Ray-Ban Wayfarersunglasses and eyeglasses have been manufactured by Ray-Ban since 1952, which in turn has belonged to the Italian Luxottica Group since 1999.[1] Wayfarers enjoyed early popularity in the 1950s and 1960s, returning to popularity again in the 1980s through massive product placements. A second revival occurred in the mid-2000s.[2][3]
Classic 1980s Ray-Ban Wayfarer sunglasses (picture shows model B&L5022, another one named B&L5024 is also available, which is 2 mm wider at the nose bridge but identical otherwise)Ray-Ban logo on the Classic Wayfarer (RB5121)
Wayfarers were designed in 1952 by American optical designer Raymond Stegeman,[4][5][6] who worked for Bausch & Lomb, Ray-Ban's parent company at that time.[7] The design was inspired by, "a mid-century classic to rival Eames chairs and Cadillac tail fins."[5] According to design critic Stephen Bayley, the "distinctive trapezoidal frame spoke a non-verbal language that hinted at unstable dangerousness, but one nicely tempered by the sturdy arms which, according to the advertising, gave the frames a 'masculine look'."[5] The sunglasses also featured a new plastic molding technology.[2][5]
After Wayfarers' heyday in the 1950s and 1960s, sales declined.[5] Though Wayfarers' cultural popularity was aided in 1980 by the film The Blues Brothers,[8] only 18,000 pairs were sold in 1981,[9] and Wayfarers were on the verge of discontinuation.[10] In 1982 Ray-Ban signed a $50,000-a-year deal with Unique Product Placement of Burbank, California, to place Ray-Bans in movies and television shows.[9] Between 1982 and 1987, Ray-Ban sunglasses appeared in over 60 movies and television shows per year,[9] continuing through 2007.[11]Tom Cruise's wearing of Wayfarers in the 1983 movie Risky Business was one of the key placements,[8] and that year 360,000 pairs were sold.[9] Additional appearances in movies like The Breakfast Club, and series like Miami Vice and Moonlighting, led to sales of 1.5 million annually.[9]
The novels of Bret Easton Ellis often contain references to Wayfarers.[15] Lyrics that mentioned the style of glasses included Don Henley's 1984 song "The Boys Of Summer", which contained the lyric "You got that hair slicked back and those Wayfarers on, baby". Corey Hart's music video Sunglasses at Night shows the artists wearing Wayfarers in darkness. In response to these placements, Ray-Ban's Wayfarer expanded from two models in 1981 to about 40 models by 1989.[16][17]
As the 1990s began, the frames again became unpopular.[18] The 1950s revival that fueled the glasses' popularity in the 1980s lost momentum, and Wayfarers were outcompeted by wraparound frames.[18] During the slump of the 1990s, Ray-Ban's parent company, Bausch & Lomb was facing pressure from competitors like Oakley. In 1999, Bausch & Lomb sold Ray-Ban to Luxottica Group S.p.A. of Italy for $640 million.[19] In 2001, the Wayfarer underwent a significant redesign (RB2132), with the frames made smaller and less angular, and changed from acetate to a lighter injected plastic.[18] The changes were intended to update the frames' style during a period of unpopularity and to make them easier to wear (the frames' previous tilt made them impossible to perch on top of one's head, for instance).[18]
2000sEdit
Wayfarers were brought back into fashion in the late 2000s when public figures including Chloë Sevigny and Mary-Kate Olsen began wearing vintage frames.[20][21] When Ray-Ban noticed that vintage Wayfarers were selling for significant prices on eBay,[18] a 2007 re-introduction of the original Wayfarer (RB2140) design was initiated.[12][18][22] The RB2140 model is identical to the original B&L5022 model, except the metal "studs" on the temple arms were replaced with the Ray-Ban logo and the right lens now bears the logo as well. (As of 2007, Wayfarers were available in Original Wayfarer, New Wayfarer, and Wayfarer Folding styles.)[23] Ray-Ban's marketing strategy was threefold: a return to the sunglasses' original, rebellious design, an "edgy" advertising campaign and "high-profile PR events", and the use of new media like MySpace to connect with consumers.[24] Sales in 2007 were 231% greater than in 2006 at Selfridge's London;[6] as of October 2007, the Wayfarer was the Luxottica Group's third-best-selling style.[25]
