© Ray-Ban

Ray-Ban Studios goes high-end and quirky with a little help of creative multitasker Patrick Mason, and the first result is a tweaked version of the iconic Ray-Ban State Street model. Mason’s take on the model is infused with irreverence and fun, but also combining opposite forces. An obsidian black upper and amber lower effect frame, paired with a UV-sensitive fluo element between, embodies past translations through the present and the future. The legendary gold Ray-Ban logo, a symbol of tradition and authenticity, sits atop cutting-edge lightly mirrored photocromatic lenses, turning from clear to grey. Magnetic balls at the temples hold an oversized link chain. The frames are a reinvention of the Ray-Ban State Street model, inspired by Ray-Ban archives. The Berlin artist has brought his own opposing forces to the design process, with his underground rawness and sensitivity to the beautiful. The result is an alchemic synthesis of rare quality. Past and future; tradition vs innovation; materia vs chaos; nature vs tech. The egg-shaped packaging is a primordial object, upturning assumptions. It’s not white, but black and rough, not smooth. And it contains a completely new species inside, as well as a card signed by Mason himself. Just 100 pieces handmade in Italy are now available at Dover Street Market stores and Ray-Ban flagship stores worldwide, but also online.

© Ray-Ban