As Ray-Ban’s owner Leonardo Del Vecchio dies, we take a look at the history of the world’s most famous sunglasses
A still from Top Gun, showing Tom Cruise wearing Ray-Ban Aviator sunglasses. Paramount Pictures
Starting from its birth out of necessity of US Air Force pilots in the 1930s and becoming a fashion statement as the likes of Tom Cruise sauntered off airplanes in slow motion, Ray-Ban has been instrumental in influencing fashion trends and forging the rise of celebrity culture.
As Ray-Ban’s owner Leonardo Del Vecchio dies, we take a look at the history of the world’s most famous sunglasses and how it was born out of necessity of the US air force:
Birth of Ray-Ban
In the 1930s, as new airplanes reached previously-unimaginable heights, many US Air Force pilots reported that the glare from the sun was giving them headaches and altitude sickness.
According to the Business Insider, US Army Air Corps Lieutenant General John Macready commissioned Bausch & Lomb to design a new pair of sunglasses in 1929. A prototype designed with green lenses proved to remove glare without obscuring the pilot’s vision.
Since the anti glare glasses cancelled or, more precisely, ‘banned’ the rays from US pilots’ eyes, they were christened with the name “Ray-Ban”.
The original glasses featured a plastic frame with the now classic Aviator shape. This new anti-glare eyewear went on sale to the public in 1937.
The sunglasses were remodeled with a metal frame the following year and rebranded as the Ray-Ban Aviator, perhaps the most iconic and recognisable design anywhere in the world.
The popularity of Aviator rose to such heights that an entire category of sunglasses of the same name entered the common parlance.
Improving Ray-Ban
World War II saw American Air Force pilots continue to rely on Ray-Ban. Research and development resulted in innovations such as the gradient mirror lens.
It featured a special coating on the upper part of the lens for enhanced protection, and an uncoated lower lens for a clear view of the plane’s instrument panel.
Though designed for military use, these products and innovations resonated with civilians who wanted to enjoy the same high-performance tools the pros were using.
The iconic sunglasses have found takers in leading Hollywood actors, films and popular cultural icons.
Ray-Ban in popular culture
The Ray-Ban Wayfarer model was launched in 1952, and once they had been seen on screen legends such as James Dean in 1955’s Rebel Without a Cause and later on Audrey Hepburn in 1961’s Breakfast at Tiffany’s.
A squarer version of the Ray-Ban Aviator later worn by Robert De Niro in 1976’s Taxi Driver.
Ray-Ban continued to create new styles and Hollywood stars continued to wear them. The Ray-Ban Olympian I and II were introduced in 1965 and worn by Peter Fonda in Easy Rider in 1969.
Ray-Ban Balorama sunglasses emerged in 1968 and were famously worn by Clint Eastwood in Dirty Harry in 1971. Meanwhile, Bob Dylan was rarely seen without his Ray-Ban Wayfarer, the dark lenses adding to his enigmatic non-conformist appeal.
In the movies, there were leading roles for Ray-Ban Wayfarer in The Blues Brothers (1980) and Risky Business (1983). Top Gun (1986) took Ray-Ban Aviator back to their fighter pilot roots, boosting sales of the Ray-Ban original.
Michael Jackson established his signature look when he showed up at the 1984 Grammys in a pair of Ray-Ban Aviator. But it was Ray-Ban Wayfarer he chose for his epic Bad tour , which ran from 1987-89 and became the highest-attended tour in history.
Ray-Ban continued to be a movie favorite in the 1990s as the Clubmaster was worn by Denzel Washington in Malcolm X (1992) and Tim Roth in Reservoir Dogs (1992). Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones wore Ray-Ban Predator in Men in Black in 1997.
Johnny Depp wore a pair of Ray-Ban Shooter in 1998’s Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas.