De Rigo to offer MINI Branded Eyewear

LONGARONE, Italy, Jan. 15, 2004 -- MINI, one of the BMW Group's three premium brands, and the De Rigo Group have signed a two-year exclusive licence agreement. Beginning in 2004, De Rigo will produce and distribute a collection of MINI sunglasses developed through close co-operation between De Rigo and the MINI design department.

The MINI brand, which is both a trendsetter and an automotive legend, is much more than just a car: it is a thrill and stands for an individual, young and cosmopolitan lifestyle. The new MINI sunglasses will provide another point of emphasis for this very special lifestyle.

The De Rigo Group, a leading company in the manufacture and sale of high-quality eyeglasses and sunglasses, was selected by MINI and the BMW Group for the realization of this project. De Rigo, a stable, yet highly dynamic, company, has a prestigious portfolio of owned and licensed brands and sells its products in more than eighty countries. Consequently, De Rigo expects to sell the collection of MINI sunglasses in each of its markets world-wide. MINI sunglasses will be available from optical retailers and exclusive department stores, as well as through MINI automobile dealers.

De Rigo is one of the world's largest manufacturers and distributors of premium eyewear, the major optical retailer in Spain through General Optica, one of the leading retailers in the British optical market through Dollond & Aitchison and a partner of the LVMH Fashion Group for the manufacture and distribution of Fendi, Givenchy, Loewe and Celine eyewear. De Rigo also manufactures and distributes the licensed brands Etro, Fila, Furla, La Perla and Onyx and its own brands Police, Sting and Lozza.