Saturday, June 30, 2012

Uber Cool Shades of Grey.

Long before the Iphone sparked a commercial cultural and technological revolution, another iconic product created a ubiquitous buzz worldwide. Yes it was the Aviator eye wear which hit the streets in 1936. It was the developed for pilots to protect their eyes when flying at higher altitudes and was called Anti Glare later rebranded as the Ray Bans Aviator – the rest is history. It redefined the attitude of the rebel without a cause, the pop culture of the 60’s and aesthetic, slang and pre-cursor for the definition of the word “cool dude”. A macho shabby look with unkempt hair, a motorbike, a battered leather jacket, yet the picture is never complete without a pair of Ray Bans. Johnny Depp’s hippy style and Michael Jackson sporting them in “Thriller” extended the fad well beyond the eighties. It got its greatest fillip when Tom Cruise straddled the screen wearing the aviator sunglasses in Top Gun. After 75 years this fad has refused to die out and was given a new lease when Johnny Depp in “Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas” wore it with a reckless panacea adding a dash of hippy style to his rebel bordering on the homeless character. From Indian film stars, President Obama, Idi Amin, to teenagers, pop stars and Uber cool politicians Ray Bans have always made a style statement. In fact Tom Cruise goes on to state that he never leaves his home without three things – Iphone, his credit card and his Ray Ban Aviator sunglasses. Looking at life through rose tinted sunglasses? It definitely adds an eccentric charm and adventure. Vinay Kumar

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