In a piece on i-D earlier this year, BABYFACE co-founder Nellie Eden wrote: “Kim Kardashian, Bella Hadid, the entire Matrix cast, and your mum on holiday in the late 90s/early 00s. What do they all have in common? Wardrobes you want, and the ultimate accessory for 2018: teeny-tiny, barely there, retina-skimming shades.”
And she wasn’t wrong. Hell, I saw five pairs of tiny sunglasses on my morning walk through London’s fashionable Shoreditch this morning (and each one on a different person).
Nellie traced the explosion of the trend back to an episode of Keeping Up with the Kardashians that aired this January, in which Kim declared bug-eye sunglasses as good as six feet under. Here’s the clip…
So, what’s behind the fad? Who’s embraced it? And are we all going to go blind from UV exposure?
This week we’re taking a deep dive into some of the year’s biggest fashion trends. We’re going to figure out what the deal is with everyone wearing small sunglasses. We’ll have a go at deconstructing fashion’s love affair with the ugly trainer. And we’re gonna get our heads around a fashion season in which the Dior Saddle Bag came back (again) and plastic bags became the latest must-have item.
This week, I’m blessed by the presence of i-D Features Editor Tish Weinstock and i-D Contributing Editor Douglas Greenwood. Remember, kids — trends come and go, but friendships never go out of style.
You can listen to Fash-On Fash-Off on Acast, Apple or wherever it is you get your podcasts.