The art of the pivot is something brands have refined of late – especially in these challenging times. For luxury luggage maker Rimowa, the recent debut of its permanent eyewear line extends beyond diversifying its portfolio of offerings for the modern traveller (yes, sunglasses were part of our packing list when we used to travel, remember?).

Stay cool in your Rimowa Bridge aviators. Photo: The Posternak Sisters

The 122-year-old brand’s recent foray into the eyewear business also spotlights its expertise in materials engineering and innovation.

Inspired by classic pilot sunglasses, the designs are categorised according to three silhouettes: aviators, a square-shaped frame, and a circular design dubbed “pantos”. The major nod to the aviation aesthetic is not unlike the grooves on Rimowa’s luggage, which are themselves inspired by an aircraft’s fuselage.

Choose from flashy reflective lenses or more classic lenses for your Rimowa shades. Photo: Huang Jiaqi

The collection is split into two lines called the Rimowa Rim ($450) and the Rimowa Bridge ($480-$550). The former features a slim and minimalist design which features an acetate frame in either a tortoiseshell-effect or solid colour, and hand-applied onto the lenses.

The Rimowa Rim

Meanwhile, the Rimowa Bridge is constructed using two pieces of masks overlaid on top of each other and then assembled by pins, resulting in Brutalist-tinged designs that are neither beefy nor heavy.

Rimowa Bridge

These days, you cannot escape the mention of Joe Biden’s signature Ray-Ban shades when talking about sunglasses and style. But while the American presidential candidate’s signature aviators are like an emblem of boomer swag, Rimowa updates pilot-inspired sunglasses with a more modern, light and fresh touch, and lots of chutzpah.