Gorden Wagener, the chief design officer at Mercedes-Benz, is a man of many talents. He has, therefore, decided to flex his multifaceted muscles with a new non-automotive project created in partnership with Maybach Icons of Luxury.
Wagener has designed a rather futuristic-looking pair of sunglasses. Named THE CREATOR, they are made out of fancy, exotic materials such as titanium, platinum, gold, and the horn of Asian water buffalos.
“The glasses ‘THE CREATOR’, developed in close collaboration with MAYBACH Icons of Luxury, combines craftsmanship at the highest level with exclusive, sustainable materials,” said Wagener. “The design merges technical precision and luxurious lightness.”
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While the use of the first few materials needs no explanation, the water buffalo horns have been provided by IVKO, a company that has been working with the natural horn since 1978.
Commonly found in farming communities, Asian water buffalo are beasts of burden that are revered in their communities. Fortunately, the animals don’t need to be slaughtered for their horns, and the older they get, the more beautiful and valued their horns become.
The horn can be processed into a number of colors and, indeed, THE CREATOR glasses will be offered in 10. If you want the horn in amber color the glasses come with gold mirrored lenses, in matte black they get dark grey lenses, while in cream/green marbled the lenses are offered with a green gradient. These all come with 22k gold plating on the bridge.
Models with a rose gold bridge, meanwhile, can be had with matte black natural horn with the grey gradient lenses, or with a cream-colored frame with rose gold lenses (though these are limited edition). The glasses can also be had with platinum ornamentation, and these are offered in matte black, cream, or marbled blue.
The overall shape of the glasses, meanwhile, is supposed to be a reference to Maybach’s vehicles. They feature rounded corners and flowing aesthetics that are “emblematic of the most exclusive models,” according to Mercedes. The gold or platinum-plated bridge, meanwhile, takes its inspiration from the grille of a Maybach.
“Luxury has always been our soul – and it’s constantly evolving. THE CREATOR embodies our way of luxury and the desire of beauty and the extraordinary beyond the car and symbolizes the innovative claim of the brand,” explains Wagener.
Available from summer 2022, the glasses will be sold at authorized Maybach Icons of Luxury retailers with prices starting at $2,880 and rising to $3,590.