Ray-Ban Studios

Ray-Ban Studios: The Concept

Founded in 1937, Ray-Ban has a deep-rooted connection to music. Bob Dylan was rarely seen without his Ray-Ban Wayfarers in the sixties, Ray Charles was a dyed in the wool Ray-Ban fan, and the brand’s musical legacy was affirmed by the Ray-Ban Wayfarer-toting Blues Brothers in the early 80s. Now, for 2018, Ray-Ban introduces a new concept firmly rooted in its musical foundations: Ray Ban Studios.

Ray-Ban Studios is a creative think tank that celebrates self-expression as a display of individuality. It’s a hub where artists can share their life stories and tell us how they stay loyal to their genuine, inner self while nurturing what their heart beats for in a world that so often pushes us to forget who we are, to conform.

Bronx-raised DJs, The Martinez Brothers, are the first artists chosen to launch Ray-Ban Studios, with a limited edition capsule collection of 500 pieces which will be launched on June 1st. The styles will be available on Ray-Ban.com and in select Ray-Ban stores.

The 2018 Campaign: Feel Your Beat

Ray-Ban Studios is now launching its first campaign, Feel your Beat, which revolves around the brand’s most iconic art form: music.

Echoing the brand’s core values, the campaign highlights the importance of being true to your heart and authentic when expressing yourself.

The print and video portions of the Feel Your Beat campaign will focus not on the stage personas of the artists, rather the humans behind the act. The aim of the campaign is to get up close and personal with the creative process and to gain a better understanding of the artists: where they come from and what the music they create means to them. Feel Your Beat will first focus on The Martinez Brothers and their unique approach to what they do.

Ray-Ban Studios, after all, is about being true to yourself, finding your rhythm and marching, ultimately, to your own beat.

The Collaboration: The Martinez Brothers

The Martinez Brothers originally hale from Puerto Rico but they were born and raised in the Bronx. Steve and Chris were big fixtures on the New York dance scene in the late nineties, where their energetic mix of house, hip hop and techno quickly gained them major slots at some of the city’s coolest music venues including the Boiler Room and the Brooklyn Mirage. The pair own their own record label, Cuttin’ Headz, and in 2011 they ventured to Ibiza to take up a residency at super club DC-10. They’ve held irregular residences on the island ever since.

“...Marching to the sound of our own drum” says Steve Martinez, “Finding out own beat, OUR own rhythm. It’s everything!”

For the first Ray Ban Studios collaboration the Martinez brothers have reinterpreted the classic Ray-Ban Wayfarer in a new and suitably dynamic way.

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Expressing his playful, vibey character, Chris pairs a striking see-through pink front with rich turtle temples and statement lenses that come back to life from the 70s: the original pink Ray-Ban Legend lens is here to play. Giving the style custom status, the Martinez Brothers’ Cutting Headz signifier features on the inside of one temple tip, with the Ray-Ban Studios logo on the other.

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Striking a deep undertone, Steve opted for a design that makes a statement without shouting it out too loud. He went for blue washed lenses with polar filters on a classic black frame and bright white temples that enhance the geometric profile of the original Ray-Ban Wayfarer.

The exclusive Martinez Brothers Cuttin Headz logo marks the inside of one temple tip, pairing with the special project Ray-Ban Studios signature on the other.