Nominally speaking, A$AP Rocky is a musician. These days, though, the righteous Harlem MC is the rare multi-hyphenate actually worthy of the label. His prolific, industry-spanning output boils down to one key differentiator: elite taste, which he harnesses to make music, design clothing, and, most recently, reimagine Ray-Ban’s sunglasses as the brand’s newly-minted creative director.
This past February, when GQ‘s Samuel Hine sat down with the man himself to discuss the gig, he clocked Rocky wearing black shades that “looked like Wayfarers on steroids.” The description, it turns out, was entirely apt—as of this week, the first three silhouettes from Rocky’s tenure have hit the market, and they’re led by an especially brolic pair of familiar-ish sunglasses.
That familiar-ish vibe is wholly intentional. The Blacked Out Collection—the “first-ever eyewear line customized by A$AP Rocky,” in Ray-Ban parlance—does exactly that: blacks out the details on three of the most iconic frames in Ray-Ban’s extensive archive, while imbuing them with a jolt of trademark Rocky sizzle.
The fittingly-named Mega Wayfarers live up to the first half of that moniker and then some: their arms are about twice as tall at the temple than usual, lending them an assertive profile without changing the visual language too dramatically head-on.
Exhibit B: The Mega Clubmasters, which boast an amplified brow line and the same extra-tall temples as their Wayfarer counterparts, this time juxtaposed with the distinct thin gold rims that remain an enduring signature of the silhouette.
To round out the trio, Rocky and the Ray-Ban squad introduced the Mega Baloramas, which just might be the hulking wraparounds of your dreams. Jet black and similarly adorned with gold hits at the temples, they make the original Baloramas look downright dainty by comparison—in the best way possible.
Back in February, Rocky toasted his new gig by invoking the retro-tinged glamour of style gods like Sidney Poitier, Jack Nicholson, and Sammy Davis Jr. (“I’m on my Rat Pack shit,” were his exact words.) And sure, each pair would look right at home adorning those faces—but like everything Rocky touches, they also seem destined to drive the Rolling Loud moshers nuts, which means they won’t stick around for long. Grab ‘em while your own future’s still bright.