Blame it on the Olsen Twins. When Mary-Kate and Ashley enrolled at New York University last fall, they hit the city's downtown social scene with a vintage-bohemian style of brocade coats, jeans and fur stoles. And finishing off the look? A pair of super-sized sunglasses, triggering what could become the key eyewear trend of this year.
In fact, designer brands - from Ray-Ban to Christian Dior, Versace, Prada, Marc Jacobs and Louis Vuitton - are giving a new meaning to oversized sunglasses with frames so large they seem to cover most of the face.
"Last spring, the key trend was about bling and the spring before that was about the shield," said Mark Ugenti, vice president of sunglass sales for Safilo USA. "The industry hasn't focused on this retro styling and on plastics in particular in some years, so it's something new that comsumers need in their wardrobes."
Peggy Fries, senior marketing manager, Luxottica Group, said the trend started with shields becoming bigger in scale two seasons ago. "In 2004 and for 2005, oversized plastics have become and very glamorous," Fries said. "It's a lot of the celebrity influence. Both of the Olsen twins have been wearing over-sized Ray-Ban aviators, and Britney Spears has been wearing big, over-sized Pradas."
Christian Roth built a 20-year career designing oversized sunglasses, and this recent revival has fashion catching up with him once more. "Younger people are wearing oversized, vintage frames, reflecting a wonderful, ragged, downtown sense of glamour combined with a trace of protest," he said. "In a time of celebrity culture and reality shows, everybody wants to have their 15 minutes of fame. Big sunglasses make you look famous." - Marc Karimzadeh