Wednesday, January 24, 2024

Sunglasses which banned the sun...

Its quite natural for us today to grab our shades before stepping out in the sun. It is not that we dont like the sun, we ofcourse love the source of life but sometmes the rays are a bit too much to see properly. So, a pair of sunglasses are a common solution as well as a fashion statement today.

That brings GIFT to a very interesting story – a story of a brand which took up a challenge for a brave cause.

In 1929, US Army Air Corps Colonel John A. Macready worked with Bausch & Lomb, a Rochester, New York–based medical equipment manufacturer, to create aviation sunglasses that would reduce the distraction for pilots caused by the intense blue and white hues of the sky.

Specifically, MacCready was concerned that pilots' goggles would fog up, greatly reducing visibility at high altitude. The prototype, created in 1936 and known as "Anti-Glare", had plastic frames and green lenses that could cut out the glare without obscuring vision. The name "Ray-Ban" was hence derived from the ability of these glasses to limit the ingress of either ultra-violet or infra-red rays of light. Impact-resistant lenses were added in 1938.

The sunglasses were redesigned with a metal frame the following year and patented as the Ray-Ban Aviator. According to the BBC, the glasses used "Kalichrome lenses designed to sharpen details and minimise haze by filtering out blue light, making them ideal for misty conditions."

Ray-Ban's most popular sunglasses are the Wayfarer, Erika, and Aviator models. During the 1950s, Ray-Ban released the Echelon (Caravan), which had a squarer frame. In 1965, the Olympian I and II were introduced; they became popular when Peter Fonda wore them in the 1969 film Easy Rider.

The company has also produced special edition lines, such as The General in 1987, bearing similarity to the original aviators worn by General Douglas MacArthur during the Second World War.

In the 1980s the Ray-Ban Clubmaster was added to the model line. The Clubmaster has a browline frame and went on to become the third best selling sunglasses style of the 1980s, behind the Wayfarer and Aviator.

In 2007, Luxottica Group launched Ray-Ban Youth, a collection of prescription eyewear aimed at children ages eight through twelve. Modeled after popular adult Ray-Bans styles, these hypoallergenic titanium frames featured both neutral and bold colorways as well as sturdy flex hinges.

Today, Ray-Ban is very much part of the luxury lifestyle of millions across the globe. Although they are facing more peddling counterfeit products from fake makers than ever, looks like the brand which did not give up challenging the sun – will not kneel before the fraudsters anyway.

As consumers, we should support the brand which did all the hard work by purchasing only the genuine products from the authorised channels. This will be a great support and appreciation for this iconic brand.

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