Throughout the brands history, Ray-Ban has been instrumental in pushing boundaries in music and the arts, forging the rise of celebrity culture, and creating the power of the rock and movie stars to influence fashion. From James Dean to Audrey Hepburn to Michael Jackson, Ray-Ban has proven indispensable for cultural icons who don’t want to be seen – but definitely want to be noticed. Ray-Ban has left an indelible mark on culture history. We got together with the good ol’folk at one of the most iconic sunglass brands ever known: Ray-ban. Known for their classic and innovative styles, here’s what they had to say about the brand we’ve all come to know and love. Because who better to go to than the brand itself:
RAY- BAN REINVENTION
BRINGING TO LIFE A WORLD OF ICONS
The story of Ray-Ban is a story of reinvention. Since the creation of the Aviator eighty years ago, Ray-Ban has constantly reimagined its iconic products. Pioneering new technology. Cutting edge designs. With the Ray-Ban Reinvented campaign, we celebrate 80 years of evolution. Because a true inventor never stops.
A visual story of reinvention
Since launching as the first ever sunglass brand in 1937, Ray-Ban has constantly reimagined its most iconic products. With Ray-Ban Reinvented we’re celebrating the evolution of Ray-Ban’s four Icons – Aviator, Wayfarer, Round and Clubmaster – with a visual take on reinvention. A universe that encapsulates each Ray-Ban icon and their re-inventions, digital collages combine illustration and photography to explore the particular history and heritage of each style.
A universe brought to life by Dewey Saunders
The perfect visionary partner to Ray-Ban, artist Dewey Saunders brings to life the world of each frame. Practiced at bringing together culture, history and imagination with his distinctive digital collages, Philadelphia-based visual artist Dewey Saunders combines illustration and graphics to create a visual feast. One that draws you deeper into the world of Ray-Ban as each story unfolds.
The high-flying origin story of the Aviator 1937 is told through a dusky blue sky strewn with clouds, turbines and hot air balloons. Jump forward to Aviator Mirror, and fly higher into space itself. Molten clouds of metal billow next to the space station that inspired those reflective lenses. Meanwhile, the bold Aviator Blaze finds a home in the neon lights and skyscrapers of the big city.
Ray-Ban Round is found among flower power, psychedelic swirls of greens and reds. With tambourines peeking out from the saturated colours, we give a subtle nod to the legendary musicians like John Lennon and Janis Joplin – icons in their own right, forever associated with the shape.
Reinventions born of an icon
One step ahead in style. Never sacrificing substance. Committed to re-thinking and re- imagining our products, the Ray-Ban icons have had countless reinventions. With endless ideas and opportunities for integrating new technology, leading new trends or revisiting classic styles, every reimagining of an icon is iconic in itself.
MAKING HISTORY
Ray-Ban is more than a brand. It’s a symbol of iconoclasm. Where style met substance to create the world’s first sunglasses brand. Irrevocably entwined with music and cinema. Pioneering technology. Cutting edge design. And out of each icon – Aviator, Wayfarer, Clubmaster and Round – we’ve been constantly reimagining and reinventing. Because a true inventor never stops.
Ray-Ban Aviator
The Aviator, Born of Ambition
The story starts with John A. Macready: a daring pilot and a legend in the making. Determined to fly higher than those before him, he approached the optics company making equipment for the US military in search of goggles that would protect pilots from light at high altitudes. They developed the perfect tool. An innovation in aviation. Lenses that would keep pilots’ vision free of glare. Distinctive teardrop lenses that fit around their oxygen masks. The Ray-Ban Aviator was born.
Flight and Fight
In the 1930s, Aviators were first introduced into the military. Strong. Bold. Brave. Later made standard-issue, the frames took on the characteristics of the heroes associated with them. In 1937, Anti-Glare Sunglasses – as they were called – were released to the public and soon renamed. Ray-Ban became the first sunglasses brand in history.
Rebel Rebel
Extreme discipline gives way to rebellion. In the 60s, Ray-Ban Aviator became a symbol of the “anti”. Anti-fashion. Antiestablishment. Anti-social. With a leather jacket and a 1950 6T Triumph Thunderbird, Marlon Brando’s The Wild One made them an essential accessory for the outlaw. With rock stars adopting the frames in the 60s and 70s, this uniform of anti-heroes became the ultimate mark of iconoclasm.
The Legacy Comes Full Circle
Top Gun takes Ray-Ban back to its roots. In 1986, Tom Cruise’s Aviator-wearing Maverick became an icon of cinema and American nationalism. With a new champion behind its lenses, the Ray-Ban Aviator reclaimed its original legacy and took the sunglass style back to its roots. An innovation for the daring. For the radical. For a hero.
