Under the South of France sun, Persol has it made in the shades. The Italian sunglasses brand is partnering with PR maven Albane Cleret’s Terrasse by Albane, the pop-up hot spot during the film festival, to reinforce its ties with the movie world.
This connection is not a recent branding effort, but rather a storied relationship stretching back decades.
“It’s a brand that in its heritage has always been affiliated with cinema, starting from the very early stages,” said Persol’s global brand director Jarvis Macchi. The brand was officially launched in 1938 combining two Italian words meaning “for the sun.”
He reels off legendary looks from classics including Marcelo Mastroianni in “Divorce Italian Style,” Steve McQueen in “The Thomas Crown Affair,” Daniel Craig in “Casino Royale,” to the very modern Zendaya in last year’s “Challengers.”
“Sunglasses in cinema can be really part of a character and define the personality,” Macchi said, emphasizing that the brand’s relationship with film is organic through costume designers and stylists and not paid product placement.
It’s the brand’s second year on the rooftop, and the Cannes strategy has paid off: Richard Gere and Zoe Saldaña both wore Persol shades to the photo calls for their films at last year’s festival. The brand also sponsored the after party for “L’amour Ouf,” with Adèle Exarchopoulos, François Civil and Vincent Lacoste.
As hard as it often may be for accessories to stand out on the red carpet, Macchi asserts that is what makes Persol the perfect fit.
“We have the design, where it’s important to stand out and be recognizable,” he said, highlighting the brand’s distinctive yet subtle silver arrow on the side. No big logos here. “Our logo is in the product. It’s our distinctive sign. So we are perfect for the red carpet, not to show off our brand, but to be recognizable for the people who know. When you know you know.”
Richard Gere wearing Persol sunglasses in Cannes.
Getty Images
Craftsmanship is a key part of this authenticity, with every pair handmade in Italy. “We call it Italian maestria,” Macchi explained.
The rooftop has also been a platform for the brand to offer something unique and exclusive to clients. While Persol has been expanding its own store footprint with stand-alone boutiques in Los Angeles, Milan and New York, it’s carried at retailers including Le Bon Marché, John Lewis and Nordstrom.
The EssilorLuxottica-owned brand brings its “top wholesale clients” from core markets like “Italy, France and the U.S.” to Cannes to experience the film festival. Clients receive tickets to premieres and can walk the red carpet.
Though Persol has no plans to fund film productions, the brand remains committed to working “in an authentic way.”
“We prefer to partner as peers. If some real connection happens, then we can talk about some projects together,” Macchi said, leaving the door open.
The new Steve McQueen edition dedicated to “The Thomas Crown Affair.”
Courtesy Persol
The centerpiece this year is the launch of a new Persol 714 Steve McQueen edition.
It’s the latest in the series launched in 2019. This time the style is dedicated to “The Thomas Crown Affair,” which faithfully recreates the color of the lenses and the color of the acetate the McQueen wore in the original 1968 film. The year of the film is engraved on the inside temple of the glasses as a special nod.
The brand continues to expand its ties with actors, and this year Persol will also bring brand ambassador, Italian actor Pierfrancesco Favino, Angelina Jolie’s costar in “Maria,” to Cannes for a private lunch.
“We feel at home” in Cannes, as well as working with Albane. “The backstage of the festival is sometimes more interesting than the films,” Macchi said.
Through the Terrasse by Albane, Persol hosts their guests with one of the most stunning views of the bay. “It’s a nice spot where all the people from the industry pass by…outside of the crowds, but [with] the inside crowd,” Macchi said.
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