Hit 1980s sunglasses brand Revo is continuing its reinvention tour—and this time in partnership with the world’s most famous skier.
Founded in 1985, Revo started a craze with its mirrored lenses, derived from the same technology that NASA was using for sun protection on satellites. The glasses became synonymous with active lifestyles and pioneers in their field, appearing on football stars and astronauts alike. By the time Revo introduced the first polycarbonate ski goggle in 1996, the brand was cemented as a leader in sleek, high-performance eyewear.
Reintroducing a brand to a new generation, however, takes work—and the right celebrity face. Enter Bode Miller, one of the world’s most decorated skiers and a pioneer of the athlete-fashion collaboration. Since his earliest days of ski racing, Miller has worked directly with his sponsors to fine-tune skis to keep his edge, ultimately leading to the rise of parabolic (curve-edged, as opposed to straight-edged) skis in downhill racing.
The high-tech Alpine sunglasses from Bode Miller’s collaboration with Revo ($379) come in three different colors. Revo
“Whenever looking for potential partners, I look for brands that are like-minded and have similar philosophies,” Miller tells us. Beyond Revo’s commitment to crystal-clear lenses and lightweight frames, he appreciates the more practical aspects of the brand. “I can’t stand sunglasses that slide off your nose, if they don’t have those good nose grip things,” said Miller. “I wear a hat, and if you put your sunglasses on your hat and lean over then they fall off, that upsets me. The quality of tint is important too. It can’t make everything cloudy. The right tint has to make everything you see just sort of pop.”
The collaboration between Miller and Revo began a year ago with the introduction of two limited-edition ski goggles. Now, the duo has continued their partnership with the release of two pairs in its Black collection, an especially high-performance range of eyewear featuring carbon fiber details, featherweight construction and durable titanium frame fronts.
“Bode embodies everything that is in the DNA of Revo,” says Cliff Robinson, the brand’s CEO. “We are all about the best technology, the best optics, the best experience. He needs best-in-class gear.”
This iteration of Miller’s Freestyle shades feature evergreen photochromic lenses secured with carbon fiber ($379). Revo
The two frames Miller worked on were inspired by the demands of high-performance ski racing—“things that can move fast and handle a lot of stress,” says Robinson. Both styles feature carbon fiber frames and bridge details, as well as mirrored, polarized, photochromic lenses that adjust when going from light to dark environments. “Previously, you could get photochromic lens, or you could get mirrored, or you could get polarized,” said Robinson. “We’ve married those three buckets into one lens.”
The result is a lightweight, powerful pair of sunglasses that is as suited to adventurous activities like mountain biking and trail running as they are to the more everyday pursuits, like driving or playing with the kids outside. “As we say around our office,” says Robinson, “if these lenses are good enough for Bode, they’re good enough for us.”