A New Phase
True to its heritage, since 1937 Aviator has continued to evolve and push bounderies. With endless reimaginations, from Shooter to Blaze, Aviator embodies Ray-Ban’s fascination with reinvention and innovation.
Ray-Ban Shooter
Changing Elements
Ray-Ban Aviator came back down to earth with Ray-Ban Shooter. The first reinvention, switching attention from the pilot to the hunter. Designed for shooting, the Aviator’s curved bridge is replaced with a ring: said to be used to hold the hunter’s cigarette, freeing his hands for his gun.
Ray-Ban Outdoorsman
New Frontiers
Hot on the heels of the Ray-Ban Shooter came the Ray-Ban Outdoorsman. Designed for outdoor leisure activities like fishing and shooting, the bold brow bar was originally added to stop sweat running into the wearer’s eyes. Today it’s a bold style statement.
Ray-Ban Leather Craft
The World Through Gold-Tinted Glasses
The Ray-Ban Aviator continued its journey of reinvention with color-changing Ambermatic lenses. Reminiscent of California road tripping in the haze of summer, these amber-tinted lenses react to the light – darkening from golden yellow to rich brown to block out glare. Today the classic Ambermatic is re-launched for a new era. Ray-Ban Ambermatic Leather Craft celebrates the historical design but adds genuine leather details.
Ray-Ban Mirror
Hi Shine
The 70s space obsession infiltrated fashion. Technology raced on. This technical innovation led to Ray-Ban Aviator Mirror. With new reflective, silver-coated lenses to block out glare, these space-age frames became a dance-floor staple – and an essential accessory for any celebrity wanting to shield their eyes from the flashbulbs of the paparazzi.
Ray-Ban Evolve
Seventies Spirit
Flamboyant and color-saturated, the California beach culture of the 70s was an endless source of inspiration. With the Ray-Ban Aviator Legend, Ray-Ban amped up kaleidoscopic colors with washed crystal lenses. Sharper contrast, clearer vision – and a world awash with cool blues and smokey pinks. Today Ray-Ban celebrates this heritage and reworks the washed style with a photochromatic lens that changes in the light – enter Ray-Ban Evolve.
Ray-Ban Blaze
Blaze of Glory
In the 21st century, you don’t just shine. You blaze. With Ray-Ban Aviator Blaze, the iconic lenses dramatically redesigned, flattened and laid over the frame. Bold, metallic frames in vivid colors, they demand attention – but preserve your anonymity. Aviator in complete reinvention.
Ray-Ban Optical
Iconic Frames + Tailored Lenses
The Ray-Ban Aviator has had a lifetime of reinvention. But every interpretation has been born of the same goal: perfect vision. Ray-Ban Aviator Optical ups the ante. For the first time, Ray-Ban provides iconic frames AND authentic Ray-Ban prescription lenses. Combining Ray-Ban technology and quality to give you the frames you want and the vision you need.
Ray-Ban Wayfarer
An Instant Icon
With new materials and technology emerging in the 50s, the door was opened to a universe of new styles – and in entered the Ray-Ban Wayfarer. Plastic made elaborate frames possible – and the thick angles of the Wayfarer became an instant icon. Critic Stephen Bayley called them “a mid-century classic to rival Eames chairs and Cadillac tail fins…”
A Star in the Making
Arriving in the midst of a booming film industry, the dark, moody fames proved to have huge appeal for movie directors. Popularized by the Blues Brothers, they cemented the Ray-Ban Wayfarer’s ability to bestow instant cool on their wearer. Their most iconic role is up for debate: James Dean in Rebel Without A Cause or Tom Cruise in Risky Business?
Bridging Genres
In the 80s, the music scene exploded – the Ray-Ban Wayfarer was seen on Johnny Marr of The Smiths and The Ramones gave the frames a punk undertone they would never lose. But the Wayfarer’s appeal reached beyond genres: from Wham!’s quintessentially-pop ‘Club Tropicana’ video, to a style staple for Madonna (even appearing on the sleeve of her ‘Lucky Star’ single). Worn by the most iconic musicians over the decades, the Ray-Ban Wayfarer is synonymous with the world of music.
New in Technicolor
In the 2000s, Ray-Ban Wayfarer had a complete reinvention. The moody black frames were transformed by color. Reflecting the fashion for mixing and matching, the rebellious Ray-Ban Wayfarer gained a playful streak.
