Iconic Glasses and the Celebs who wear them..
Most of us wear sunglasses to shield ourselves from the scorching bright sun. Sunglasses are undoubtedly a must-have accessory, especially in the height of summer. They’re also a helpful shield to hide away sins and evidence of late nights. For closely watched celebrities, on the other hand, they’re definitely multi-functional. Sunglasses have the added purpose of partially shielding their identity and creating some sort of anonymity as they hide from the ever-present paparazzi and curious onlookers. However, for some, sunglasses go well-beyond a mere fashion accessory. They’ve become a very part of their persona.
Some of the most celebrated figures of pop culture have their images so closely tied to their sense of fashion, and in some cases, particularly to their sunglasses. Having been frequently photographed wearing the accessory, regardless of the occasion – whether it be during a holiday away, while traveling, for a photoshoot, in movies, while at work or even during formal affairs – it shouldn’t come as a surprise that the pair of sunglasses and its famous wearer have undoubtedly become an iconic duo.
Anna Wintour
No fashion show is complete without the ubiquitous Anna Wintour sitting front row and you’ll hardly ever see her without a pair of black sunglasses on. Considered as one of the most, if not the most, influential women in the fashion industry, the Vogue Editor in Chief and Artistic Director of Condé Nast has claimed that she wears sunglasses at every front row to prevent anyone from seeing her reaction to the collections walking down the runway.
Audrey Hepburn at Breakfast at Tiffany’s
One of the most iconic film characters of the 20th century is undoubtedly Audrey Hepburn’s Holly Golightly from Breakfast at Tiffany’s. No one can forget the image of her standing outside the window, in her classic little black dress, gloves on her hands, pearls on and sunglasses on. Throughout the movie, Ms. Golightly goes around Manhattan in a pair of dark tortoiseshell sunglasses designed by Oliver Goldsmith and aptly called the Manhattan model.
Jackie Kennedy Onassis
Known around the world for her sense of fashion, Jackie Kennedy Onassis is synonymous with chic, classic and glamourous style. There is no doubt that she raised the fashion bar for all first ladies and became an icon for American fashion. Part of her fashion arsenal were a stylish pair.
John Lennon
Of course, another pop culture icon whose image is tied to his sunglasses is The Beatle’s John Lennon. There’s no question that small round metal frames are synonymous with the legendary musician. While he wore a number of different brands, including Ray-Ban, and a number of different colored lenses, the overall style remained the same. It was reported just last year that a pair of his sunglasses sold for £137,000 at auction. Talk about eye-conic.
Karl Lagerfeld
Another man who was hardly ever seen without a pair of dark sunglasses on was the one and only designer, Karl Lagerfeld. The prolific designer created countless collections for both Chanel and Fendi, as well as his own namesake brand. However, when it came to his own personal style, he had a singular aesthetic. He was always recognizable with his white hair, high collared shirts, leather fingerless gloves, and black sunglasses. While he always wore dark sunglasses, there were subtle variations in his choice of frames, including D-frame lenses and aviator sunglasses.