Being fashionable is no longer about being stylish alone. Today, it is about embracing one’s personality, even if it is tangential to the ‘acceptable’ modes of expression.
To some, fashion is an art form. To others, it is almost a religion. Most people try and keep up with trends but, for some, fashion is about creating a trend. They rise above the fickleness of what is ‘acceptable’ and forge their own path.
The global entertainment industry has spawned many such trailblazers. Michael Jackson, for instance, or Wacko Jacko as the press labelled him, was known for his love of glitter and all things larger than life. And who can forget Lady Gaga in all her glorious bizarreness? This taste for the extraordinary, however, is not limited to clothes alone. Eyes are the perfect canvas for showcasing one’s personality. Celebrities know that, to be eye-catching, nothing is more perfect than drawing attention to the eyes. From eyewear to eye makeup, everything has become wackier than ever. The only thing that’s certain is this: Bizarre is in like never before!
Wacky is back
Fashion trends are often started by celebrities who step into in uncharted territory. They make waves by pushing the boundaries of ‘normal’ fashion. What really makes heads turn is completely absurd eyewear worn with élan. A must-mention here is singer Elton John, who made wacky fashionable in the seventies. Dramatic golds, feathers, fur, crystals, a rainbow of colours — all this was part of his apparel as well as his eyewear. He wore star-shaped sunglasses, lenses of unusual hues, eyewear with bizarre embellishments, and, for one of his performances, frames in the shape of musical notes! Today, Elton John has toned down his taste for the bizarre, but his legacy will always remain an inspiration for fans who love all that is a bit distant from the mainstream.
Then there’s Lady Gaga. Her shoes and clothes draw a lot of attention, of course, but what really works is her eyewear. For instance, in her video for the song ‘Paparazzi’, she made Mickey Mouse even more famous with her ‘Mickey’ sunglasses by Linda Farrow and Jeremy Scott. She then wore extremely large and colourful, translucent Marc Jacobs sunglasses, which were later called ‘Lady Gaga sunglasses.’ In the video for ‘Love Game’, she made ‘fence eye jewel sunglasses’ famous — oversized frames in the shape of a fence.
Then there is musician Kanye West who initiated a trend for ‘shutter shades’ sunglasses by incorporating them in his music video ‘Stronger.’ At first they were just white plastic glasses with lines but no lenses. As popularity grew, production of these frames with UV lenses began and the demand kept getting stronger.
Another celebrity to try her hand at strange fashion is Beyoncé. For her ‘Diva’ video, she wore a pair of frames that had a metal fringe in place of the lenses.
Wacky is now getting more mainstream. Take, for instance, the tie-up between Lego and French optical company Lynx Optique. The team created crazy and cool Lego sunglasses that feature Lego bricks on the sides.
Bizarre makeup
Eye makeup is another tool used to create an eccentric look. For a performance for the Queen of England, Lady Gaga (again!) wore a red leather dress with a 20-feet-long train, red boots and sparkly red circles around her eyes. Even the Queen was impressed!
Contact lenses can also up the bizarre factor by many notches. Designs such as a blue star around the iris or snake-like slits are in. Then there are lenses that are white in colour and give the impression that the wearer has no iris. They should, probably, be left for Halloween alone.
There are many other colours, including deep red and light yellow, that give wearers a devilish or angelic appearance. Didn’t we all love it when Johnny Depp, playing the Mad Hatter in ‘Alice in Wonderland’, stared with wonderfully large fluorescent green eyes and asked, “Why is a raven like a writing desk?”
Fashion can be as bizarre as the Mad Hatter’s question. It can cross the line of what is normal, acceptable and safe. This does not mean that anything goes. Wackiness is an art that requires a lot of thought. It is a way of life. Chew on that for a while… — Zarah Fiaz
From eyewear to eye make-up and contact lenses, everything has become as wacky as the circus people! One thing is certain, the bizarre is in like never before, giving the term ‘avant-garde’ a whole new spin!
