Cucinelli launches jewelled glasses with gold inserts

Now eyewear is approaching jewellery to convey exclusivity and luxury. The first step is taken by Brunello Cucinelli, which has enriched its eyewear collection for spring-summer 2025, created with EssilorLuxottica, with two models christened Goldcraft 1978 (from the year the Umbrian company was founded), with retro-inspired frames in ultra-light titanium and solid 18-carat gold inserts. The gold inserts, applied to the bridge, double bridge, nosepads and temples, are hand-finished by master craftsmen from Fukui, Japan, who are experts in working with precious metals, and integrated into the frame through precision instruments borrowed from the world of watchmaking. The filigrees, made through custom moulds, have micro-patterns inspired by the patterns of Brunello Cucinelli's ready-to-wear collections.

The glasses were presented in Versilia, in the glamorous greenhouses of the Paradis Agricole holiday farm in Pietrasanta, amidst plaster statues, plants and vegetables, with a small fashion show enriched by the High Summer clothing collection composed of linen and silk garments suitable for the coming summer.

The two models, sunglasses and prescription, are limited editions: 100 pieces for sunglasses, 70 for prescription, which will be on sale for about EUR 4,500 in some Brunello Cucinelli boutiques and in some EssilorLuxottica network shops. "I remember the meeting with Leonardo del Vecchio," said Cucinelli, "when he told me that he did not know if the glasses he had made were beautiful, but he knew for sure that they were made in the best possible way.

The Goldcraft 1978 capsule is the result of the licensing agreement signed at the end of 2022 by Brunello Cucinelli with EssilorLuxottica, which entrusts the Veneto-based colossus with the design, production and distribution of sunglasses and eyeglasses for ten years (until 31 December 2032). The collaboration between the two companies had already begun in 2021 with the launch of the first eyewear capsule with the Brunello Cucinelli logo and Oliver Peoples, EssilorLuxottica's exclusive brand.

For Cucinelli, it is a further step in the construction of an international brand that brings together quality manufacturing, taste and exclusivity, outside and inside the factory: 'We are in an enchanting place surrounded by the countryside,' he said, referring to the location between the sea and the Apuan Alps, 'and working here conveys a well-being that should be transferred to the factories. We must build beautiful factories with large windows, because beauty does not distract workers but motivates them. Looking at a beautiful landscape while working does not waste time, but allows one to do better'.