The birth of the Tom Ford brand; eyewear goes to Marcolin

Tom Ford and Domenico De Sole, the duo that transformed the Gucci Group into one of the world's biggest and most profitable luxury goods brands, announced that they have set up a partnership whose purpose is the global promotion and development of the Tom Ford brand. Tom Ford will be the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer and Domenico De Sole will be the Chairman of the new company.

The first products with the Tom Ford label will be perfumes, produced with Estée Lauder, and eyewear with Marcolin. The Longarone-based group has in fact signed a license agreement for the design, production and world distribution of frames for eyeglasses and sunglasses with the Tom Ford label.

The Tom Ford Eyewear collection will be presented in October 2005. The duration of the multi-year license agreement is until 2010, and the conditions of the agreement are in line with those of the fashion and luxury division of the Marcolin portfolio. The Tom Ford Eyewear line will be distributed to prestigious outlets throughout the world.

Maurizio Marcolin, Chief Executive Officer of the Marcolin Group, said: 'I am proud to be able to embark on this exciting venture with Tom Ford, one of the most highly respected and successful designers of the last decade. I am certain that with Tom and with Marcolin's experience we will create an extraordinary new success story in the eyewear sector that will be remembered in the years to come'.

Tom Ford, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the Tom Ford brand, stated: 'I am extremely enthusiastic about working with Marcolin on the creation and development of my collection of eyewear, which has always been a great passio. Marcolin is an exceptional producer and partner for this undertaking. I'm looking forward to working with Maurizio and his team'.

Domenico De Sole, Chairman of the Tom Ford brand, pointed out: 'Marcolin is known to be an excellent producer of eyewear and it is famous for the high quality of its products, attention to detail, and prestigious distribution. It is a superb alliance for the Tom Ford brand'.