Ray-Ban are releasing an exclusive pair of sunglasses with unique crossover appeal – they’re going to be snapped up both by fashionistas and by modern art collectors.
Why? They’re the brand’s first indigenous Wayfarers, and the frames are printed with a design by an up-and-coming indigenous artist.
When Ray-Ban first opened the competition back in November 2013, it was apparently flooded with entries, with emerging Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders leaping at the opportunity to have their artwork showcased on sunnies.
But it wasn’t just all about the art: $50 from every frame sold will go to OneSight, a charity which works with remote communities worldwide, providing vision care, glasses and other optical health services to save peoples’ vision.
OneSight works in 14 countries worldwide, including Peru, Nicaragua and South Africa, with more than 50 clinics as of 2014 – but the Wayfarer campaign may help them to expand even further.
Indigenous art and sunglasses might seem like a strange fit, but the people behind the competition see a clear logic. When OneSight launched the idea, they commented: “We know that Indigenous peoples have long relied on good vision to live traditional lifestyles and to tell their stories through art, and our eye care program is committed to enabling these tradition to continue.”
And the famous Aboriginal artist Alison Page agreed. “The ancient tradition of Aboriginal art and storytelling has combined with one of the great contemporary design icons to raise money to improve the lives of our people,” she told the press. “This is what our living culture is all about.”
On a more prosaic level, there was one obvious choice for spokesmodel for the campaign: Samantha Harris, the Aboriginal model who’s made a massive splash in international high fashion. It was shot on Sydney’s Maroubra Beach, just to make us long for summer.
Collaborations between international luxury brands and local artists and designers have become a trend recently, often with a charitable bent. Vivienne Westwood has launched an Ethical Fashion Africa range, with accessories and bags made from local materials by women in poor African communities. And brands like Stella McCartney and People Tree prioritise ethical production and design.
The Ray-Bans come out in mid-October, and they’ll reveal the name of the artist whose work they’ve chosen – probably a name to note in the future, art-watchers. Until then, a lot of the behind-the-scenes information – like how much the exclusive sunglasses will cost, for instance, and where they’ll be sold – is being kept under wraps.
Will you be grabbing a pair of the world’s first Indigenous Wayfarers?
Image: Ray-Bans.