At the last few Balenciaga shows, a pre-runway of sorts played out outside the venue: Demna’s designs were photographed in landscapes milder than the snowy, windy, muddy ones he’d created inside — and on very famous people.
At the brand’s haute couture show in July, and again at its ready-to-wear show in October, paparazzi joined the street-style photographers to capture ladies like Christine Quinn, Alexa Demie, Bella Hadid, Kim Kardashian, Kylie Jenner and Naomi Campbell making their way in and out of the venues. Nearly all them (and many other showgoers) were wearing some version of Balenciaga’s bold, alien-esque, Oakley-inspired wraparound sunglasses. What better way to be protected from the flashing lights than these goggle-like shields, akin to those worn by athletes and first responders to block blazing sun, bullets and even grizzly bear attacks? (Yes, that’s a real story, and don’t worry, no bears were reported at Paris Fashion Week.)
Thanks to all this Balenciaga-centric publicity and a broader Y2K resurgence in fashion and culture, wraparounds have become the eyewear silhouette of the moment, with Heron Preston, Maison Margiela, Marine Serre, Rick Owens and Ray-Ban — plus Demna and his famous muses — leading their revival. This may seem like an unexpected turn for what originated as a sporty performance item, but those in the know aren’t surprised.
“It makes complete sense for these to be in the high-fashion space,” says Dr. Vanessa Brown, senior lecturer at Nottingham School of Art and Design and author of “Cool Shades: The History and Meaning of Sunglasses.” “It’s [been] a long time since wraparounds were fashionable — and that makes something ripe to be re-purposed for fashion.”
According to Katie Devlin, fashion trend forecaster at Stylus, wraparounds are coming back due in part to fashion’s demand for functional and performance-led design. “We’re seeing a kind of a sporty retro-future element,” she says, “almost like a Matrix-inspired approach to Y2K.”
In addition to Balenciaga’s high-fashion version, Hadid — who’s as much a reflection of the style trends emerging out of downtown New York as she is a major trendsetter — has also been spotted multiple times in actual Oakleys.
