Cerruti 1881 inks footwear deal with Principe

By

Dominique Muret

Translated by
Nicola Mira

Published
Jun 1, 2017

Cerruti 1881 continues to add depth to its range. After the recently signed licensing agreement with Belgian manufacturer Malu for the launch of an underwear line, the menswear label owned by Hong Kong company Trinity (of the Li & Fung group) has announced an exclusive licence deal for the production and distribution of its men's shoes with Italian manufacturer Principe.

Principe has a long-standing relationship with the menswear label designed by Jason Basmajian, having been for the last 20 years Cerruti's licensed manufacturer for handbags and small leather goods for men and women. The objective for Cerruti 1881 is to broaden its accessories range, in order to become a fully fledged lifestyle brand.

"The purpose of this new licence deal is to expand our accessories business in the next three years, through Cerruti 1881 stores and retail corners dedicated to leather goods, and to strengthen our existing distribution network by adding a product category as crucial as footwear. Our priority markets are the Middle East, Eastern Europe, Russia and Asia," wrote the group in a press release.

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Principe, based in Varese, Italy, has been for 60 years in the business of manufacturing and distributing premium leather accessories (shoes, handbags, etc.), retailing both its own brands and labels under licence such as Emanuel Ungaro, Les Copains, Blauer and Cerruti 1881. Principe operates two monobrand stores and a showroom in Milan, and is distributed in 45 markets worldwide.