Jennie x Ray-Ban: Retro Icons, Rewired for Now

Jennie Kim doesn’t just wear sunglasses — she redefines what they mean. When the BLACKPINK superstar throws on a pair of Ray-Bans, it’s not just an accessory moment; it’s cultural shorthand. Retro, modern, rebellious, iconic — somehow, all of it at once.

Recently, Jennie has been seen flipping through Ray-Ban’s hall-of-fame lineup, breathing new life into frames that have shaped pop culture for decades. Onstage, she leaned into the sleek, sport-luxe attitude of the Ray-Ban Daddy-O (RB2016). Backstage, she switched it up with the curvy sophistication of the Ray-Ban Balorama (RB4089). And at Ray-Ban’s first-ever South Korea pop-up in Seoul on September 4, Jennie stepped out in the Wayfarer Puffer by A$AP Rocky (RB4940 601/87) — a polished black update on the world’s most famous frame, with just enough hip-hop swagger to remind us why the Wayfarer is basically fashion history in motion.

Ray-Ban calls these designs their “ICONS,” and it’s not hard to see why. Each piece is less about nostalgia and more about how the brand has continuously bent itself to the mood of every generation. From counterculture rebels to glossy stage lights, these sunglasses are time travellers — always carrying attitude in their lenses.

Enter Ray-Ban.EXE: A Digital Rebellion

Jennie’s Seoul appearance wasn’t just about flexing frames. It synced with the global debut of Ray-Ban.EXE, an animated campaign inspired by Korean webtoons. The visuals? Bold, dystopian, and dripping with graphic energy. The story? A sharp critique of conformity and an ode to individuality.

Here’s the plot: the world has been taken over by humanoid machines programmed to erase memory, identity, and creativity. Our protagonist, EV11, is one of these robots, until he stumbles on a mysterious black briefcase holding a pair of Ray-Ban Clubmasters. The moment he puts them on, something flickers inside — a memory, a spark of self. Suddenly, EV11 is no longer a cog in the system but a rebel on the run, reawakening as a human named Kim.

Inside a hidden facility, Kim finds others still trapped in the simulation. He’s given another pair of glasses to pass along — this time to a sleeping girl. She wakes. The cycle begins again.

It’s not subtle, and that’s the point. Since 1937, Ray-Ban has never played coy about being more than just eyewear. The campaign sharpens that legacy: sunglasses not as camouflage but as catalysts. Tools for rebellion, reminders that individuality is the ultimate luxury.

Jennie as the Perfect Match

At the Seoul pop-up, tucked away in Seongsu-dong — the neighbourhood where art kids and tech futurists collide — Jennie embodied exactly what Ray-Ban is aiming for: a brand that refuses to be static. Korea’s youth scene is global culture now, and Ray-Ban clearly knows it.

By choosing Jennie to headline this campaign, the brand isn’t just slapping a celebrity face on a product. They’re tapping into the energy of someone who effortlessly shifts between luxury runways, K-pop stadiums, and internet subcultures. She’s not just wearing Ray-Bans; she’s proof of what happens when icons evolve with you.

Sunglasses as Signal

Maybe that’s why Ray-Ban continues to feel less like a brand and more like a language. The Daddy-O, the Balorama, the Wayfarer — these frames aren’t just shapes, they’re codes. When Jennie puts them on, she’s not just blocking out the flashbulbs. She’s saying: this is what cool looks like right now.

And with Ray-Ban.EXE, the message sharpens — individuality isn’t optional, it’s survival.