Then-incumbent U.S. President John F. Kennedy wearing American Optical Saratoga sunglasses which resemble Wayfarers while on vacation at the Kennedy Compound in Hyannis Port, Massachusetts, August 1963 (just 3 months before his death)The sunglasses worn by Audrey Hepburn in Breakfast at Tiffany's, although often identified as Wayfarers, are actually "Manhattan" by Oliver Goldsmith.[27]
During the 2000s Wayfarer revival, many sunglasses designs inspired by the original Wayfarers were produced by designers unaffiliated with Ray-Ban. Grey Ant's Grant Krajecki designed a larger, cartoonish version of the glasses "so extreme that [they] are best worn by those with a good sense of humor".[28] Other Wayfarer-inspired sunglasses included Oliver Peoples' Hollis, REM Eyewear's Converse, and various designs in Juicy Couture, Hugo Boss, Kate Spade, Marc Jacobs's and Kaenon Polarized 2008 lines.[25] Between July and September 2008, retailers began selling frameless Wayfarers.[29]
ReferencesEdit
^"Company News: Bausch & Lomb Selling Sunglass Business to Luxottica". NY Times. April 29, 1999. Retrieved September 5, 2010.
^ abDelap, Leanne. "I wear my sunglasses at night". The Globe and Mail (July 12, 2008).
^Derrick, Gabrielle. "The world's favorite shades turn 40". The Age (October 3, 1993).
^Stegeman, Raymond F. E. Front for Spectacle Frames. US Patent #169,995.
^Passariello, Christina. "Return of the Wayfarers: Luxottica revamps once-cool Ray-Bans with an eye to women." The Wall Street Journal Europe (October 27, 2006).
^ abcdeHirschlag, Jennifer. "Ray-Ban Tunes in to a New Generation." Women's Wear Daily (November 13, 2006).
^Oppenheimer, Jerry. Front Row: Anna Wintour, the Cool Life and Hot Times of Vogue's Editor-in-Chief. St. Martin's Press (2005): p215. ISBN0-312-32310-7.
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October 21, 2023
wayfarer, sunglasses, eyeglasses, have, been, manufactured, since, 1952, which, turn, belonged, italian, luxottica, group, since, 1999, wayfarers, enjoyed, early, popularity, 1950s, 1960s, returning, popularity, again, 1980s, through, massive, product, placeme. Ray Ban Wayfarer sunglasses and eyeglasses have been manufactured by Ray Ban since 1952 which in turn has belonged to the Italian Luxottica Group since 1999 1 Wayfarers enjoyed early popularity in the 1950s and 1960s returning to popularity again in the 1980s through massive product placements A second revival occurred in the mid 2000s 2 3 Classic 1980s Ray Ban Wayfarer sunglasses picture shows model B amp L5022 another one named B amp L5024 is also available which is 2 mm wider at the nose bridge but identical otherwise Ray Ban logo on the Classic Wayfarer RB5121 Contents 1 Design and early popularity 2 1970s and 1980s 3 1990s 4 2000s 5 2020s 6 Similar designs 7 References 8 External linksDesign and early popularity Edit nbsp Figure 1 US design patent 169 995Wayfarers were designed in 1952 by American optical designer Raymond Stegeman 4 5 6 who worked for Bausch amp Lomb Ray Ban s parent company at that time 7 The design was inspired by a mid century classic to rival Eames chairs and Cadillac tail fins 5 According to design critic Stephen Bayley the distinctive trapezoidal frame spoke a non verbal language that hinted at unstable dangerousness but one nicely tempered by the sturdy arms which according to the advertising gave the frames a masculine look 5 The sunglasses also featured a new