Spy announced today (August 29, 2012) that they have signed legendary skateboarder and musician Ray Barbee as an ambassador for their Crosstown Collection of handmade acetate sunglasses.
“Very few people possess a truly infectious persona like Ray, and I really appreciate his point of view on life,” says SPY President and CEO Michael Marckx. “Ray’s parts in the Powell Peralta videos, Public Domain and Ban This, allow him to easily carry the weight of the title icon, but it’s his open and innovative approach to everything he does that makes him a standout, whether its behind his camera, in front of his Fender or on his board. Beyond his skate style, I happen to be a really big fan of his music, which makes this such a fun connection for me, and SPY.”
We agree. For the official word from Spy, follow the jump.RAY BARBEE CRUISES ONTO SPY’s CROSSTOWN TEAM
CARLSBAD, Calif.—Known for turning heads with his soulful six-string solos and his signature, smooth and buttery street skating style, Ray Barbee has now joined the SPY family. Barbee’s musical inclination and deep roots in skateboarding make him a genuine fit for SPY and an authentic artisan ambassador for the Crosstown Collection—a line of stylish handmade acetate sunglasses inspired by vintage fashion, music, art and life in our urban meets suburban world.
“Very few people possess a truly infectious persona like Ray, and I really appreciate his point of view on life,” says SPY President and CEO Michael Marckx. “Ray’s parts in the Powell Peralta videos, Public Domain and Ban This, allow him to easily carry the weight of the title icon, but it’s his open and innovative approach to everything he does that makes him a standout, whether its behind his camera, in front of his Fender or on his board. Beyond his skate style, I happen to be a really big fan of his music, which makes this such a fun connection for me, and SPY.”
Sporting flannel when the rest of the world reached for neon, Barbee has been drawing his own lines since his early beginnings in San Jose, California. Known for his easygoing personality and flowing skate style, Barbee’s prolific career has spanned three decades, including countless video parts, pro model decks and signature shoes. Humble in his achievements despite praise aplenty, Barbee continues to lay down harmonious guitar tracks on solo records, at sold out shows and alongside the ’60s inspired jazz duo, The Mattson 2. A connoisseur of style and an aficionado of photography, Barbee is currently developing a book project with the working title One Camera, One Lens, One Year.
“SPY is a diverse family of team riders, artisans, and passionate cats working on cool things along with creating very esthetically pleasing shades,” says Ray Barbee. “It seems like everyone on the team or in the office has a passion for art, music, and doing things right, and I’m happy to be a part of it.”
Barbee joins the company of SPY’s current Crosstown athletes Joel Tudor, Nate Tyler, Wade Goodall, Darrell Mathes, Ryan Burch and Jared Mell.
To hear some of Barbee’s music from a collar with The Mattson 2, head to http://youtu.be/4RD3OgRIYy0. To see the Crosstown Collection, go to http://www.spyoptic.com/collection/crosstown. For more information about SPY, log-on at http://www.spyoptic.com/, http://www.facebook.com/spyoptic, Twitter @spyoptic and @spyoptic on Instagram.
Why don’t they just buy RAEN instead of tying to knock them off on all levels?
Crosstown. “Inspired by vintage fashion, RAEN, music, RAEN, art, RAEN, and life in our urban meets suburban world… and RAEN.”
To reiterate the comments above…Why fix something if it’s not broken? Why re-create something when it is being executed by the originator 10 fold better (and honestly)? What does it say about your company/creative/brand direction when you must rely on the styles of a competitor for inspiration? Sh*ts weak.
On the other hand, Ray Barbee is a bad a**…sucks to see him identify with a brand/collection that is so counter intuitive to his artistry and originality.
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