Cutler and Gross celebrates 45th birthday milestone
Cutler and Gross has reached a milestone with 45 years of operation. The British sunglass brand, founded by Graham Cutler and Tony Gross, is extending its offering in a bid to stay dynamic, launching an anniversary collection specially designed for the French march and two collaborations, slated for 2017.
Marking its anniversary, the brand, which presented a collection at the last Silmo in Paris, is releasing an exclusive collection for the French market. The line consists of three models, in this case, an assortment of the 1007 sunglass in crystal and glass, in colours taupe and blue. The collection will go on sale this November across several French retailers, following a preview release this October at Milan Lunetier, one of the brand's privileged French stockists. The retailer also organised a birthday party for Cutler and Gross on September 27, during which the duo presented a runway show and a retrospective (made up of celebrities wearing the brand's sunglasses).
"We chose to show 17 iconic models from the brand and imagine a silhouette for each," explained Milan Siriey, founder of Milan Lunetier.
"We also worked in collaboration with Gilles Rosier (who cut his teeth at Christian Dior, Jean Paul Gaultier and Lacoste). He designed the silhouettes for this event, as well as fabric prints. For the shoes, we decided to work with Amélie Pichard, who has also been linked with Garrett Leight. Moreover, the runway show was a nod to the brand's history, opening in 1983. And, it chose Paris Fashion Week to present its first sunglass collection outside a boutique."
Following the celebrations, Cutler and Gross looks to boost sales via collaborations. Having outsourced the manufacturing of its sunglasses up until 2008 in France and Italy -- before acquiring two factories (in 2008 and 2013) in the Cadore region of Italy -- the brand is planning a capsule collection in partnership with British brand Roksanda for 2017. It will be sold exclusively in Roksanda stores.
Then, in spring 2017, Cutler and Gross is teaming up with accessories and handbag brand Anya Hindmarch. The collection will be distributed in the designer's stores and Cutler and Gross' London points of sales.
The British sunglass maker, which has multiplied store openings in recent years, currently boasts eight namesake stores (four in England, two in the U.S., and one in both Hong Kong and Canada), as well as having 700 retailers across the world, of which 150 are in France. Given the French market is an important one for the brand, there's no scope to open a store here just yet.
"The sunglass market is particular in France if one compares it to the American market, for example. There are a lot of well-designed sunglass stores here, which even add value to the Cutler and Gross brand. There's no need for the brand to spend money on a standalone store," adds Siriey.
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