Shady business

Ray-Ban has long been considered the last word when it comes to high-end eyewear. Founded in 1937 by Bausch & Lomb, they were made famous by the pilots of the United States Army Air Corps, leading to their now-famous nickname - "Aviators".

The original Ray-Bans were made of gold-plated metal and had green-tinted lenses made from mineral glass, which helped block out infrared and ultraviolet rays. Over the years, the need for diversity arose and since 1952, Ray-Ban began manufacturing the "Wayfarers". This breakaway from the standard metal sunglasses turned out to be hugely popular. Over the years, this popularity has risen and declined, but the Wayfarer has never gone out of style.



In the recent past, Ray-Ban released a very limited number of rare and unique "Rare Prints" Wayfarers. They commissioned some of the world's best poster artists to design a limited series of individually-numbered posters for the range, making them as unique as the product itself.

(Artist credited below each image)

Ames Brothers

David Sossella

Paul Reilly

Marta Cerda Alimbau

Eric Van Den Boom

Aesthetic Apparatus

Vahalla Studios

Andreas Krapf

Matt W. Moore

Advertising Agency: Cutwater, San Francisco, USA Executive Creative Director: Chuck McBride Creative Director: Travis Britton Art Director: Kele Dobrinski Copywriter: Marty Senn Art Buyer: Justine Barnes Director of Print Services: Miriam Lee