Cultural Icons. What does that even mean? If you’ve ever seen ‘Devil Wears Prada’ – a film for the history books and fashion intellectuals alike – then you will probably agree that it stands as one of the most quotable movies in Fashion history. For instance, you will remember that moment in one of the final scenes where Andy Sachs and Miranda Priestly are sitting at the back of their private car, waiting to be greeted by the fashion press in Paris. Long story short – Andy had changed. She betrayed her friends, and Miranda was completely non-nonchalant about it. Presumably, she didn’t care and being who she was – why would she? Accordingly, her response to Andy was a sharp yet subtle “Oh, don’t be ridiculous, Andrea! Everybody wants this. Everybody wants to be us.” Iconic.
Fashion, like politics, history or science – is moulded by extraordinary individuals. Literally speaking, extraordinary people are women and men above and beyond the basic and conventional individual (Miranda Priestly being the least conventional character in the fictional world). Accordingly, some want to be like them while others simply want to be them. For this reason, Smartbuyglasses takes a look back and reminisces on the greatest eyewear pioneers of the modern era.
1. Audrey Hepburn
The legendary little black dress owes part of its legacy to the iconic sunnies that accompanied it. They strike a delicate balance between elegance and daring, old and new, tradition and innovation. Anyone who’s watched Breakfast at Tiffany’s (1961) understands just how much of a game-changer Audrey was. In addition to this, we have an entire page dedicated to her in our Celebrity Eyewear Spotter (our goal is to be catastrophically on trend, in a good way). Thanks to Audrey, tortoise shell patterns remain among the most striking fashion statements even today; if you can pull it off.
In the film, Hepburn wears Oliver Goldsmith ‘Manhattans’ – a pair of dark tortoiseshell with hazy-green lenses. The Manhattans are a rare-find today, and would probably cost you more than your arm to get an original pair. For this reason, Céline grabbed at the opportunity to create their Audrey-inspired sunglasses, which you can find here.
2. Buddy Holly
Another cultural icon was someone who resembled a leaner, more relaxed version of Clark Kent. Named one of the sexiest male musicians ever by LA Weekly, Buddy Holly had a personal magnetism apparent to anyone he ever met. While his music wasn’t as popular as the other 1900’s rock stars, his thick-rimmed black glasses were, and still are, truly iconic. Before him, thick rims were considered to be irrevocably nerdy and hopelessly uncool. Perhaps it was the contradiction between a well-combed choir boy and wildly erotic rock star that enabled Buddy Holly to leave a lasting impression on fashion history.
If Buddy Holly were alive today, he would probably opt for a pair of these Tom Ford glasses. Strangely enough, these thick-rimmed opticals are the perfect frame for the quintessential, irresistibly cool gentleman who’s an avid reader of Esquire magazine.
3. John Lennon
The 70’s. Free love, experimental music and radical politics are swirling in the air over campuses around the world. John Lennon was arguably the most creative and rebellious of the four Beatles, lived by an immensely liberating and wildly free individualism up until his assassination in 1980. All things considered, his style was famously eccentric. For instance, the round-framed glasses were originally the mark of left-wing European intellectuals. As a result of this, it was picked up and made into the mark of the campus radical and the artistic avant-garde movement, with John Lennon at its helm.
In the same way, the round-frames have become optical icons themselves. For this reason, it only makes sense to spot these frames being worn by individuals who seem to not care about the trends of two seasons ago. Furthermore, they’re objectively stylish and their aesthetic is John Lennon in a striking outfit, somewhere in Europe.
4. P Diddy
Sean John Combs aka Puff Daddy, did not leave a strong legacy with his music. It’s terrible. Still, he remains extremely relevant and influential to younger rappers, like Kanye, today. However, when it comes to style, Diddy Combs could teach us a thing or two. Arguably the most stylish rapper alive, he was one of the first rappers to make himself personally acquainted with Vogue’s Editor-in-chief, Anna Wintour. Another interesting fact about Diddy is that like Anna, he rarely ever attends an event without his shades on.
No doubt, his sense of fashion broke new ground and formed a compromise between the overtly masculine, street inspired hip hop scene and, quite simply, the affluence around it. In fact, you will not find a single picture of P Diddy where he does not look like a billionaire, and the shades are an essential part of that. He usually favours thin metallic framed aviators, lightly tinted. Feeling inspired yet? Suit up and ball hard like a rapper in Paris in these Cazal’s.
5. Lady Gaga
First and foremost, Lady Gaga is (no matter what you might think of her) incredibly creative, original and innovative. She was originally a song writer and has enough musical talent to supply an entire week of Broadway shows. Seriously, her acoustic version of Poker Face will leave you shook. For this reason, Lady Gaga will become one of the most memorable icons of our generation.
Above all, Lady Gaga’s aesthetic bears resemblance to Bjork’s visual history. It’s all over the place. Weird thing is, it totally works. Lady Gaga is a modern representation of fashion’s brave icons. Go for the big, go for the bold and wear it like a superstar.
For more on modern-day icons, head over to our www.lmnteyewear.com, and find what you love with our exclusive celebrity-inspired sunglasses collection.
