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Lenny Kravitz loves to wear shades. For the stylish rock-and-roll star, there is seemingly no wrong place or occasion to accessorize an ensemble with a pair of sunglasses — whether he’s in the studio, on a red carpet, rocking out on stage or, yes, even lifting weights at Equinox.
So, when Ray-Ban approached Kravitz to be the brand’s first-ever global brand ambassador and to collaborate on a collection, it was an easy sell. “I’ve been wearing Ray-Bans since high school,” Kravitz tells Variety.
The first pair of Ray-Bans Kravitz remembers wearing are the brand’s classic Wayfarers. “They were quite popular in high school, in LA in the very early ’80s,” he says. “And then I got some Aviators. I’ve been wearing these glasses forever.”
LIMTIED-EDITION
Lenny Kravitz x Aviator Reverse
The capsule, which dropped in March, is an update on the brand’s Reverse sunglasses line, whose style comes with a concave design and lenses that aim to reduce reflections. Each style comes in three shades (gold, black and dark gray or silver). But the collection’s headlining style is the limited-edition gold aviators, which Kravitz wore while receiving his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
In celebration of his new Ray-Ban partnership, Variety spoke to Kravitz about his personal style evolution, his upcoming album “Blue Electric Light” and his viral workout routines:
How would you describe your style?
Soulful elegance. It’s about looking inside of you and being authentic to your vibe. We all have different styles, we all have different points of view, we all have different ways of expressing ourselves. And you can tell when somebody’s being authentic and even if there’s things that you would never do but somebody else is doing it in their authentic way, you appreciate it because you see that it’s truly them. So, for me it’s just about doing what is inside of you, 100%.
What’s your favorite piece in the capsule?
Well, I mean I love the glasses I’ve done with them. It’s all based on their lenses now, how they’ve inverted the lens, which I just think is such a great [update] on the classic design because they still look like the Ray-Bans you want but then you look closely and you realize, Aha, there’s this added shape and it gives it a different dimension.
The Aviators that we’ve done together in gold and silver and black are just beautiful.
Variety via Getty Images
How would you describe the difference in vibes of Ray-Bans’ two most classic styles: the Aviator and Wayfarer?
I used to think that Aviators were more sporty, like if you’re riding a motorcycle or driving a car. And I used to think the Wayfarer was a little more elegant, to wear with a nice shirt or whatever. But the other day when I got the star on Hollywood Boulevard, I wore the Aviators with a suit. It wasn’t my first feeling but I said, ‘You know what, I’m gonna wear the Aviators because I love these’ and then I looked at the pictures and they look great together. So I think they both really give you whatever it is that you need. You can wear them both more sporty, and you can wear them both more elegantly.
What’s your sunglasses etiquette regarding wearing them inside?
I just don’t care. I know there’s people that are like, ‘Oh, you’re you’re such an asshole. You’re wearing sunglasses inside? It’s so rude.’ But no, that’s not where rudeness comes from. But I do take them off when I’m addressing certain people, or depending on what it is, I take them off and look people in the eye, of course. But it just depends. Sometimes I’m just chilling in the corner and I don’t want to make eye contact, so I leave them on. Or it just complements my ensemble, whatever the reason may be.
You went viral recently for a video you posted working out with your trainer, in which you’re wearing leather pants and sunglasses at the gym. Did you have any idea it would blow up so much online?
I had no idea. None. Because I’m always working out in leather pants or jeans and boots and whatever — if I’m not doing cardio. If I’m doing cardio, obviously I’m going to wear sweats because I’m going to be sweating all over the place. But if I’m lifting weights, I don’t sweat so much. So, a lot of times I’m coming from somewhere or I’m going somewhere. And I just don’t care. I’m gonna pop in, I’ve got 45 minutes, we’re gonna hit it and I’m gonna go run to where I’m going. So I don’t do it for effect. I didn’t do that to be like, ‘Oh, let me be just so different and wear leather pants and glasses.’ No, it’s just me walking in off the street.
Some fitness experts criticized your workout routine in this ‘New York Times’ article. Do you have anything to say in response?
I know what I’m doing. And my trainer knows what he’s doing. And I know my body and what my body does and what it can do and how it feels and it’s all good. I trained with elite athletes, I trained with football players, NFL and NBA stars. I trained with MLB stars, wrestlers, boxers. I’ve played with them all. I won’t mention names, but they’re all people you would know. And they’ll tell you I train very seriously.
It’s funny because I remember once pulling my tour bus up to the gym after getting off a leg of a tour, going to see my trainer Dodd Romero who is the guy in the video who I’ve been working with for 25-plus years, and these big athletes saw me walking in and my trainer said ‘He’s gonna work out with us.’ And they all started laughing. Because I was wearing jeans and a belt and boots and whatever shirt I was wearing, and they were like, ‘We’re gonna work out with this little rock star dude?’ Like they were making fun of me. And I destroyed them. And they didn’t see it coming.
Your 12th studio album, “Blue Electric Light,” comes out on May 24. What are you most proud of on this album?
I just loved making it. I love the music on it. It’s a celebration. It was fun to make. It’s full of love and humanity and unity and God and all the things that I stand for. And it’s exciting to put out new music that you enjoy. It’s new music to play, new places to explore, new offerings to my supporters and I’m so looking forward to it.
How does it differ from your previous albums?
They’re all different. I have no control over it. I do what I hear, I’m just an antenna. I pick up what is floating around there for me. And so each album, if you line them up and listen to them all, they’re all me and they all have that thread through them. But they all have a different production value, sonic quality and engineering vibe. I don’t know how to repeat myself. If you asked me to do it, it would be virtually impossible. Once I’ve done something, I move on.
It was all done in the Bahamas, here at my studio Gregory Town Sound, where I made the last few albums. And it was made during the pandemic and after. I made a lot of music, probably about four albums worth of music. But this is what I chose to put out first. This is the collection that felt immediate.