Thankfully, the eyewear trend in the underground is finally shifting away from clout goggles. In fact, people get made fun of now for wearing the highly oversaturated sunglasses. It seems like everyone got sick of the oversized, bulky plastic frames and has switched over to sleek mini frames. Although the actual UV protection is questionable, this Matrix-inspired trend started to take form in the summer of last year. It’s more about making a statement with the eyes than hiding them from public view.
photo credit: Vogue
Recent origins of the futuristic tiny glasses within the luxury market can be traced back to designer Demna Gvasalia, who showcased small black sunglasses for Balenciaga’s SS17 runway show. After seeing immediate success, for FW17 he doubled down on the small shades, creating angular slivers of sunglasses that were paired with high-end evening gowns. At this point, almost all of the luxury design houses have caught on to the itty-bitty sunglasses trend and are incorporating them into their collections. London-based favorite cult designer, Ashley Williams, has shown mini sunglasses in her past three runway shows. Hers tend to be more boxy, futuristic and rectangular than most of the other womens glasses on the market.
The specific silhouette of tiny sunglasses that is being seen most frequently tends to have a bit of a cat eye shape. Perhaps the most iconic cat eye frames were at Louis Vuitton. Although the sunglasses weren’t particularly large, their pointed ends were long and sharp with frames made of both metal and acetate, looking both sporty and retro. Maison Margiela’s FW17 runway show presented maximum drama with cat eye sunglasses in a variety of colors, with an acetate half-rim that jutted out of the top of the frame, below the cat eye extension. Other extremely tiny and unique cat eye sunglasses were also spotted on the runways of Acne Studios, Moschino, Rochas and Erdem. Skinny but arched cat eye frames were presented at Prada, as well as rounded cat eyes and rectangular glasses with a metal frame at Miu Miu. At Sonia Rykiel, the frames were made of black plastic and were a little chunkier but still decidedly skinny.
On the street fashion level, the most popular mini-shades that have been selling are cult New York designer, Adam Selman’s Lolita shades. Although not as skinny as the frames being seen within the luxury market, these highly popular shades were the result of a collaboration with frameware brand Le Specs and have been consistently selling out since the summer of 2017. Iconic weirdo runway model, fashion influencer and beauty expert Jazelle Zanaughtti aka @uglyworldwide has been repping tiny glasses for a long time. She was recently quoted talking about how she likes her sunglasses so thin they are basically string. This look works very well for her because it allows her to showcase her iconic makeup looks and doesn’t hide her beautiful face.
photo credit: W.I.A. Collections
Perhaps the most useful function of the mini glasses is that they are a perfect conversation piece to draw interest to even the most simple of outfits. Many celebrities, brands, Instagram personas and musicians have made use of the fun glasses to easily create iconic and lighthearted looks. High end gothic clothing brand, W.I.A Collections, is most reputable for creating oversized items such as extra wide tshirts, cozy detailed sweatsuits and ultra-large graphic jerseys. Recently the brand took product shots for a new drop and had the model wear tiny glasses. The harsh contrast of their larger than life garments with the miniature sunglasses proved to be successful. Los Angeles based musician and model, deathbyromy, has also been caught wearing the small frames in many recent photoshoots.
photo credit: @ko_lyd
Prior to the current emerging trend, the mini Matrix-style sunglasses were popular in the late 90’s and early 00’s among rappers such as Juvenile and Manny Fresh. They eventually lost their cool as the style was picked up by soccer moms and motorcycle dads everywhere and the fashion industry started pushing oversized, full-coverage frames. Tyler the Creator was one of the first recent artists to rock the teeny frames. No surprise as his brand Golf Wang certainly embraces playfulness and outsider culture.
photo credit: @dg_bladee
Popular Swedish-based Drain Gang member, Bladee, has been a big fan of the mini sunglasses since 2014 as his aesthetic often incorporates garish, degraded trends into a cyber futuristic landscape. Corbin fka Spooky Black and Bobby Raps made great use of the tiny sunglasses in their 2016 music video for Welcome To The Hell Zone. Bobby Raps is sporting childrens sunglasses that are way too small for his face while he drools in a dark corner, trying to look as wild as possible. He then proceeds to wipe the spit all over his chest and laugh hysterically, turning the dark vibes into a funny scenario with help from the added styling of the sunglasses.
photo credit: @bobbyraps
Pure aesthetic, the mini sunglasses trend is perfect for our image dense era. With the tense political environment of 2018, playful and lighthearted fashion is a welcome distraction from darker issues. Ideally, the glasses should reveal the whole eyebrow and preferably as much of the eyeball as possible. The ideal mini frames should offer no protection whatsoever from sunlight. They are perfect for situations where there is no sunlight including nightclubs, business meetings and concerts. The less practical and more ugly they are, the better. Celebrities have been known to wear extra large, dark lensed sunglasses when trying to avoid the paparazzi, but in an era where most celebrity press is calculated down to an art form, the mini sunglasses come in handy. Extra cool points are awarded to the mini frames as they create an illusion of not wanting to be seen, but allow maximum facial visibility. Whereas sunglasses are traditionally worn as an accessory or accent, these sunglasses are attention seeking and are to be worn as a focal point.