Italia Independent signs sunglasses for Alfa Romeo centenary

Italia Independent, the style project brand founded by Lapo Elkann, announced that it has signed an agreement with Alfa Romeo for the design, production and distribution of eyewear to celebrate the Alfa Romeo centenary.

The Alfa Romeo "Centenary Edition" eyewear will be distributed internationally to prestigious fashion and opticians’ stores. The agreement with Alfa Romeo is an important step for Italia Independent in strengthening its position in the eyewear business that will integrate both ends of the creativity chain through the involvement of such design and fashion "geniuses" as Giambattista Valli, and through designing for other brands.

Italia Independent president Lapo Elkann commented: "I am proud of the partnership with Alfa Romeo which this agreement completes. We started with the Alfa Romeo core business by reinterpreting the Brera in accordance with Italia Independent’s stylistic characteristics. Now we are paying a tribute to Alfa Romeo’s heritage, history and design with a line of eyewear that epitomizes the distinctive values, sinuous but decisive shapes, innovative materials and icons of the history of Italian eyewear. It is a collection for Alfa lovers and is not recommended for the faint-hearted". The Alfa Romeo "Centenary Edition" is a collection of three models of sunglasses. Ar100/1 is a sporty unisex in acetate with round and elegant shapes that are well-balanced with the outside corners. Model Ar100/2 is drop-shaped sports eyewear of the Seventies revisited in metal. The “racing team” model derives from Ar100/2 and features shields, polarized lenses in nxt and the Alfa Romeo clover leaf in carbon on the temples. The limited numbers of the Alfa Romeo "Centenary Edition" collection will not be repeated and will be presented in November 2009 and sold starting March 2010.

(Source: La Stampa)