FIRST PERSON

5 Questions for…

Gianfranco Trifoglietti, GM of De Rigo Vision USA

Gianfranco Trifoglietti

Gianfranco Trifoglietti has vision. Appointed general manager of De Rigo Vision USA in April 2015, he brings a well-rounded GM background, having held similar positions at Versace USA and BasicNet S.p.A. Trifoglietti also brings knowledge of the American optical industry, having previously worked at Marcolin USA.

EB: How is De Rigo’s U.S. office structured for selling to domestic accounts?

GT: Our headquarters and distribution warehouse are located in Sunrise, FL. We serve the three Os accounts as well as non-optical accounts.

At the moment we have 12 dedicated sales representatives covering geographical areas where our brands have strong traction, but by March 2016 the total will be 24.

EB: What is the portfolio of brands that De Rigo is selling in the U.S. market?

GT: Our top six pillars are Chopard, Police (owned brand), Carolina Herrera, Furla, Escada, and Lanvin. We are extremely satisfied with the sales performance of each brand, particularly for the brands Chopard and our own brand, Police.

EB: What are the latest marketing initiatives for De Rigo’s eyewear brands in the U.S.?

GT: We have some important marketing activities at the McCarran International Airport in Las Vegas, our elevator wrap project at Fashion Valley Mall in California, and our large entrance space at The Mall at Short Hills in New Jersey.

On a more local level, we are organizing several trunk shows in key luxury stores for our high-end brands, as well as store events for the more affordable ones. We are sponsoring training dinners, grand openings, and participating in regional meetings organized by our major alliances.

Throughout 2016, we will also work hard to support our key retailers with initiatives such as renovating our store corners and designing new POP displays.

EB: How do you market your house brand, Police?

GT: For 2016—and for the third year running—the eyewear campaign for our company-owned brand Police features Neymar Jr., a Brazilian soccer star.

The campaign was created by Rankin, one of the most celebrated photographers in the world, who boasts a portfolio brimming with acclaimed shots of international celebrities. Neymar Jr. is pictured alongside the stunning Uruguayan supermodel Constanza Saravia.

EB: What are De Rigo’s priorities for 2016 in the U.S.?

GT: Our top priority is to increase the U.S. market share through partnerships with regional optical chains, top key accounts, alliances, and, obviously, with all our active customers and prospects.

We are gearing ourselves up in order to deliver quality service, improve orders’ fill rate delivery percentage, and provide further training on our brands to our retailers’ sales personnel to maximize product turnover.

—Erinn Morgan