What do John Fitzgerald Kennedy, Audrey Hepburn, Bob Dylan, Don Johnson, Andy Warhol or Madonna have in common? Politicians, actors, musicians, artists, celebrities... All of them have been and are regulars at Ray-Ban Wayfarers, the first plastic-rimmed sunglasses, which have managed to become the best-selling and most imitated in history. And it is that, despite turning 54 years old, the traveling glasses (from the English wayfarer) that act as a "barrier against lightning" (literally from Ray-Banner, where it comes from in the name of the brand), are more than fashion. The Italian firm Luxottica, owner of the legendary brand since 1999, has announced the reissue of the legendary original Wayfarer for this spring-summer. Taking care of even the smallest detail of those that went on the market in 1953, the company pays tribute to the model that has become a true icon of music and cinema.

It was in 1953, specifically the month of July, when Elvis Presley recorded his first demos at Sun Studios in Memphis for $3.25. That same year, the Ray-Ban Wayfarer appeared, the first plastic frame with continuous lines, designed to combine high quality with modernity and very attractive shapes. Since then, they have been present at the birth and development of the musical movements that have emerged over the decades: folk, punk, pop, country, indie

Bob Dylan wore Ray-Ban Wayfarers while filming Highway 61 Revisited. In the 70s, Debbie Harry and The Ramones wore them in their performances at the legendary CBGB venue in New York, the cradle of American punk. Pet Shop Boys or Simon Le Bon also joined the Wayfarer fashion in the 80s, while superstars like Madonna or Michael Jackson protected their eyes with the firm's most rocker model. The historic black frame, already a cult object and symbol of a certain artistic status, was also among the favorite accessories of more alternative and personal musicians such as Michael Stipe, from REM, or Robert Smith, from The Cure. Today's rockers follow the trend: Brandon Flowers, Ricky Wilson or Alex Kapranos wear the same model as the musical figures who are already legends. It seems that, more than half a century after its appearance, wearing a pair of glasses with its own style like the Wayfarer is, along with the leather jacket and jeans, part of the DNA of rock & roll.

A love affair with cinema. Parallel to his ascension to the top as a musical icon, traveling glasses entered the Hollywood cinematic universe. And they did it through the front door: Cary Grant, running to save himself from a plane with murderous intent in With the death on his heels (1959); that was his first time. But his most stellar participation was nothing less than the hand (or rather the face) of the beautiful Audrey Hepburn (who played Holly Golightly), dressed in Givenchy and eating a croissant in front of the Tiffany's window in the legendary film Breakfast with diamonds. It was 1961 and the Ray-Ban Wayfarers that he wore in that unforgettable scene thus became a symbol of the most authentic glamour. The absolute consecration came in 1980 with the musical The Blues Brothers, played by actors Dan Aykroyd and John Belushi. In Risky Business (1983), Tom Cruise made them definitely fashionable as an essential accessory for the character he was playing: an ambitious young man fascinated by money, wealth and power.

Hannibal Lecter (Anthony Hopkins), in the final scene of The Silence of the Lambs (1991), while waiting for his psychiatrist; Harvey Keitel and his gang in the famous opening scene of Reservoir Dogs (1992); Sonny Crockett (Don Johnson) on the television series Miami Vice (1984) The examples are countless and not only on the big screen: actors like James Dean, Bruce Willis or Jack Nicholson have been photographed at some point in their daily lives with the already famous Wayfarer. And in a more domestic and patriotic environment, the television guys from Whoever falls, who have turned them into almost a fetish that gives a lot of play in each program.

For the first time in the history of this symbol, the company has decided to make them even more fashionable with the authentic reproduction of the original model down to the smallest details: from the size of the profile, the structure of the frame, the proportions of the temples and hinges, the geometry of the lenses and the distinctive signature of the brand on the lenses and temples.

The new rocker glasses. Made entirely of injected acetate, the version reissued for this season bears the name of Ray-Ban Wayfarer RB 2140 and is available in five different shades: in addition to the classic black, which can be found in a glossy and opaque version, warm tones are included light and dark tortoiseshell. The new Wayfarer incorporate 6 base glass lenses that come in two colors to choose from: green and cinnamon. Like the originals, the RB 2140 provides optimum visual clarity, excellent shock resistance and 100% UV protection. Although they are not accessible to any pocket (they are sold from 125 euros), the new version of the usual rock glasses promise to be the most in this summer.

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To celebrate the authenticity of the model and the return of Ray-Ban's best-known and coolest copy, two major events were held in New York and London in November and December of last year. Through an exhibition, it was possible to admire the photographs of Mick Rock – one of the legendary American music photographers – in which the Wayfarer is a very prominent accessory.

Images of true icons of the world of rock such as Bob Dylan, Blondie, Elvis Costello, U2 and REM and renowned artists such as Johnny Marr of The Smiths; Ricky Wilson of the Kaiser Chiefs; Alex Kapranos, from Franz Ferdinand, and a long etcetera made up this great sample. "Ray-Ban Wayfarers are cool, that's a fact. Any rocker who has his own image and style knows it. Therefore, I will love to portray these elegant glasses with my look of rock & roll”, said photographer Mick Rock during the presentation in the Big Apple.

But not only the Wayfarer have made history by becoming the most desired and imitated model of Ray-Ban (brand that was born in 1937 by the American company Baush & Lomb). In 1933, the latter company was chosen by the United States Air Force to develop visual protection devices for its pilots, since the visors they used at the time were not effective enough to protect them from the solar conditions they had to endure at high altitude and in adverse situations. In this way, the Aviator style was born, sunglasses with drop-shaped lenses (imitating the shape of airplane windows), light and comfortable. A year later, they went on the market for all types of public and were very successful among drivers, astronauts and sports enthusiasts.

The first model was called the Anti-Glare Aviator Sunglasses (now basically the same is marketed under the name Aviator RB3025 Large Metal). It had a gold-colored metal frame (registered under the name Arista), green 75% darkness lenses, a two-bar bridge, spatula temples, and the Ray-Ban signature in the upper left corner of the left lens, a detail that has been preserved to this day in all the firm's models.

In 1999, Bausch & Lomb sold the brand to the Italian company Luxottica Group, a world leader in the optical sector: in 2005, it reached sales of 4.3 billion euros, reflecting net profits of 342.3 million euros. With more than 5,500 retail stores, mostly in the United States, and a wholesale network that spans 120 countries in 28 markets, the group includes major companies such as Vogue, Persol, Arnette or REVO and authorized brands such as Bvlgari, Chanel, Donna Karan, Prada and Versace. At the head, an Italian, Leonardo del Vecchio, who today is the second richest man in Italy after Silvio Berlusconi. This entrepreneur from very humble origins has managed to build an empire starting from a small eyeglass manufacturing workshop. Currently, his personal fortune is estimated at more than 4,700 million euros, thus becoming one of the 100 largest in the world.

At www.ray-ban.com; www.luxottica.com