In the far north of Italy at the base of the beautiful Alps lies the now bustling and modern city of Torino. But nearly a century ago it was a quaint town home to a well regarded optical group called Berry Opticians. The owner of this group, Giuseppe Ratti, was passionate about his work and set about imagining how to expand the uses and versatility of eyewear in his time. In his small, quiet courtyard, Ratti did just that. His goals were as simple as his clientele was adventurous: to go above and beyond the demands of racing drivers and local pilots whose rough and tumble work required optimal vision. To this end, comfort and protection would be key.
On this front Ratti’s new prototypes were successful. His new designs led to the development of the new model, the Protector, a design of eyewear truly in a class of its own. The Protector’s outstanding quality, versatility, protective qualities, and above all, comfort taught Ratti the values he would instill in his future company. His creative brand, Persol, which colloquially translates as “for the sun”, was set to become the defining embodiment of Ratti’s mantra.
Over the course of the next century, Ratti’s company found itself to be the world’s eminent designer of comfortable, practical, and beautiful eyewear. After exhaustive research in both the field and the laboratory -and once satisfied that the design would meet and exceed the challenges facing a pair of eyeglasses in the real world- only then would the company approve new lens and frame designs to go into production. Such practices ensure that the brand remains amongst the world’s most innovative eyewear designers on the cutting edge of technology and style.
Persol’s dedication to its mantra of protection, comfort, and style has given birth to the industry’s most beautiful and robust designs which have stood the test of time. Of the hundreds of models the brand has produced in its many years, there are a few models that stand out above the rest.
-Persol 2720. Worn by Daniel Craig in his first outing as James Bond in Casino Royale, the 2720 has skyrocketed to fame amongst those seeking a versatile and classically sleek design.
-Persol 714. Likely the brands most famous, and infamous model. The 714 was brought to the forefront of style design by the timeless Steve McQueen. The King of Cool was rarely spotted without his 714s which dovetailed well with his ever present aura of refined rage. To wear the this model today is to channel the King indeed.
-Persol 2931. The culmination of Persol’s tireless efforts to meld style and protection have been realized in the Persol 2931. The comfort and classic lines of this model go above and beyond anything the brand has produced prior and whose design will define the brand for the foreseeable future.
It does not matter which model you select for you can rest easy knowing your purchase comes with the wonderful history of the world’s most inventive eyewear designer. Couple this with Persol’s renowned quality and ever-improving production techniques and timeless style, and you can be certain you are wearing likely the coolest sunglasses around. Happy shopping!
