Ray Ban a fresh look for 2010
How do you follow a decade in which your sunglasses have been at the top of everyone’s wishlist, been worn by every hip actor, musician and cool kid of the noughties and graced the eyes of many iconic celebrities in equally iconic movies?
If you’re Ray Ban you crash into the new decade with a collection of shades that is so unusual and innovative, that everyone is talking about them and lusting after them.
Once again the giant of the sunglasses industry, Ray Ban, has followed the success of their ‘classics’ relaunch with a fresh and interesting collection of sunglasses for 2010.
The classic wayfarer gets a makeover with flowers, stripes and…. a subway map. Hot on the floral trend, Ray Ban’s most famous style gets girly with blooms and pastels. For a more unisex look, striped sunglasses are available, as are a fun style with the New York subway map printed on the interior.
If Ray Ban wayfarers are not for you, perhaps the new ‘Craft Collection’ will appeal. This range is popularised by the wonderful aviator style. The aviator gets an update for 2010 with leather detailing across the brow bar and at the ends of the arms, plus crystal polarised lenses. This style has been named the ‘Outdoorsman’ and the leather touch is both luxurious and original.
With a fresh look for the new year, Ray Ban looks set to make this decade just as successful as the last.
Oakley Sunglasses – A Sporting Great
There’s no mistaking the famous Oakley logo; it’s been part of the sports landscape for the past 30 years. Found on the arm of Oakley sunglasses, it is a subtle logo yet coveys a punchy reminder of just how big and well-respected the brand has become.
There’s also no mistaking a pair of Oakley sunglasses. The classic sleek, sporty design has been imitated over and over again – to such an extent that it’s important to make sure you buy your Oakley sunglasses from an official dealer, like Shade Station.
Oakley was designed and developed for sportsmen, so it’s not surprising they’re the brand of choice for a lot of active people in both traditional and freesports. As well as fielding their own Oakley teams in a number of competitive sports, they have some high profile athletes on their books representing the brand. These include: cyclists Victoria Pendleton and Bradley Wigan, cricketer Kevin Pieterson, and golfer Ian Poulter.
Oakley have earned an enviable reputation over the years through the production of high quality, innovative, performance enhancing eyewear for men and women. The company work hard for their money and reputation, continually developing new technology and specialist features, which they incorporate into the design of their sunglasses. For instance all lenses are produced with Oakley’s pioneering ‘High Definition Optics’ which was developed to give the wearer ultimate visual clarity. Other examples of innovation are Oakley’s ‘Thump’ and ‘O Rokr’ styles which feature both bluetooth and MP3 facilities built into the arm.
Although sport is Oakley’s main draw, plenty of people choose to wear Oakley sunglasses as a fashion statement or simply because they like the quality of the glasses. So in addition to high-performance sports sunglasses, Oakley have a number of collections including ‘Design your own Oakleys’, ‘Fashion’ and ‘Collector’s Items’. The highly collectable Oakley ‘Frogskin’ is an example which displays the diversity of sunglass styles that can be found within the Oakley portfolio.
The popularity of Ray Ban Sunglasses
There aren’t many sunglass brands that have reached iconic status, yet Ray Ban has undoubtedly achieved this well-earned title. The label has enjoyed extreme highs and lows over the past 70 years and despite the lows, Ray Ban is here to stay. Very few sunglass brands have defined generations and inspired hundreds of similar designs and imitations. Amazingly given their popularity and rich heritage of celebrity endorsement throughout the Fifties, Sixties, Eighties and Noughties, Ray Ban spent long periods of time in the wilderness until their popularity surged once again.
Ray Ban sunglasses have graced movie icons such as James Dean and Audrey Hepburn, Eighties stars John Belushi and Tom Cruise and present day hipsters like Kate Moss and Lily Allen at one time or another. Of course it’s no surprise that the classic ‘Wayfarer’ has been worn more times by celebrity fans than any other model the label have produced. Popularised by films like ‘Breakfast at Tiffanys’, ‘The Blues Brothers’ and ‘Risky Business’ the ‘Wayfarer’ has enjoyed incredible success due to its simple design and sharp look.
The slightly nerdier looking ‘Clubmaster’, worn by Twilight star Robert Pattinson and the very stylish German actress Diane Kruger, has a smaller fan base but is still a classic design and affords the wearer a distinctly hip look.
The ever popular Ray Ban ‘Aviator’ design has been hugely imitated over the years and was Ray Ban’s initial creation back in 1929. Designed with special anti-glare lenses for use by pilots in the US Air force, the ‘Aviator’ model is both practical and effortlessly cool. Perhaps the most versatile of all the Ray Ban designs the ‘Aviator’ style suits men and women of all ages and can be worn both casually or formally.
