BARCELONA, Spain--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oakley, Inc. today officially unveiled the latest Scuderia Ferrari Carbon Blade™, the jewel in the crown of the Oakley Scuderia Ferrari collection. Inspired by the namesake racing team, these special editions are the first products created to celebrate the alliance between these two leaders of innovation.
Revealed by Scuderia Ferrari driver and former Formula 1 World Champion Kimi Räikkönen, the collection was launched at an immersive event in central Barcelona that brought together the expert engineering minds from Oakley and Scuderia Ferrari.
Oakley Design Engineers Ryan Calilung and Ryan Saylor took to the stage alongside Scuderia Ferrari’s Alessandra Cenicola, the engineer responsible for the production of the front and rear wing of the F1 single seater, to share their experiences. Oakley’s “mad scientists” often draw design and mechanical cues from motorsport and automotive engineering, from chassis shape and clean lines inspiring frame design to the correlation of F1 suspension mechanics and Oakley hinge mechanisms.
The group of high-performance experts shared their experiences of developing market-leading products, as well as looking forward to the endless possibilities that could come from this multi-year partnership.
“The biggest inspiration behind the Scuderia Ferrari Carbon Blade™ can be seen in the materials used to create it,” said Ryan Calilung, Oakley Design Engineer. “Carbon fiber is central to the engineering process at Scuderia Ferrari, and we wanted to reflect that passion for excellence and cutting edge innovation in the Carbon Blade. Carbon fiber has been used before in eyewear, but never in this way. Rather than shaping pieces from flat rigid plates, we molded the carbon layers into a flexible frame structure, creating a highly engineered solution.”
“When we sign an agreement with a new partner, we look for leaders in their industry who share our vision and values,” said Andrea Perrone, Ferrari Brand CEO. “Innovation, passion and commitment to results underpin everything Scuderia Ferrari does. Oakley represents all those things in the eyewear field and is a company that makes innovation a driver for its success. We are very proud and excited at Ferrari for this partnership, both for us as a brand and for all the Scuderia Ferrari fans around the world.”
The limited edition Carbon Blade™ is the halo of the 8-piece Scuderia Ferrari collection. Each model carries color highlights in Scuderia Ferrari red and is laser-etched with the Scuderia Ferrari emblem in the corner of the lens. Custom packaging and a custom case make each edition a collectible.
Synonymous with a full roster of sports racing, the Oakley icon is now a symbol of excellence in Formula 1, one of the most popular sporting events in the world.
With the partnership agreement, Oakley is the Official Licensee in eyewear, as well as the Official Supplier to Scuderia Ferrari. The team’s racers, Fernando Alonso, Kimi Räikkönen, Pedro de la Rosa and Marc Gené will carry the Oakley logo on their F1 helmets throughout 2014 and wear the Oakley Scuderia Ferrari eyewear on and off the track.
For more information on the partnership with Scuderia Ferrari go to Press.Oakley.com/Ferrari. Visit Oakley.com to learn more about the company’s performance and lifestyle products for men and women. Also visit us at Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Instagram.
About Oakley, Inc.
Established in 1975 and headquartered in Southern California, Oakley is one of the leading sports brands in the world. The holder of more than 600 patents, Oakley is continually seeking problems, solving them with inventions and wrapping those inventions in art. This philosophy has made Oakley one of the most iconic and inimitable brands on the market, with innovations that world-class athletes around the globe depend on to compete at the highest level possible. Oakley is famed for its insuperable lens technologies such as High Definition Optics® (HDO®) which is incorporated into all Oakley sun and prescription eyewear, and all premium Oakley goggles. Oakley has extended its leadership position as the world’s leading sports eyewear brand into apparel, footwear and accessories collections. Laser focused on the consumer, Oakley has both men’s and women’s product lines that target Sports Performance, Active and Lifestyle consumers. Oakley is a subsidiary of Luxottica Group. Additional information is available at www.oakley.com.
