PROJECT Oakley Archives

DATE 24.02.23

Oakley is a Californian company created in 1975 by James Jannard. Operating as an independent subsidiary of Essilor Luxottica, Oakley specializes in the development and manufacturing of sports performance equipment. Founded on the principle of innovation, Oakley has always used new materials by producing models with futuristic designs never before seen. It was in 1980 that Oakley gradually gained significant notoriety due to the creation of the famous pairs of glasses from the Frame range.


During the Sydney Olympic Games in 2000, Oakley struck hard by combining the famous futuristic Overthetop pair with the face of Ato Boldon, a sprinter from Trinidad and Tobago, an iconic figure in the 100m and 200m from 1992 to 2004. These futuristic glasses became famous thanks to their unusual ergonomic design, which sees the frames sculpted onto the dome of the head rather than the traditional temples that sit over the ears.


20 years later Oakley brings the Overthetop up to date, this new version, called "Precious Mettle", presents a gradient of colors ranging from aged gold to silver and bronze, and is launched in homage to the Games which did not take place this year in Tokyo.


Today, Oakley has an important place in the sunglasses market but is better known for its famous archives. By strategically placing its iconic creations in the artistic world such as cinema such as Double Team 1997, Blade from 1998 or Mission Impossible from 2000 Oakley has ensured long-term recognition.


Oakley Performances sunglasses have reached beyond the sports world and become a high fashion staple. Models inspired by skiing and motocross have found their place at the heart of Fashion Week parades and are today used by major brands such as Louis Vuitton through the eye of Nicolas Ghesquière or by Marine Serre in her “Futurewear” aesthetic.


We wanted to highlight glasses in this article but we couldn't leave you without some archive images of other products such as watches or sneakers.


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