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Not to ruffle the feathers of any handbag or jewellery fanatics, but in recent seasons, another accessory is taking centre stage amongst the trendiest bunch in fashion: a pair of statement sunnies. Now evolved far beyond an item designed purely for function (the nearly transparent lenses you've seen on Instagram don't actually offer any sun protection, just vibes), cool girls near and far are flocking to a handful of stylish sunglasses brands, and they're all far more edgy than your average aviators.
With any key accessory, of course, comes a number of trends. For example, with the continued rise of Y2K nostalgia comes the return of biker sunglasses, but with a hint of futurism — think wrap-around styles with chunky, protruding frames. Meanwhile, coming on the heels of the year of dopamine dressing that was 2021, layers of colourful jewellery have instead been swapped with saturated eye candy, where classic black sunnies once reigned supreme. Then, there's the fashion collective's general partialness to all things vintage-inspired, including refined 90s frames, oversized silhouettes of the 70s, and basically anything Bella Hadid off-duty approved.
The brands leading the pack range from heritage Italian houses to under-the-radar eyewear brands with niche followings and celebrity backing. Here's what you need to know about them.