plastic molding technology 2 5 1970s and 1980s Edit nbsp Actor Corey Feldman wearing Wayfarers at the Academy Awards 1989After Wayfarers heyday in the 1950s and 1960s sales declined 5 Though Wayfarers cultural popularity was aided in 1980 by the film The Blues Brothers 8 only 18 000 pairs were sold in 1981 9 and Wayfarers were on the verge of discontinuation 10 In 1982 Ray Ban signed a 50 000 a year deal with Unique Product Placement of Burbank California to place Ray Bans in movies and television shows 9 Between 1982 and 1987 Ray Ban sunglasses appeared in over 60 movies and television shows per year 9 continuing through 2007 11 Tom Cruise s wearing of Wayfarers in the 1983 movie Risky Business was one of the key placements 8 and that year 360 000 pairs were sold 9 Additional appearances in movies like The Breakfast Club and series like Miami Vice and Moonlighting led to sales of 1 5 million annually 9 Wayfarers were also worn by various musicians including Roy Orbison Michael Jackson George Michael Rick Astley Billy Joel Johnny Marr 12 Blondie s Debbie Harry 12 Madonna Depeche Mode Elvis Costello 12 and members of U2 12 and Queen as well as public figures such as Max Headroom Jack Nicholson 13 and Anna Wintour 14 The novels of Bret Easton Ellis often contain references to Wayfarers 15 Lyrics that mentioned the style of glasses included Don Henley s 1984 song The Boys Of Summer which contained the lyric You got that hair slicked back and those Wayfarers on baby Corey Hart s music video Sunglasses at Night shows the artists wearing Wayfarers in darkness In response to these placements Ray Ban s Wayfarer expanded from two models in 1981 to about 40 models by 1989 16 17 1990s Edit nbsp Ray Ban New Wayfarer sunglasses RB2132 901L As the 1990s began the frames again became unpopular 18 The 1950s revival that fueled the glasses popularity in the 1980s lost momentum and Wayfarers were outcompeted by wraparound frames 18 During the slump of the 1990s Ray Ban s parent company Bausch amp Lomb was facing pressure from competitors like Oakley In 1999 Bausch amp Lomb sold Ray Ban to Luxottica Group S p A of Italy for 640 million 19 In 2001 the Wayfarer underwent a significant redesign RB2132 with the frames made smaller and less angular and changed from acetate to a lighter injected plastic 18 The changes were intended to update the frames style during a period of unpopularity and to make them easier to wear the frames previous tilt made them impossible to perch on top of one s head for instance 18 2000s EditWayfarers were brought back into fashion in the late 2000s when public figures including Chloe Sevigny and Mary Kate Olsen began wearing vintage frames 20 21 When Ray Ban noticed that vintage Wayfarers were selling for significant prices on eBay 18 a 2007 re introduction of the original Wayfarer RB2140 design was initiated 12 18 22 The RB2140 model is identical to the original B amp L5022 model except the metal studs on the temple arms were replaced with the Ray Ban logo and the right lens now bears the logo as well As of 2007 Wayfarers were available in Original Wayfarer New Wayfarer and Wayfarer Folding styles 23 Ray Ban s marketing strategy was threefold a return to the sunglasses original rebellious design an edgy advertising campaign and high profile PR events and the use of new media like MySpace to connect with consumers 24 Sales in 2007 were 231 greater than in 2006 at Selfridge s London 6 as of October 2007 the Wayfarer was the Luxottica Group s third best selling style 25 2020s EditIn September 2021 Ray Ban and Facebook Reality Labs announced a collaboration for smart glasses including Wayfarers with built in cameras called Ray Ban Stories 26 Similar designs Edit nbsp Then incumbent U S President John F Kennedy wearing American Optical Saratoga sunglasses which resemble Wayfarers while on vacation at