Ray-Ban Wayfarer Folding
Practical Magic
Reinvention is born of necessity. Ray-Ban combined style with function with the Ray-Ban Wayfarer Folding. With a fold added into the bridge, they could be made compact – slipped easily into a jacket pocket. Same classic bold lines, new portable frames.
Ray-Ban Clubmaster
Return to the 50s
A good reinvention looks back. With the launch of Ray-Ban Clubmaster, the 50s came back in full swing. Inspired by the masculine ‘browline’ styles popular at the time, the winged frame became an instant retro-classic.
Join the Club
Those sharp angles are all 50s, but with curved lenses and sleek black and gold hardware, Ray-Ban Clubmaster became an iconic part of 80s club style. With pop and rock bands embracing dandy style, everyone who was anyone embraced the refined, retro frames. A crash of two eras. A timeless design. They became the master of the club.
Silver Screen
Ray-Ban Clubmaster enjoyed just as close a relationship with cinema as with music. Worn by Denzel Washington in Malcolm X, and paired with a black suit on Tim Roth in Reservoir Dogs, the Ray-Ban Clubmaster became a movie icon. With a little help from Tarantino, they became badass – an instant way to evoke vintage retro cool.
New Millennium, New Launch
Fashion always comes back around. In the 2000s, Ray-Ban Clubmaster was relaunched as the masculine brow trend came back in vogue – helped along by the popularity of Mad Men. The relaunch highlighted the relationship between Ray-Ban and music, with eight musical acts leading the Ray-Ban Remaster project.
Ray-Ban Clubmaster Aluminum
The New Retro
Sleek, modernistic, lightweight: Ray-Ban Clubmaster Aluminum takes the iconic vintage style forwards to a time of skyscrapers, and the city clubbing scene of 2000. A futuristic take on the classic, the unmistakable Clubmaster frame is remade in durable aluminum. With silver and gunmetal, Ray-Ban takes the 50s back to the future.
Ray-Ban Round
A Long History
Round glasses. Teashades. Granny specs. You might know them by a different name, but you know them. Worn by hippies at legendary music festivals in the 60s, round glasses have been worn and reinvented throughout history. Thanks to owners like Benjamin Franklin they’ve become associated with counter-culture, pioneering vision and artistry.
Heart of a Poet
Worn by icons like Janis Joplin, round glasses took on the spirit of free thinkers and poets. Round evoked the nonconformist attitudes of the 60s. As a resurgence of 20s fashion merged with futuristic trend of the 60s, round glasses took their place as part of psychedelic style – demonstrated by The Beatles’ Sergeant Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band.
Made in the 80s
Propelled by the ever-evolving music scene, round glasses were reinvented once again in the late 80s. The acid house movement began to gain momentum in 1987, and clubbers blended 1980s sportswear with sixties psychedelic fashion. A resurgence of the classic 1960s shape made round sunglasses a staple of club style.
Reinventing Round
Ray-Ban Round draws on endless inspiration. Originally released in 1989 as part of the Classic Metals collection, Round combined the aesthetic of legendary sixties musicians with the sportswear fashion of the 80s. With distinct round crystal lenses and a thin metal frame, Round reinvented a classic to create an iconic style all its own.
Ray-Ban Hexagonal
Giving Round an Edge
The next evolution of Round: Ray-Ban Hexagonal. The circular shape is updated with sharp angles for a modern take on a retro classic. The Hexagonal flattens the curved lenses of the Round, giving the folksy style a bold, edgy twist. Whether you choose yours in pale lilac, bright blue, or classic black, the psychedelic spirit of the 60s lives on.
This holiday season, the Aviator – the frame that sent Ray-Ban into the stratosphere – is now available once more in its original design. Released for the 80th anniversary, available online and at Ray-Ban stores only, this reinvention looks to history instead of the future; the minute details of the Aviator 1937 throwback to the first ever Ray Ban frame – and a time of flight and fight.
Or look back to the 70s with Evolve. Those iconic Aviator lenses are remade with a photochromatic lens that changes in the light. Blaze is a complete reinvention of the Aviator. Bold flat lenses are laid over the frame for a look that demands attention. Because in the 21st century, you don’t just shine. You blaze.
The retro-classic Clubmaster is given a space-age makeover for Clubmaster Aluminium. Reinvented metallic frames – but a vintage sophistication they’ll never lose.
Ray Ban Hexagonal gives Round an edge. The folksy round frames are given a sharp update with flattened lenses and new angles. A modern update, but whether you choose yours in pale lilac, bright blue, or classic black, the psychedelic spirit of the 60s lives on.