Ray Ban is not only limited to these 3 styles. The brand have produced an incredible range of sunglasses over the years and you will find many of the styles on these Shade Station pages. Without a doubt Ray Ban has earned it’s icon status and we look forward to many more years of show-stopping Ray Ban designs!
Festival Chic Sunglasses
Whilst we’re half way through the summer and a number of the big festivals have been and gone, there’s still time to choose your perfect shades for the upcoming UK festivals. Still to come are; Global Gathering, Womad, The Big Chill, V Festival, Reading and Leeds, SW4, Get Loaded in the Park and Bestival. For every one, there’s a great pair of sunglasses to make you look and feel fabulous.
If you like your weekends sweaty, chaotic and hardcore, then dance festivals Global Gathering and Clapham’s SW4 and Get Loaded are for you. Accessorise your skinny jeans and vest with sunglasses in bright colours and retro styles. The original Ray Ban Wayfarers are enjoying an extended fashion moment and are currently the coolest shades to be seen in. Choose them in red or blue for the perfect dance festival look and to ensure protection from flashing strobe lights!
Carrera is another great brand to be seen in, worn by Beckham and Kylie, these retro aviator style sunglasses are super fashionable. We think the Carrera ‘Hot’ style or ‘Champion’ in tortoiseshell would be right on the money for dance festival chic.
Indie and rock kids who have bought their tickets to V or Reading will be swept away by Dragon’s ‘Fame’ style sunglasses or Von Zipper’s ‘Hoss’ shades. Both are a chunky retro-looking aviator style of glasses, that ooze savvy.
For some, a laid back vibe and world music is the order of the day – if this sounds like you, team your high-waisted jeans and trilby with sunglasses that give you a slightly more grown up air or glamour. Ray Ban’s Clubmaster shades lend an ultra cool nerdy chic or if you prefer a 70s look, opt for oversized swirling Pucci sunnies for ultimate glamorous revelry. Marc Jacobs does a sexy line in oversized shades perfect for lazy afternoon dancing or you may like an injection of vintage, with a pair of classic Christian Dior sunglasses from Shade Station’s brilliant ‘Vintage’ section.
There’s the perfect pair of sunnies for you at Shade Station and with our summer sale now on, festival style can be achieved on a shoestring!
Oakley Sunglasses built for Sport
With all eyes on the tennis at Wimbledon this week we wanted to highlight the importance of wearing the correct sunglasses to play sport in. Although many tennis players like the Venus and Serena Williams, Andy Murray and Roger Federer are seen without eye protection and often opt for visors and caps instead, they could be doing irreversible damage to their eyes whilst playing. Simply wearing sunglasses designed for sport would act as a preventative measure towards cataracts and muscular degeneration and could also improve their game!
Sports sunglasses differ from regular shades because they are designed with the active sportsman in mind;
Sports sunglasses are ergonomically designed to ensure a closer fit, so no flapping up and down whilst you’re running to the net and they are also comfortable enough to to wear whilst exerting yourself!
On-court glare is reduced by polarised lenses which reduce light and reflection from the surface of the court (and protect from UVA, UVB and UVC light) enabling you to read the game better and prevent squinting.
Most sports sunglasses are equipped with high impact lenses, meaning you won’t be caught between the eyes with a tennis ball flying at 100mph!
Although there are a handful of good brands that specialise in sunglasses for Tennis, Shade Station recommends Oakley sunglasses for all round protection and the all important ‘cool factor’. With a rich heritage of specialist sports technology and innovation, Oakley is the eyewear brand of choice worn by the majority of serious sportsmen and women.
Various tennis players on the tour circuit are aware of the significance of wearing sunglasses, including Aussie Samantha Stosur, ranked World No 18 who wears Oakley’s ‘Enduring’ style to reduce the sun’s glare. She says of the sunglasses ” I notice after matches, my eyes aren’t tired at the end of the day, unlike a lot of people who don’t wear them.”
Take it from a pro, your vision is precious so do all you can to protect it!
Check out next week’s blog where we’ll be bringing you all the celebrity sunglasses action at Wimbledon 2009!
Click here to visit our Oakley Sunglasses section
Celebrity Sunglasses at Cannes 2009!
If you’re celebrity savvy like us you will have been watching all the action at the recent 2009 Cannes Film Festival with interest. The stars, the dresses, the parties and the gossip kept us entertained for at least a week!
