Dirk Bikkembergs enters the eyewear world with Allison

Belgian stylist Dirk Bikkembergs has signed a renewable five-year license agreement with Allison.

The agreement is for production and worldwide distribution. The eyewear by the designer from Antwerp will be officially presented in January 2006 and the collection, which focuses on Bikkembergs' white label with some of the main proposals under the gold label, the first line to be shown, will have around 40 men's and unisex, vision and sunglasses models.

'It is a project with strong potential', Silvio Vecellio Reane, Chairman and Managing Director of Allison, explained to Milano Finanza Fashion. 'In five years we aim to bring Bikkembergs' eyewear billings up to 70 million euros. In January-February 2006 we will take the first distribution step, with one thousand outlets in Europe'.

In 2004, Allison's billings stood at 75 million euros and the forecast for 2005 is 90 million. 'We will especially develop two markets, Europe and the United States', Reane concluded. 'Italy counts for 45% of the billings. This year the US will represent 10% of revenues'.

(Source: Milano Finanza Fashion)