Eyewear influencing isn’t a new thing. In 1955, Rebel Without A Cause had all the girls fall in love with James Dean, and all the boys wanted to emulate his look in Ray-Ban Wayfarers. John Lennon’s wire-framed round lenses have stuck in the public consciousness so much they’re now frequently referred to as ‘John Lennon glasses’. Children’s author Marc Brown consciously put his Arthur character in spectacles to help kids feel less self-conscious about wearing them.
Of course, these days, media is much more granularized. We have much more choice in our content and consumer goods consumption. Enter the influencer. Social media lets us follow the icons of our interests, whether that’s foodies, fitness gurus or fashionistas. Eyewear is no different. Whether you have a passion for focal fashion or you’re simply wondering about the latest looks, eyewear influencers can be a mine of information and inspiration. Here are four of our favorites.
La Espejeulos (@laespejuelos)
The Instagram page of a Spanish eyewear blog of the same name, La Espejeulos, is the brainchild of Miguel Mazon and Nuria Gomez. Partners Nuria and Miguel have vested interests in eyewear—he is an optometrist in their hometown of Madrid, while she is a keen eyewear enthusiast and writer. They tend to focus on boutique European brands such as Nina Mur, Face A Face, and Kuboraum. There’s an awesome streak of vintage running through their styles, also. There are a lot of what might be considered fairly outlandish looks on their page and in their collections. However, in much the same way as the cutting-edge couture of Paris and London Fashion Weeks may be for the brave, many of the design elements will filter down into the mass market.
Rohit Sharma (@rohitsharma45)
If you thought Indian cricket might be an unlikely source of social media influence, you’d be wrong. Legendary Indian batsman Virat Kohli is the 16th most followed account on Instagram—sandwiched between Taylor Swift and Jennifer Lopez—and the third most followed sportsman after soccer superstars Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi. Sharma is no slouch, with over 30 million followers hanging on the Hitman’s posts. He frequently posts himself in sunglasses both on and off the cricket pitch. They’re an important tool of his trade, playing in the Mumbai sun. Rohit’s brand of choice seems to be Oakley, a huge name in the world of sports. Sharma doesn’t have a go-to style, instead spreading his passion for Oakley across their range of sunglasses for men. He has been pictured in the futuristic one-piece Radars to more classic shapes like the Holbrook, endorsed by major sports stars of today such as Patrick Mahomes. Sharma is also a vocal conservation campaigner and can be spotted in shades on safari, having been appointed the World Wildlife Fund’s ambassador for the Indian rhino.
Samaries (@makeupforglasses)
This account is both a little leftfield and very useful. There are countless column inches in the fashion press about how to accessorize an outfit through eyewear. There’s plenty of bandwidth on optical websites about how certain styles of glasses suit certain types of faces—but there’s precious little about how to maximize makeup to look good in glasses. The Canadian explained her inspiration for starting on the influencer path was another social media platform, explaining, “As YouTube started to get more popular, I kept finding makeup for glasses tutorials that always said, ‘Don’t wear too much makeup,’ or ‘Just wear brown eyeshadow.’ I have been wearing different makeup my whole life and hated the idea that people who wear glasses would see those videos and think that’s all they can wear.”
Dr. Arian Fartash (@glamoptometrist)
A great generalist eyewear account, Dr Fartash’s page has content relating to eye health as well as prescription glasses and sunglasses for women. In her daily life, she’s a busy optometrist practicing in Corona, California. In her digital life, her influence extends well past Instagram, having contributed to local NBC and ABC stations and national publications like InStyle and Elle. You’ll find useful eye health tips on Dr Fartash’s socials, as well as her blog at Glamoptometrist. She’s also the founder of a company that makes glasses for babies and younger kids. The lines include sunglasses to keep preschoolers’ eyes safe from UV light and blue light-reducing lenses for children at school—remarkably prescient given how much time even elementary schoolers spend looking at screens and digital whiteboards these days.
Glasses can be a big commitment, and for prescription lens wearers, they form a big part of your look and style on a daily basis. They’re also not particularly cheap, and finding the ideal pair can be a stressful experience given the required outlay. Sunglasses can be the same, should one be fortunate enough to live in sunnier climes, and even if not, should be stylish enough to make a splash when needed. Eyewear influencers can provide guidance and inspiration. It’s a sector that’s highly likely to enjoy extended time in the sun.
BuzzGuru
inBeat
Capssion
Modash
Qoruz