Iris Apfel is well known for her glamourous eyewear.
The perfect pair of sunglasses is an ideal way to complete your look – just like a tidy manicure and that final spritz of perfume, sunnies can elevate an outfit leaving it perfectly polished and ready to take on whatever the world brings.
With summer in full force, we wanted to pay homage to a few of history’s most iconic sunglasses and the people who wore them (or still wear them). We’ve also round up a few brands to possibly help inspire your next pair of stylish shades. Let’s take a look at some of our favourite looks…
First up is the colour-obsessed, ultra-glamourous Iris Apfel (pictured above). If you don’t immediately recognise her or her signature round over-sized glasses then she is worth following as someone who continues to inspire the fashion world globally.
Edith Head.
American costume designer Edith Head often wore her fabulous blue-tinted round glasses. Not only was this an iconic look in the mid-20th century, but the special lenses helped her immediately view how specific fabric textures, and colours would look on screen in black and white film.
Ye.
Kayne (Ye) needs no introduction and many will remember him bringing back the 1950’s style shutter glasses into 2007. Initially known as ‘Venetian blinders’ this particular style was incredibly popular after his music video ‘Stronger’ debuted. I’m not sure we needed them to come back at all (they don’t have lenses) but they are fun.
Elton John – Anthony Harvey/REX/Shutterstock.
We all know Elton John’s glorious frames, and although the shape of his sunglasses tends to change over the years – there’s no doubt he’s created an iconic look, often sporting a tailored suit in a similar colours paired with diamantés and tinted lenses in a range of colours. Always here for a bit of Elton glamour.
Kurt Cobain.
As a massive fan of grunge and rock n’ roll music, seeing Kurt Cobain with his beloved Christian Roths always puts a smile on my face. The frontman of 90’s band Nirvana did a photoshoot series featuring his oversized, white glasses and instantly boosted the Christian Roth brand with it’s popularity.
John Lennon.
Are the Beatles even the Beatles without John Lennon’s little circle teashades? We’ll never know. However they were and still are an incredibly iconic style, and a pair of his original green-tinted sunglasses were auctioned off recently and fetched a whopping £137,500.
William Waiirua
We couldn’t talk about iconic sunglasses and not mention Aotearoa’s own William Waiirua with his futuristic sports style shades selling out around the globe.
Feel like it’s time to freshen up your eyewear or ready to create your own signature look? Add an extra element of ‘cool’ with these New Zealand and Australian owned sunglasses brands:
Raie Eyewear // a laidback modern touch on vintage 70’s and 90’s oversized and narrow sunglasses.
Karen Walker Eyewear // a range of styles in bold and oversized shapes.
Stolen Girlfriends Club Eyewear // a smaller range of rebellious and always-cool styles.
Isle of Eden // A large range of styles and colours made from sustainable materials.
Age Eyewear // Inspired by vintage styles with a modern touch.
Duskies Eco Eyewear // Styles made from sustainable and renewable wood.
Wild Kiwi // A range of wood and bamboo polarised sunglasses.
Images supplied.