

Vedovotto said that the company is developing both optical and sunwear collections for the brands. As previously reported, the Gucci license will expire at the end of 2016 and the company has worked out a strategic supply partnership with Safilo which will last for four years.

On March 18, Kering announced that Vedovotto, 49, has been appointed as new member of its executive committee. The company said the appointment illustrated the importance of Kering Eyewear as a “major growth driver for the Group.” François-Henri Pinault, chairman and CEO of Kering, stated, "Roberto Vedovotto’s appointment to our executive committee is a step further in the development of a more integrated and specialised Group, whose main objective is to support the brands so that they fulfil their growth potential. Roberto’s expertise in the eyewear industry and his knowledge of the fashion and luxury world will provide a valuable contribution to our executive committee, for the Group and our brands."