Oakley's latest campaign sends Mbappé to the future

Ever wondered what sportswear might look like in 2075? Oakley’s latest campaign wants to show us exactly that. 50 years since it was founded, the pioneering high-performance brand is looking f50ifty years ahead with its new chapter, Artifacts From the Future. 

Accompanied by sci-fi images featuring some of the world’s leading athletes – Boston Celtics’ Jaylen Brown, American soccer player Trinity Rodman and Real Madrid’s Kylian Mbappé – the campaign showcases a range of high-wrap eyewear as well as the SS25 Reserve apparel collection.

“2025 is our 50-year anniversary. And 50 years from now, we want people to recognise the products we make now as leaving their mark in history,” says Oakley’s vice president of brand soul, Brian Takumi. “If people can only think of the things we made in the 80s, 90s, or 2000s, we haven’t done our job right to bring the future to life.” 

At the heart of Artifacts From the Future is the Plantaris family, which, since it was launched last year, has become a favourite of Travis Scott, Kidsuper and Kyle Ng. The inspiration for both the Lateralis and the Masseter styles, the Plantaris’ design offers a glimpse into the brand’s past too. 

Oakley was founded in California in 1975, when Jim Jannard began selling motorcycle parts from the back of his car during motocross events. Fastforward ten years and, in 1985, the Oakley Frogskin was born, the ever-popular casual sunglasses that marked the brand’s first amphibian-inspired style. Over the years, the frog symbol has become synonymous with the brand, particularly since the Plantaris’ design is a biomimicry of froglegs.

For such a futuristic design, almost every element of the Plantaris is built upon Oakley’s rich foundations. Taking elements from popular past styles such as 1994’s Eye Jacket or 1996’s Straight Jacket, but renenvisioning them with an ultra-modern, time-travelling design.

Nick Garfias (vice president of design at Foothill Ranch) is keen to point out that Oakley is not trying to recreate the past. “Because that’s not how you build a future,” he explains. “To look back at what we did in the 90s and recite old models today is stagnation. However, using the ethos and the lineage from the past as a guide to evolve our future will always include those recognisable DNA strands.”

As for the apparel (modelled by Jaylen Brown), multi-pocket designs and high-tech fabrics keep functionality at their core, whilst fusing practicality with bold aesthetics and an ultra-modern style. It’s designed for the adventurers of tomorrow – or maybe even those of 2075.

Artifacts From the Future is available now at Oakley.com and select Oakley stores worldwide.