Ray-Ban

Ray-Ban was founded in 1936 by Bausch & Lomb in collaboration with the United States Army Air Corps. Colonel John A. Macready, a U.S. Army Air Corps pilot, approached Bausch & Lomb in 1929 to develop sunglasses that would reduce glare for pilots flying at high altitudes. The result was the Anti-Glare aviator-style sunglasses, released to the public in 1937 and later rebranded as the Ray-Ban Aviator. The name Ray-Ban comes from the brand's mission to 'ban rays' of light.

In 1999, Bausch & Lomb sold Ray-Ban to the Italian eyewear conglomerate Luxottica Group for approximately $640 million. Luxottica later merged with Essilor to form EssilorLuxottica, the global leader in vision care. Today, Ray-Ban operates as a subsidiary of EssilorLuxottica, headquartered in Milan, Italy. The brand employs between 201 and 500 people at its Milan office.

Ray-Ban is best known for its two iconic models: the Aviator and the Wayfarer. The Aviator, originally designed for pilots, features a teardrop-shaped lens and thin metal frame. The Wayfarer, introduced in 1952, has a bold plastic frame that became a cultural symbol. Other notable models include the Clubmaster, Round, and Justin. Recent innovations include the Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses line, launched in 2023 in partnership with Meta, and the Reverse collection, which debuted the same year. In September 2025, the company announced the Meta Ray-Ban Display, its first augmented reality glasses. Rapper ASAP Rocky was appointed the brand's first creative director in 2025.

Ray-Ban's marketing campaign 'Proud to Belong' emphasizes individuality and self-expression. The brand has been deeply embedded in popular culture, with its sunglasses worn by James Dean in Rebel Without a Cause, Audrey Hepburn in Breakfast at Tiffany's, and Robert De Niro in Taxi Driver. Musicians Bob Dylan, Michael Jackson, and Johnny Marr have also been associated with the brand. [edit]