Oakley ignites Ferrari partnership

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 Raikkonen, the collection was launched at an immersive event in central Barcelona ahead of this weekend's Spanish Grand Prix 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 designers 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 Calilung. "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.

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 Raikkonen, Pedro de la Rosa and Marc Gene will carry the Oakley logo on their F1 helmets throughout 2014 and wear the Oakley Scuderia Ferrari eyewear on and off the track.