Angelina and Brad put on a show of togetherness in answer to reports of an imminent split. Penelope Cruz braved the festival whilst suffering with flu. Twilight’s Robert Pattinson’s non-stop partying was widely reported. Surprise at the pairing of Hero’s Hayden Panettiere and T4’s Steve Jones, seen canoodling onboard David Furnish’s yacht for the duration of the festival. Paris Hilton and her beau Doug Reinhart courting the paps as usual and Mariah Carey promoting her new film ‘Precious’. As well as 2 films depicting the life of Mademoiselle Chanel and an appearance from Chanel‘s Creative Director, the unflappable Karl Lagerfeld, made for an exciting festival.
The French Riviera was awash with Hollywood Glitterati and the sun shone brightly, so unsurprisingly we were treated to a role call of the latest, most fashionable designer sunglasses as modelled by the A-Listers.
Police sunglasses were a popular choice amongst the men, with director Quentin Tarantino, rapper Neyo and the newly reformed Spandau Ballet all sporting various cool looking styles. Brad Pitt took to the Red Carpet for his movie ‘Inglourious Basterds’ wearing top to toe Tom Ford including a sharp looking pair of Tom Ford style aviators. Both Robert Pattinson and Orlando Bloom flew the flag for Ray Ban, with the Twilight star rocking some Ray Ban Clubmasters and Bloom wearing nothing but swimming shorts and a pair of Ray Ban Wayfarers.
German born Diane Kruger is rarely seen without her Ray Ban Wayfarers and Cannes was no exception this year. Eva Longoria turned up the heat with a sizzling pair of large red Gina sunglasses by Louis Vuitton accompanied by her husband, basketball player Tony Parker. Red head Julianne Moore was pictured wearing a stunning pair of oversized black Gucci sunglasses and singer Mariah Carey chose a fabulous pair of Roberto Cavalli sunglasses for her photo call. Closing this year’s festival was Chanel muse and actress Anna Mouglalis with her film ‘Coco Chanel & Igor Strvinsky’ wearing… Chanel sunglasses – bien sur!
Glitzy Gucci sunglasses
Gucci’s flagship London store at 18 Sloane Street was recently treated to a renovation to bring it in line with the brand’s contemporary 21st Century image. The new-look boutique was unveiled on the eve of the G20 meeting in April, as Alexandra Schulman, the editor of British Vogue threw a lavish dinner for Gucci’s creative director Frida Giannini. Guests and revelers included Sophie Dahl with fiancé Jamie Cullum, Claudia Schiffer, the Geldof sisters and Richard Ashcroft.
Just like their stores, Gucci’s campaigns are hitting more modern notes. Using a slew of hip stars to promote their fresh image, glossy Gucci ads have seen actress Clare Danes, popstar Rhianna and Brit model Lily Donaldson fly the glamorous Gucci flag.
Often going above and beyond her Gucci obligations, Rhianna in particular is a huge fan of the label. She is pictured regularly wearing Gucci and sporting the most up-to-date Gucci sunglasses. Other fans of Gucci sunglasses include Catherine Zeta-Jones, Kylie, Paris Hilton, Angelina Jolie, Madonna, Katherine Heigl and the beautiful Camilla Belle.
Often ostentatious Gucci sunglasses celebrate the label’s glitzy vibrant Italian heritage. Bold and strong with arresting detail on the arms, regularly incorporating the ‘G’ of the logo, Gucci shades are flash and fabulous. The new collection for 2009 is comprehensive and smart, using cut out detailing, hints of gold, hearts and baroque patterns. Colours are diverse, from black and tortoiseshell to red and white, there’s a shade for every fashionista. And the styles vary greatly too, from classic over-sized square and circular lenses and frames to blinged up aviators and a nod to the ever-popular ray-ban style.
Proving there’s still plenty of call for striking European style shades, Gucci have come up trumps with this season’s sunglasses collection and we urge you to unleash your inner diva and GO GUCCI!
Dsquared’s debut sunglasses collection!
Dsquared is the hip label loved by all celebrities. Their clothing is regularly seen on Justin Timberlake, Lenny Kravitz and Ricky Martin. Madonna had them design costumes for her Drowned World Tour in 2001. Christina Aguilera and Rihanna took to the catwalk for them, stripping male models and posing in a muscle car respectively. Hell, even Britney’s in on the act, having commissioned the company to design outfits for her current Circus World Tour. And it doesn’t end there, the Italian Football team Juventus had Dsquared design their team kit in 1996. For a label on the edge of the high fashion periphery, Dsquared have a very loyal and glitzy following!
