NEW PROJECT — Italian eyewear manufacturer Marcolin and New York-based brand Rag & Bone have signed an exclusive four-year license agreement for the design, production and distribution of the brand’s new line of premium sun and optical glasses.
The deal was announced by Guess Inc. and leading brand management firm WHP Global, which jointly own Rag & Bone.
The collection features bold designs and modern styles inspired by the brand’s metropolitan lifestyle positioning. The new eyewear collection will be presented at the eyewear trade show Mido 2026 running from Jan. 31 to Feb. 2 in Milan. After that, it will hit Rag & Bone boutiques, and will be available on its website and in select eyewear stores and authorized retailers.
Marcolin’s chief executive officer and general manager Fabrizio Curci defined the brand as “iconic,” adding that it “perfectly embodies a contemporary and authentic aesthetic rooted in New York culture.”
Marcolin already produces and distributes eyewear for Guess as well as Adidas, Max Mara, Pucci, Tom Ford and Zegna, to name a few.
“Guess has been working with the highly talented team from Marcolin for over 30 years on delivering fashionable trend-right eyewear to the market,” said Paul Marciano, Guess Inc. cofounder and chief creative officer. “We are thrilled to expand that partnership to Rag & Bone further growing the lifestyle of the brand through their expertise, commitment to style and innovation.”
On April 2, 2024, Guess Inc. acquired all the operating assets of Rag & Bone while a 50/50 joint venture controlled by the retailer and WHP acquired the brand’s intellectual property. WHP is looking to take that relationship further and has proposed a deal to take Guess private at a valuation of about $750 million.
Guess directly operates 1,070 retail stores in Europe, the Americas and Asia and its partners and distributors operate 527 additional retail stores worldwide. WHP owns a portfolio of consumer brands that collectively generate over $7 billion in global retail sales. The company also owns WHP+, a turnkey direct-to-consumer digital e-commerce platform, and WHP solutions, a sourcing agency based in Asia.