The Brooklyn Circus and Randolph have come together for a new flight-focused collection that pays homage to the legendary Tuskegee Airmen \u2014 a group of Black pilots from the US Air Force, also known as the “Red Tails,” who fought in World War II \u2014 specifically the five Haitian-American pilots among their numbers.<\/p>\n
Front and center in the collection is the Randolph P-51 sunglasses, named after the P-51 Mustang fighter planes the “Red Tails” flew. A re-engineered iteration of Randolph’s Invader sunglasses, the P-51 comes in both a translucent “Smoke” colorway that features an etching of a hand-drawn sky and cloud motif and an unadorned military-inspired olive iteration. Both feature a stem detail inspired by the Air Force’s wingtip logo, and can be equipped with an optional sun clip lens for a technical look that salutes the goggles worn in flight by the Tuskegee Airmen. Besides the sunglasses, there’s a custom Brooklyn Circus varsity jacket made of chocolate brown wool and featuring leather pocket trims and a silk scarf adorned with a propeller from the P-51 Mustang and a star for each of the five Hatian pilots in the Tuskegee Airmen’s ranks. <\/p>\n
\u201cWe continue our 100-year plan and journey of telling stories that need to be amplified,” says Brooklyn Circus founder Ouigi Theodore, who himself is of Haitian descent. “Randolph was the perfect partner for us to share an even deeper story of 5 Haitian Tuskegee airmen.” <\/p>\n
For his part, Randolph president and CEO Peter Waszkiewicz noted the impact of spotlighting little-known pieces of American history, and the importance of collaboration. \u201cOuigi brought the true spirit of partnership to the project, collaborating closely with our team on design, storytelling, creative direction and a deep appreciation for history \u2014 all shared values with both of our brands.\u201d <\/p>\n
The collection is available now via The Brooklyn Circus and Randolph’s webstores, as well as in The Brooklyn Circus’ brick-and-mortar shops. Prices range from $29-$550 USD.<\/p>\n