Fast cars, Hollywood stars and edgy movies. Over 60 years Carrera has been associated with them all. Hardly surprising then that this Austrian brand is no less sought out today than it was when it first launched in 1956.
International celebrities who’ve worn Carrera glasses over the past years include big names in sports history like Gilles Villeneuve, Niki Lauda and Jenson Button. The brand hasn’t gone unnoticed among movie stars and musicians either with the likes of Brad Pitt, Leonardo Di Caprio, Halle Berry, Kylie Minogue, Justin Timberlake, Kanye West and Jessica Alba all sporting Carrera from time to time.
On the silver screen, you’ll have noticed Carrera glasses take the spotlight in movies such as Down Hill Racer from back in 1969, Scarface in 1983 and more recently Rush (2013). Carrera has also featured in music videos, such as Lady Gaga’s Bad Romance, Rihanna’s Rude Boy and Alicia Keys’ Try to sleep with a broken heart to name a few.
A Racing Spirit
It seems Carrera was always meant to be in the spotlight. The brand was founded by sports eyewear maker Wilhelm Anger and takes its name from the legendary “Carrera Panamericana” – one of the most famous road races in Latin America in the 1950s that ran for 3000 km.
Carrera continues to explore styles of the past while remaining at the forefront of modern design
A division of the Wilhelm Anger Werker company, Carrera first ventured into sports eyewear, producing motorcycle goggles and ski masks. The category has maintained a solid following – for over half a century Carrera goggles and helmets have been worn by some of the biggest names in world cycling and skiing.
In 1964, Anger invented and patented Optyl, a revolutionary material 100 per cent hypoallergenic, 30 per cent lighter than traditional acetate and with an amazing memory effect for elasticity and comfort.
With the racing spirit embedded in its DNA, Carrera established key partnerships in those early years, among them the famous automobile designer Ferdinand Alexander Porsche.
Venturing into fashion eyewear in the 1980s, Carrera created new collections, among them Sunjet and Boeing and in 1996, joined the Safilo Group.
Past and Present
Carrera continues to explore styles of the past while remaining at the forefront of modern design, re-introducing cult models with innovative technical solutions and unique stylistic details.
Take, for example, Carrera’s iconic teardrop shaped Champion sunglasses, which have now been released in ultra-lightweight Optyl and its iconic sun collections, reinterpreted as optical frames.
Celebrating 60 years of style
Carrera celebrated its 60th birthday with the launch of Carrera 124/S, an exclusive edition of the iconic reversed bridge construction that marked the Boeing style 27 years ago.
A new ad campaign has also helped the celebrations along, this time featuring Academy Award Winning actor, musician, director and entrepreneur Jared Leto, as the new face of the 2016 campaign.
At Carrera, life just gets better. Contact: Safilo (AUS) 02 9540 0500
