Justin Timberlake’s New Eyewear Lines

Conceptualized and founded in 2005 by megastar Justin Timberlake and his business partner Trace Ayala, the William Rast company originally just sold denim products. Over time the brand has expanded to include leathers, woven clothing and knits, and now eyewear . Scheduled to debut in 2011, one line of glasses will be called “William Rast Eyewear” and the other line will be called “William Rast Racing Eyewear”.

The line of designer specs will cater to both men and women and will be produced in conjunction with the well-established eyewear company Viva International Group. Frank Resigna, president of Viva International said in a press release “With such an incredible creative force behind the brand, the possibilities are endless. Combined with a strong sense of style and fashion, a complete design story is portrayed not only in the eyewear collection, but also throughout the full William Rast lifestyle brand.”

According to Colin Dyne, Chief Executive Officer of People’s Liberation, William Rast’s parent holding company, the William Rast brand will soon also be expanding into footwear, accessories, and fragrances in the near future. In the press release announcing the deal between William Rast and Viva International he was quoted as saying “We are very excited to work with Viva International as our eyewear partner. After meeting with Viva’s management and design teams, we believe that Viva’s ability to create and distribute high-quality and stylish eyewear for both the sportswear and premium lines will resonate positively with our customers around the world.”

The Specs to Expect

“Justin [Timberlake] wears glasses now, so some of the [William Rast Eyewear] inspiration will come from him.” Dyne said. Justin recently appeared on the “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” show wearing Clark Kent-styled “nerd glasses”, and proudly proclaimed that he’s not ashamed of having to wear prescription glasses. “I’ve embraced it [his poor eyesight]. Obviously I’ve made a commitment with these glasses. I’m good.” he said.

None of the upcoming William Rast Eyewear designs have been released yet, but it seems probable that the designer line will include a at least a few thick black rimmed glasses that Timberlake personally favors.

The Racing Collection

Referring to the William Rast Racing Eyewear line, Dyne said the design inspiration would not come from Timberlake, but rather from William Rast’s relationship with Indy-car racing. “We’ve been involved with Indy-car racing for some time through sponsorships and various other ways, so the collection will draw inspiration from that.” he said. He also said that the racing collection will feature “technical features” and a “sportier” style.

The marriage of Indy-car racing and eyewear is a strange relationship to envision, so it will be interesting to see what the Viva designers come up with there.

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