the Kennedy Compound in Hyannis Port Massachusetts August 1963 just 3 months before his death nbsp The sunglasses worn by Audrey Hepburn in Breakfast at Tiffany s although often identified as Wayfarers are actually Manhattan by Oliver Goldsmith 27 During the 2000s Wayfarer revival many sunglasses designs inspired by the original Wayfarers were produced by designers unaffiliated with Ray Ban Grey Ant s Grant Krajecki designed a larger cartoonish version of the glasses so extreme that they are best worn by those with a good sense of humor 28 Other Wayfarer inspired sunglasses included Oliver Peoples Hollis REM Eyewear s Converse and various designs in Juicy Couture Hugo Boss Kate Spade Marc Jacobs s and Kaenon Polarized 2008 lines 25 Between July and September 2008 retailers began selling frameless Wayfarers 29 References Edit Company News Bausch amp Lomb Selling Sunglass Business to Luxottica NY Times April 29 1999 Retrieved September 5 2010 a b Delap Leanne I wear my sunglasses at night The Globe and Mail July 12 2008 Derrick Gabrielle The world s favorite shades turn 40 The Age October 3 1993 Stegeman Raymond F E Front for Spectacle Frames US Patent 169 995 a b c d e Bayley Stephen Notes amp Theories Through a Pair of Glasses Darkly The Independent on Sunday June 18 2006 a b Walker Esther Geeky but chic Independent Extra July 3 2008 Google patent search for Raymond Stegeman 70 of 72 patents issued to Stegeman were assigned to Bausch and Lomb a b Bland Simon 3 August 2020 Dan Aykroyd and John Landis how we made The Blues Brothers The Guardian Retrieved 20 September 2023 a b c d e Leinster Colin A Tale of Mice and Lens Fortune September 28 1987 August Melissa et al Through A Glass Darkly Time July 12 1999 Passariello Christina Return of the Wayfarers Luxottica revamps once cool Ray Bans with an eye to women The Wall Street Journal Europe October 27 2006 a b c d e Hirschlag Jennifer Ray Ban Tunes in to a New Generation Women s Wear Daily November 13 2006 Spade Kate Style Simon and Schuster 2004 p66 ISBN 0 7432 5067 2 Oppenheimer Jerry Front Row Anna Wintour the Cool Life and Hot Times of Vogue s Editor in Chief St Martin s Press 2005 p215 ISBN 0 312 32310 7 Ellis Bret Easton Less than Zero Vintage Contemporaries 1998 originally published 1984 p121 122 203 ISBN 0 679 78149 8 Ellis Bret Easton The Rules of Attraction Simon amp Schuster 1987 p25 40 122 ISBN 0 671 62234 X Ellis Bret Easton American Psycho Vintage 1991 p70 71 81 224 242 257 394 ISBN 0 679 73577 1 Norris Scott Boosting the Hottest Shades Under the Sun Rochester Business Journal Oct 9 1989 section 1 p10 MJ Style Spy permanent dead link GQ com October 2007 a b c d e f Rushton Susie Ray Ban Wayfarer spec tacular revival The New Zealand Herald May 06 2007 COMPANY NEWS BAUSCH amp LOMB SELLING SUNGLASS BUSINESS TO LUXOTTICA The New York Times April 29 1999 Retrieved 2014 10 27 Brown Laura Mary Kate Olsen s Singular Style Harper s Bazaar September 23 2007 Toulin Alana The IT list for 2008 The Ottawa Citizen December 29 2007 Ray Ban Wayfarer Relaunch Wallpaper January 25 2007 Ray Ban Official website Archived 2007 05 18 at the Wayback Machine 2007 Accessed October 7 2007 Brunelli Richard Ray Ban Wayfarers Made in the Shade Adweek October 1 2007 a b Brown Rachel A Blast from the Past at Vision Expo West Women s Wear Daily October 8 2007 RAY BAN STORIES Campbell Craig 5 May 2017 80 years of Ray Bans Shades don t come much cooler than these Sunday Post Sunday Post Retrieved 12 July 2017 Magsaysay Melissa New riffs on the Wayfarer Los Angeles Times November 4 2007 Demasi Laura Sunny outlook The Sun Herald Sydney Australia July 6 2008 External links Edit nbsp Wikimedia Commons has media related to Ray Ban Wayfarer Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Ray Ban Wayfarer amp oldid 1177578983, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
