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In their 75th year, Ray-Ban who have brought you the iconic Wayfarer, Aviator and the Clubmaster have stood the test of time and are as popular today as ever but their ride to the top wasn't as smooth as you might think. Ape to Gentleman look back at the story of this iconic eyewear brand.

1937

Founded in 1937 by Bausch & Lomb, the Ray-Ban brand was initially created for the U.S. Army Air Corp. With pilots at the time suffering (sometimes permanent) eye damage, Bausch & Lomb were asked to create lenses that would protect aviators from the sun's powerful glare. Their solution was the Anti-Glare Lens, patented on May 7th 1937. The first iconic Ray-Ban design, it featured ultra lightweight gold-plated frames, green mineral glass lenses designed to protect from infrared and UV rays, and a look that was slick and masculine enough to fit in on any army base. The shades were a hit, earning Ray-Bans the moniker 'Aviator Glasses'; now a catch-all term for sunglasses that have a similar design to the shades that started it all.

Tom Cruise as Pete 'Maverick' Mitchell wears Ray-Ban's model 3025 (Aviator Classic) sunglasses with gold frame and green lenses in the 1986 American action drama Top Gun

1952

On their journey from the military to the mainstream, Ray-Ban broke from the metal frame mould in 1952, when Raymond Stegeman created their first hard plastic frame design, The Wayfarer. Initially intended for men, the now legendary shades soon crossed over into women's fashion, as both genders became bewitched by the Wayfarer's classic style.

A breakthrough for eyewear design, which had been strictly metal frame-oriented, Wayfarers now rank in every 'design classics' list, and with good reason. Their ability to flatter every face shape helped Wayfarers gain mass appeal, right across the socio-economic divide - you were as likely to see a pair framing the President's face as you were to see them perched on the nose of the average American teen.

1960s

Gaining popularity, thanks to famous faces like Marilyn Monroe, James Dean, Andy Warhol, Bob Dylan, The Beatles, and JFK, Wayfarers had become a bona fide classic with hipsters, squares, teenyboppers and beatniks alike by the 1960s.

1970s-1981

Come the 70s, however, the brand's popularity was on the wane, with disco hustling them off the dancefloor in favour of more OTT styles and design houses like YSL and Dior entering the eyewear market for the first time. By 1981, sales were down to a measly 18,000 pairs. With the brand's fortunes hanging in the balance, Ray-Ban decided to make a serious push for revival, with staggering results.

Ray-Ban in the 70's - Ray-Ban Vagabond and Stateside

In the 70s, disco was king, and wearing the right outfit and accessories had never been more important. By now, Ray-Bans had become a fashion item in their own right and were just as likely to be worn indoors as outside. Of course, the requirements of fashion wearers were totally different from those who needed sunglasses for practical reasons, and this led B&L to branch out into catering for two individual markets: the fashion market and the sports market.

On the fashion front, the Ray-Ban Vagabond and the Ray-Ban Stateside each made their debut. These models had plastic frames, and came with a choice of lens: the standard G-15 lens and the G-31 mirror lens. Again, over the years these designs have been adapted to make them more in line with the modern look.

In addition to devising new Ray-Ban models in the 70s, B&L were also breaking further new ground in lens design. A lens for mountaineers featured mirrored lenses, as well as leather side shields to cut out the wind, whilst the Ambermatic lens (1974), was photosensitive, darkening and lightening in response to the strength of the light. It also gave fantastic definition to outlines and shadows, making it a fabulous choice for snow sports activities.

B&L also made another leap forward with the advent of prescription sunglasses, saving countless wearers the hassle of juggling general glasses and sunglasses. Ray-Bans in the 1980s - the return of the Wayfarer During the high-fashion era of the 80s, Ray-Ban continued to keep a prominent place in fashion consciousness. Movie culture kept the public profile high and the Wayfarer put in an appearance in 'The Blues Brothers' (1980) and 'Risky Business' (1983). The original Aviator had a strong resurgence when Tom Cruise sported a pair in 'Top Gun' (1986), taking the model back into the heart of its original aerodynamic roots.

Pop culture also had a role to play. In particular, Michael Jackson was seen wearing several models, including the Ray-Ban Aviator for his 1984 Grammy event and the Wayfarer on his world-beating 'Bad' tour from 1987-89.

1982

Far from being an organic comeback, it was a calculated product placement campaign that would revive the classic brand, with a lucrative deal signed in 1982 with Unique Product Placement. In exchange for $50,000 a year, Ray-Bans would be placed in over 60 movies and TV shows annually. A year later, following a starring role adorning Tom Cruise in box-office smash 'Risky Business', sales leapt to 360,000. The Wayfarer-clad Breakfast Club, Miami Vice, Madonna and Michael Jackson followed. By 1986, Wayfarer sales had reached a staggering 1.5 million.

1990s

Come the grungy 90s, with all things 80s being deemed uncool, sales slumped once more as wraparound shades from brands like Oakley came to the fore. Ray-Ban tried updating their frames, but the kids didn't wanna know.

A recent advert by Ray-Ban with a nod to the brands' heritage

2000s-

Well, fads may come and go, but true classics never go out of style, and come the mid-2000s, vintage fashion was sweeping the high street and the catwalk. As a growing number of celebs and music artists were seen stepping out in vintage Ray-Bans, the brand noticed their vintage Wayfarers and Clubmasters were going for a song on eBay.

Quick to capitalise, Ray-Ban relaunched their original patented Wayfarer design in 2007, this time expanding the colour palette. Selfridges reported sales were up 231% over 2006, and the brand's success ushered in a late-noughties vintage eyewear revival. Still a firm A-list and public favourite and as the brand's history shows - quality and classic style always wins.