After Uniqlo and ON, tennis legend Roger Federer now co-designs eyewear with Oliver Peoples

At the recently held 96th Academy Awards, retired tennis legend Roger Federer was in attendance wearing an unimpeachable white tux and sporting a pair of sunglasses.

Which, as we found out, was perfectly normal for the 20-time Grand Slam champion. 

“I am a big fan of sunglasses,” Federer shared in an email interview with CNA Lifestyle.

For the record, those were no ordinary shades. Federer had a hand in designing them. Aptly monikered Mr Federer, they are one of six styles he co-designed with eyewear specialist Oliver Peoples.

“The shape of Mr Federer was inspired by the Oliver Peoples sunglasses I wore to the Met Gala (in 2023). I’ve always been a fan of that timeless square lens shape, but for our collaboration, I wanted to incorporate this look in a sportier way,” explained Federer, who is as respected for his style chops as he is for his shining tennis legacy. The sporting champ was named GQ’s Most Stylish Man of the Decade in 2019.

The king of tennis' love of shades is anything but a coincidence. “They are something I frequently use as tennis required me to chase the sun 80 per cent of my life. Even after my professional career, I continue to travel and be outdoors, so I often have a pair with me.”

Federer chronicled his recent adventure in Bangkok with an enviable wardrobe of sunnies.  

On his collaboration with Oliver Peoples, the Swiss maestro said: “We designed the frames with reference to our own personal use. For me, I found I had sunglasses for so many different occasions – sports, everyday and events. It was special to create styles that could be universally worn for any moment.”

So what does King Roger himself look out for in sunglasses? “When selecting a new frame, I focus most on fit, quality, lens performance and style.”   

And why is fit such a big focus? “I wanted to make sure our sunglasses did not slide on the face in any activity – be it sport or everyday life.”

To achieve that, Federer opted to add anti-slip rubber grip details on the nose pads and temple tips and lightweight designs to help the frames better balance on the face.  

Besides the unmissable RF branding, does the collection carry any other Federer hallmarks that fans can look forward to?

“I’m a big fan of details and we focused very closely on making every angle and function of the frame special, with dedicated details including a custom core wire and temple tips inspired by a tennis racquet, and the use of the number “8”, aligning with the number of career wins I had at Wimbledon.”

Unlike the earlier collaborations Federer released, namely with Uniqlo, JW Anderson and ON, the Oliver Peoples Roger Federer collection is a passion project for the legend.

“I have been a fan of Oliver Peoples since I bought my first pair over 20 years ago. They felt like such a clear partner to create the type of sunglasses we felt were missing in the market, a high-performance style that is at the same time elegant and luxurious. I feel this is a very special full-circle moment.”

This drop marks the first of a four-part collaboration. Details of the other three drops will be unveiled in due course.

The Oliver Peoples Roger Federer collection will be available at Oliver Peoples from Mar 14 and select partners from April.