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Photographer Dean Chalkley shot this image of rock band The Kills performing at the Ray-Ban Remasters event in Beijing |
ITALY. Luxottica has hosted a series of Ray-Ban Remasters events in major fashion capitals to celebrate the re-launch of the group’s iconic Ray-Ban Clubmaster sunglasses inspired by 1950s and 60s rock’n’roll style.
Top artists from the contemporary music scene performed live reinterpretions of their favourite 1950s and 60s songs at the Ray-Ban Remasters events in New York, Beijing and Milan.
Click to view Ipso Facto perform as part of the Ray-Ban Remasters sessions |
The new Clubmaster collection, with its simple but sophisticated lines, is described as an authentic reproduction of the original style enriched by a choice of eight new colours.
The original Clubmaster made its first appearance in 1986, taking reference from 1950s Browline design.
Ray-Ban Remasters brought together the renowned British music and fashion photographer Dean Chalkley and the young stars of the contemporary music scene in an exclusive experience. Paolo Nutini, Ladyhawke and Young Knives were among the artists who performed.
Dean Chalkley portrayed the stand-out moments of Ray-Ban Remasters, starting with the recording sessions in the studio up to the live performances on stage.
The Padiglione Visconti, located in the trendiest area of Milan, was the exclusive venue for the closing event of Ray-Ban Remasters programme on 2 April, attended by Luxottica Group Travel Retail Director Francis Gros and Travel Retail Marketing Manager Charlotte Hamel.
Last December, the stage of the Bowery Ballroom in New York hosted the Jacksonville quintet Black Kids, the Ipso Facto and the hardcore hedonist White Williams. Many celebrities attended, such as Kevin Bacon, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Joshua Jackson and Diane Kruger.
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Joshua Jackson (left) and Kevin Bacon are celebrity fans of Ray-Ban’s Clubmaster sunglasses | |
The second act moved to Beijing in March. Each event offered an exclusive live performance of the artists involved in Ray-Ban Remasters and their selected tracks.
Commenting on the Ray-Ban Remasters events, Chalkley said: “I must say I feel very honoured to have witnessed these artists’ creative processes. It’s fantastic to hear the tracks coming to life in the studio, then by the end of the day to hear the completed work. When I first heard about the Clubmaster project I was very excited. Ever since I was that young Mod “˜whippier snapper’, I have held Ray-Ban in very high esteem, to me they are it… You know Ray-Ban has been around for a long time but it’s clear that they are not complacent about developing new styles around classic designs and that’s why they are more relevant today than ever.”
VIEW THE 2009 RAY-BAN CLUBMASTER PICTURE GALLERY BELOW:
ABOUT THE RAY-BAN CLUBMASTER COLLECTION
Updated in vibrant colours, the Clubmaster frame features a vintage Ray-Ban finish using traditional materials juxtaposed with bright, modern colours. Attention to technical detail, combined with a refined style, makes the Clubmaster (RB 3016) a classic in the Ray-Ban The Icons collection, for both men and women, according to the company.
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The Black Kids performing at the Ray-Ban Remasters sessions in New York |
The vibrant colour palette includes red, white, green, blue, beige, brown, grey and violet, with eight new colours in total joining the original black and tortoiseshell. There is a “crinkled” effect acetate on the arms and brow bars combined with metal detailing.
Over the years the Clubmaster has been worn by stars such as Matt Damon in The Good Shepherd (2006) and The Talented Mr Ripley (1999), Tom Hanks in Catch Me if You Can (2002), Michael Douglas in Falling Down (1993), Denzel Washington in Malcolm X (1992) and Kevin Costner in JFK (1991).
Luxottica Group Executive Vice President Wholesale & Marketing Antonio Miyakawa commented: “Ray-Ban is the number one brand in eyewear globally and it has such a huge history of success. We are thrilled about this exciting experience with top talents in music and famous photographer Dean Chalkley. The re-launch of Ray-Ban Clubmaster sets a new milestone in Ray-Ban’s continued evolution towards being one of the most iconic brands globally. We are proud of being, still today, at the verge of the exciting world of indie-rock music, which perfectly expresses the personality of Ray-Ban.”
Click to see The Young Knives perform as part of the Ray-Ban Remasters sessions |
About Luxottica Group
Luxottica Group is a global leader in eyewear, with over 6,250 optical and sunglass stores in North America, Asia Pacific, China, South Africa and Europe and a strong brand portfolio that includes key house brand, Ray-Ban, as well as licensed brands such as Bvlgari, Burberry, Chanel, Dolce & Gabbana, Donna Karan, Polo Ralph Lauren, Prada, Salvatore Ferragamo, Tiffany and Versace, and other key house brands Oakley, Oliver Peoples, Vogue, Persol, Arnette and REVO.
In addition to a global wholesale network that spans over 130 countries, the group manages leading retail
brands such as Sunglass Hut worldwide. Products are designed and manufactured in six Italian plants, in the only two Chinese plants wholly-owned by a premium eyewear manufacturer, and in manufacturing facilities in the US acquired as part of the Oakley acquisition. For fiscal year 2008, Luxottica Group posted consolidated net sales of €5.2 billion.
For details, contact Charlotte Hamel, Travel Retail Marketing Manager, Luxottica, at charlotte.hamel@ie.luxottica.com Visit www.ray-ban.com and www.luxottica.com
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