Tribute to Mosley Tribes: The lifestyle eyewear brand that no longer exists but lives on in our memory.
Mosley Tribes, the Los Angeles-based eyewear company, was a global lifestyle brand designed by the same creative and marketing team of luxury eyewear brand Oliver Peoples.
‘Mosley‘, an expression from co-founder and chief designer Larry Leight’s adolescence, represented a euphoric feeling, while ‘Tribes’ described groups of individuals who were united.
The brand, a shared vision of Leight’s and co-founder and president Bill Barton, fused utility and style in modern interpretations of timeless classics, targeting consumers who sought performance without sacrificing style.
Leight said:
“Growing up in Los Angeles has given me an appreciation for the city and the many cultures that live within it. I am constantly inspired by what is going on around me in the diverse and vibrant landscape. This environment – from street art to high fashion, active lifestyle to music culture – drives my creativity and ultimately influences the designs that I create.
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The inspiration for this new niche in sunglasses comes from a lifestyle that is casual yet active with an appreciation for style, comfort, and design.”
Since its launch in 2005, Mosley Tribes masterfully combined the design, knowledge, and aesthetics of Oliver Peoples with visionaries from the urban lifestyle and performance sports worlds, aiming to fill the niche between fashion and active lifestyle brands.
The core concepts and inspirations for each season were derived from sport culture, street luxury, and iconic style.
With its youthful aesthetics, Mosley Tribes caught the attention of many young, recognizable personalities in the entertainment and sports worlds.
Mosley Tribes redefined the classics.
Most of Mosley Tribes frames featured VFX lenses (Visual Effects), the ultimate in lens technology and the most environmentally functional lenses available, tailored to fit specific customer needs based on light conditions and activities.
Within just three years on the market, Mosley Tribes frames became popular among a spectrum of fashion-forward trendsetters, including Beyoncé Knowles, Jay-Z, John Mayer, and Reese Witherspoon.
Some said that Mosley Tribes‘ successful launch attracted the interest of Oakley, which led to their purchase of the Oliver Peoples brand family.
This seemed plausible, as rumors of Oliver Peoples undergoing due diligence were circulating on specialized online forums in 2005.
Moreover, Oakley had a new four-part strategic approach at that time, described as the “first steps in driving growth and profitability”.
Scott Olivet, Oakley‘s CEO, stated:
“While growing Oakley eyewear is our first priority, we also believe that we can capitalize on complementary consumer and market segments with a multi-branding approach.
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The acquisition of Oliver Peoples, Mosley Tribes, and the Paul Smith license is a tremendous start in the creation of a targeted portfolio of brands.
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Their position in the fashion eyewear market complements Oakley’s leadership in sport performance and active eyewear. The brands will access different consumers, distribution channels, and design inspiration while simultaneously benefiting from shared experience, capabilities, and resources.”
He also noted “very little overlap” in distribution between Oakley and Oliver Peoples currently. “An initial priority will be expanding Oliver Peoples’ distribution in Europe.” Additionally, “our technology will allow them to explore designs they couldn’t pursue in the past.“
On the other hand, Larry Leight, CEO and CDO of Oliver Peoples, said:
“Paramount to this partnership is our continued focus on selective distribution and discreet branding that is fundamental to the discoverability, desirability and exclusivity of Oliver Peoples’ products. Together, we will have enhanced resources to further build our brand, expand our strong retail relationships and strengthen our operational capabilities.”
As a result of the acquisition, Oakley acquired Oliver Peoples‘ three eyewear brands: Oliver Peoples, Mosley Tribes, and the licensed Paul Smith brand.
The acquisition’s aggregate purchase included the assumption of approximately $5 million of debt and up to $4 million in earn-out incentives.
Oliver Peoples was planned to operate as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Oakley, with the expectation of retaining its autonomy and maintaining the brand integrity and identity that had fueled its strong consumer following.
But despite all its efforts, Oakley lost its fight with Luxottica and was acquired by the latter in 2007.
In the summer of 2014, the website mosleytribes.com began redirecting visitors to oliverpeoples.com, even though the Mosley Tribes brand had disappeared from it as early as the summer of 2013.
