Stefani’s new vision
The glam singer reveals a practical inspiration for her new optical and sunglasses lines: She needed them
At a late-summer event at the London West Hollywood hotel for her eyewear labels, L.A.M.B. and GX by Gwen Stefani (which now includes kids’ styles), Gwen Stefani sat down to talk fashion shop. Last year, the Grammy Awardwinning singer-designer-TV personality introduced her optical and sunglasses lines, crafted by New York eyewear manufacturer Tura Inc., and fall styles shipped to stores last month.
Donning a lace-trim, polka-dot dress from Zimmermann’s fall collection and black suede thigh-high boots by Casadei, Stefani said, “We were talking about what we were going to do tonight, and we were like, ‘Let’s go ‘La Dolce Vita’ [referencing Anita Ekberg’s femme fatale look in the 1960 film].”
On her personal prescription
“I had been wanting to do sunglasses forever because they are something I wear so much,” said the 48-year-old mother of three boys with ex-husband Gavin Rossdale. “People would send me stuff, and I love buying glasses and, finally, I got a partner who vibed with me! It ends up that after that last baby [Apollo born in 2014], I really needed glasses, which is crazy, because it took a long time. But I started noticing that I couldn’t see as well. Everybody in my whole family wears glasses. So I was lucky that it didn’t happen until then. But it is really inspiring to design them — when you actually need them.”
On designing for the masses
“I’m working on my fourth collection, and I’ve become a lot more flexible and open because you learn what works for you and what you get sick of and what you love, but also that everyone’s face is so different. …,” said Stefani, whose latest ski-wear collection with ski apparel brand Burton is out now. “When I collaborate with people, I feel like sometimes they go too crazy. So I find that you need to have a balance of personality and what’s going to work. It’s an accessory. So sometimes it can be the focus, but sometimes you don’t want it to be the focus. … For inspiration, we look at whatever is in the magazines and things that I’ve collected for years; I have hundreds of glasses!”
On her personal style
“I feel like my personal style’s been the same since I was a little girl,” Stefani said. “People always try to bring out things that are going to embarrass me or make me say, ‘I regret that.’ But I never do! Even back to the pink robe I wore when I was 7 years old. Because you think, ‘That was me right then, and I know why I wore that; my mom bought it for me.’ Or that peach prom dress. Yeah, it was horrifying. But my mom made me that, and it was from the ’80s, so it made sense at the time. There’s no regret. We all evolve, but I always see a thread of myself.”
On a stellar sunglasses moment
“I can remember an amazing moment where a pair of Christian Dior sunglasses showed up at my house that were worth whatever, back in the day when I was nothing,” Stefani said. “I was so excited about someone giving me something that I could never think of buying myself or getting my hands on. And then I ended up wearing them in the ‘Hella Good’ video.”