independence Revo Sunglasses was founded by Nasa astrophysicist and optical engineer Dr Mitch Ruda who asked himself the question, what if we used the coatings that protect satellites to shield our eyes from the sun? Dr Ruda then began working on eyewear that used the same special coating that protects satellite porthole windows from space radiation to create specialty polarized lens technology and officially launched the brand in 1985. In 1999, the Italian eyewear conglomerate Luxottica acquired the firm with plans to expand its sunglasses line. Later on, in 2013, the American consumer product goods conglomerate Sequential Brands Group acquired Revo. Eventually, the brand made its way back to independence once it was acquired by B. Robinson Optical Inc, a family-run eyewear company that has been running since 1926, in 2018. Today, Revo Sunglasses is led by chief executive officer Cliff Robinson, a third-generation member of the heritage optometry company, who is proud to be a part of the brand’s independent revival in the market. “While Luxottica is a wonderful company, Revo [Sunglasses] didn’t really have a prominent place in its portfolio. The brand really needed a little more attention and a little more, as we say, TLC,” Robinson explained. “Because I came out of the eyewear industry, I just want to be a good steward for the brand and honor its legacy and heritage, and reengage with the fans that we’ve had for 30-plus years; as well as, engage with a whole new generation of fans who may not be as aware of special nature of Revo.” The opening of the company’s first US-based brick-and-mortar shop in Soho is an especially important step to building Rebo Sunglasses’ brand awareness amongst new consumers. “It’s very humbling that we were able to buy the brand about five years ago, make it independently owned, and give Revo the attention that it deserved.” Robinson explained that the company set about to revive its image with a multi-tiered approach.  “The first thing we had to do [was] reengage with our core audience and the way we established that at first was through traditional brick-and-mortar, whether that was independent eye-care professionals or specialty shops, resort shops, et cetera,” he said.  In addition to reestablishing brick-and-mortar operations, we also wanted to speak to as many people as possible with scale and so the natural place was by setting up our direct-to-consumer site Revo.com when we purchased the brand a little over five years ago.” When it came to the brand’s omnichannel approach, it first reestablished its brick-and-mortar presence via a third-party wholesale retailer. Then, it set up a direct-to-consumer channel. “It was always our goal, as the the third part of the plan, to provide consumers can have the breadth of the entire experience of Revo under one roof,” he said. Robinson recalled that the company originally had plans to set up the shop back in 2019, “But we know where this story ended up. The pandemic hit, Covid was here, and it was not the most logical time to open a retail store. “It literally just took us 18 months to find the right location, the right size, the right location, which was really important to us. And the stars have finally aligned that now we are able to offer that true omni-channel experience.” According to Robinson, since the company ran its first full year of operations independently in 2019, it has been increasing its revenue consistently by 20 to 30 per cent year-over-year.  Revo Sunglasses’ opportune brick-and-mortar launch  Revo Sunglasses’ store opening couldn’t have come at a more opportune time.  According to global research and consulting firm Allied Market Research, the global sports sunglasses market made $3.13 billion in 2019 and generated $3.48 billion by 2027, having witnessed a compound annual growth rate of 6.8 per cent from 2021 to 2027.  As showcased by the same report, by type, the polarized segment accounted for the highest share in 2019, contributing to more than four-fifths of the total market share. While Robinson acknowledged that there are many more competitors in the eyewear industry than there were when the brand originally launched, including those specializing in polarized lenses, there are a few factors that help Revo Sunglasses stand out in this competitive market, including the brand’s heritage, its focus on sustainability in both its frames and product packaging, which are formulated with biodegradable materials, and its dedication to providing the most up-to-date tech available for the lenses. In addition to the Soho-based location, Robinson told Inside Retail that the company hopes to open up to 10 new locations across the United States and internationally in the next two years. Robinson also promised there were some new product drops and new collaborations, such as the ones previously created with the Hall of Fame golfer Annika Sorenstam and Alpine skiing icon Bode Miller, to be expected in the year ahead.