Dsquared is the brainchild of Canadian twins Dean and Dan Caten, who moved to Italy in 1991 to pursue their love of fashion. In 1994 they took to the Milanese runway with their debut men’s collection. The remainder of the Nineties saw the boys develop and grow their label and in 2003 they introduced a women’s collection as well as picking up a GQ Award for ‘Men of the Year award for breakout design’.
This year Dsquared have launched their first sunglasses collection. Paying homage to the 70s hip hop culture, Kool Herc and Afrika Bambaataa, the boys have created an exciting and sexy range which you’ll be able to buy at Shade Station very soon. The collection consists of 16 sunglasses designs for men and women and has been described as ‘self-assured, vibrant and sexy’. Much like the models advertising them, Naomi Campbell, Tyson Beckford and Linda Evangelista!
Contrast is key to the designs. Men’s frames alternate between teardrop shaped metal and square shaped acetate, occasionally with a touch of gold. Dsquared Women’s sunglasses are angular and wide with large circular lenses. They come in shades of red, tortoiseshell, dark brown and black.
Both men’s and women’s models have a Seventies silhouette and some are embellished with gold and jewels, to reflect the glamour of the era. If these very cool designs appeal to you, make sure you stay glued to Shade Station as Dsquared sunnies wil be available to purchase imminently!
Versace Sunglasses – Sexy and Bold
Versace is arguably the best known luxury designer brand. The label is widely known to be glamorous, beautiful, sophisticated and luxe. Headed up by Creative Director Donatella Versace, who took over the family business following the death of her brother Gianni in 1997, Versace has gone from strength to strength under her guidance.
Perhaps best known for their daring, plunging eveningwear, Versace is comfortable in the limelight and the headlines, as movie stars and musicians clamor to wear the latest designs from the Versace collection. Elizabeth Hurley is a fantastic example of a Versace Woman. Elevated to fame on the arm of Hugh Grant whilst wearing THAT infamous safety pin dress, she has since gone on to star in numerous Versace campaigns and has been a great supporter of the label and a good friend to Donatella. Similarly Jennifer Lopez is a big fan of Versace. If you had to think of one image of J-Lo, I’m guessing it would be of her wearing the green tropical, slashed to the navel, attention grabbing dress at the 2000 Grammys, early in her career. That dress was the topic of conversation for many months after and as such Versace enjoyed another red carpet smash.
Current fashion favourite, singer, Lady GaGa is renowned for her very bold choice of eyewear. The sunglasses that she is seen in, in every promotional shot, video and out on the town are widely acknowledged to be vintage Versace.
A bit like their uber sexy dresses, Versace sunglasses have an unmistakable injection of sexual prowess. Curvy and often over sized, with gold detailing largely on the arms and the instantly recognisable Versace logo, Versace shades are the accessory of choice for many a stylish woman. Although bling, Versace sunglasses never overstep the vulgar mark. Normally in black or tortoiseshell and available in many differing styles (wrap around, fly, square), Versace eyewear is definitely a stylish choice for fashion-forward confident women.
Click here to visit our Versace Sunglasses section
Pucci love. Pucci Sunglasses.
Pucci is a bit like marmite, you either love it or you hate it. Renowned for their swirling, colourful patterns, a Pucci print is an ’in yer face’, ‘take me as I am’ style statement for bold, confident women and men. Unlike other fashion houses whose designs are often hard to tell apart, Pucci is distinctive and instantly recognisable and this is it’s beauty and strength.
Often thought of as a summer, beachwear label, you may be surprised to hear that Pucci’s first foray into the fashion market was designing skiwear for image concious Europeans in the 1940s! By the Fifties Pucci was a household name and famous women of the time from movie stars like Sophia Loren to the style icon Jackie Kennedy were all seen sporting the Pucci pattern. Indeed Marilyn Monroe was buried in a Pucci dress.
From the Fifties to the present day, stylish, informed women have always chosen Pucci. Victoria Beckham, Kate Hudson and Nicole Ritchie are all big fans of the print, as are a host of other A-listers who are often to be found shading their peepers from the sun with the latest Pucci models… these women include Elle Macpherson, Mandy Moore, Oprah Winfrey and Brooke Shields.
Almost always oversized, with a unique arm, sporting a slightly paired down version of the classic pattern and generally a coloured frame, Pucci shades look chic, elegant and sexy. Quite simply, I defy you not be smitten once you’ve set eyes on a pair of Pucci sunglasses, they’ve certainly stolen my heart!