{"id":427447,"date":"2026-05-06T02:08:14","date_gmt":"2026-05-06T02:08:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/427447\/"},"modified":"2026-05-06T02:08:14","modified_gmt":"2026-05-06T02:08:14","slug":"ray-ban-opens-house-concept-for-met-gala-after-party-scaling-experiential-retail-in-eyewear","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/427447\/","title":{"rendered":"Ray-Ban Opens \u2018House\u2019 Concept for Met Gala After Party, Scaling Experiential Retail in Eyewear"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Ray-Ban<\/a>\u00a0is pushing beyond traditional retail with the opening of\u00a0Ray-Ban House in New York, a two-story experiential concept in SoHo that reframes retail<\/a> as a cultural and social destination.<\/p>\n

Located at 62 Prince Street, the approximately 2,400-square-foot town house blends retail, hospitality and programming into what the brand describes as an \u201curban\u00a0home.\u201d Designed by parent company EssilorLuxottica\u2019s in-house team, the space expands on conventional merchandising in favor of a more immersive environment, where eyewear<\/a> is displayed alongside books, vinyl and collected ephemeral objects.<\/p>\n

More from WWD<\/p>\n

\"Jennie Jennie Kim <\/p>\n

Debuting to serve as one of the after-party destinations tied to the 2026 Met Gala, the space hosted a live performance by Oscar and the Wolf, where global ambassador Jennie joined a cross-section of guests including Ella Emhoff, Ellen von Unwerth and Isan Elba.<\/p>\n

\"Ray-Ban Ray-Ban House <\/p>\n

Party aside, the brand stops short of calling the House a flagship,\u00a0positioning it instead as a hybrid space that blends retail, hospitality and culture, reflecting a broader shift in how brands across categories are rethinking physical retail\u2014from fashion to jewelry to watches.<\/p>\n

The new concept is anchored with a food and beverage program, led by Ribalta\u2019s Pasquale Cozzolino, alongside a private upstairs room for appointments and customization of frames.<\/p>\n

\u201cI would not frame it as a gap as much as an evolution,\u201d Luigi Ocone, senior vice president and general manager of luxury house brands,\u00a0Ray-Ban\u00a0and Oakley retail, told WWD, when asked what gaps they are addressing with the new concept space for Ray-Ban. \u201cThe transaction is only one moment. The real value is the time people choose to spend with the brand.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Ray-Ban Ray-Ban House <\/p>\n

Last year the brand sharpened its cultural relevance appointing A$AP Rocky<\/a> as its first creative director and for Ocone, the new retail concept continues to builds on\u00a0Ray-Ban\u2019s position within the zeitgeist. \u201cRay-Ban\u00a0has never been only about eyewear. It is tied to culture, identity and self-expression,\u201d he said, adding that the new concept \u201cbrings that idea into physical form. It is the realization of\u00a0Ray-Ban\u00a0as a cultural platform.\u201d<\/p>\n

That throughline shapes how the space functions. With \u00a0outdoor patio and fluid seating, the store is designed to encourage longer dwell time.<\/p>\n

\u201cHospitality changes the role of the space,\u201d he said. \u201cIt becomes a place people can naturally return to. You can come in for a drink, meet someone, spend time, and naturally engage with the brand.\u201d<\/p>\n

Story Continues <\/p>\n

Strategy wise, that behavior is the point. \u201cFrom a business perspective, it increases frequency and depth of engagement, which are the drivers of long-term performance,\u201d he explained. \u00a0\u201cIt requires a more patient approach, but it builds something more durable.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Ray-Ban Ray-Ban House <\/p>\n

Within eyewear, a retail evolution has been building, particularly with the category\u2019s independent players. \u00a0South Korean brand Gentle Monster designs stores as immersive, gallery-like environments that blur the line between art and commerce, while Jacques Marie Mage and Ahlem have leaned into more intimate, high-touch environments, from appointment-driven studios to highly curated retail spaces.<\/p>\n

Ray-Ban House positions high-concept experiential retail in the mainstream \u2014 backed by EssilorLuxottica<\/a>\u2019s global retail network.<\/p>\n

The SoHo space allows the brand to explore more elevated, intimate retail experiences, including private appointments and one-of-one customization. Upstairs, a hidden VIP room offers clients the opportunity to design custom Wayfarer Puffer Diamond sunglasses, selecting gemstones and frame finishes.<\/p>\n

The concept also builds on lessons from\u00a0Ray-Ban\u2019s partnership with Meta, reshaping how the brand thinks about in-store engagement.<\/p>\n

\"Ray-Ban Ray-Ban House <\/p>\n

\u201cThe broader learning is not only about technology. It is about how people discover new ideas,\u201d Ocone said. \u201cThey want context. They want to understand how a product fits into their life, their identity, and the culture around them.\u201d<\/p>\n

The executive said the shift has implications for how retail spaces are designed moving forward. \u201cThe traditional, linear retail journey no longer fully reflects how people behave,\u201d he said. \u201cCustomers move through spaces in a more fluid and intuitive way.\u201d<\/p>\n

While the concept marks a departure from standard eyewear retail, Ocone positioned it less as a one-off footprint and more as a broader strategic platform.<\/p>\n

\u201cRay-Ban\u00a0House is not a format to copy and paste,\u201d he said. \u201cIt is a way to understand how the brand can live physically, socially and culturally in different markets.\u201d<\/p>\n

Looking ahead,\u00a0Ray-Ban\u00a0House is designed to support the brand\u2019s heritage and its future, particularly as eyewear continues to intersect with technology.<\/p>\n

\"Ray-Ban Ray-Ban House <\/p>\n

\u201cConnected products are an important part of the future of the category, but they need to feel consistent with\u00a0Ray-Ban,\u201d Ocone said. \u201cThey should not exist as a separate experience.\u201d<\/p>\n

Instead, the goal is integration \u2014 bringing innovation into a cohesive environment rather than isolating it.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf we do this correctly, customers will not think in terms of categories,\u201d Ocone said. \u201cThey will simply experience a brand that continues to evolve with them.\u201d<\/p>\n

Best of WWD<\/p>\n

Sign up for WWD’s Newsletter<\/a>. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook<\/a>, Twitter<\/a>, and Instagram<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Ray-Ban\u00a0is pushing beyond traditional retail with the opening of\u00a0Ray-Ban House in New York, a two-story experiential concept in…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":427448,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[146,9555,85,46,200772,19386,200773,22218],"class_list":["post-427447","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-entertainment","tag-entertainment","tag-house","tag-il","tag-israel","tag-luigi-ocone","tag-ray-ban","tag-traditional-retail","tag-wwd"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/427447","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=427447"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/427447\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/427448"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=427447"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=427447"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=427447"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}