How Grace Kelly inspired this season’s stylish sunglasses

01/07/2024

Sunglasses were a defining element of Princess Grace's look - Howell Conant

It is more than 40 years since the death of actress Grace Kelly, the movie star who became Princess Grace of Monaco after she married Prince Rainier III in 1956. And yet she remains an eternal summer style muse.

Perhaps it’s her particular blend of celebrity glamour and regal elegance. Perhaps it has something to do with her timeless take on 50s, 60s and 70s style. Or maybe it’s the romance of her fairytale story, falling in love with a Prince, and establishing a life in the wealthy principality on the French Riviera, leaving behind a glittering Hollywood career.

One thing that really defined Princess Grace’s look – beyond the legendary Hermes bag that still bears her maiden name – was her sunglasses. She epitomised that classic movie star look: blonde hair, flawless makeup, and sunglasses as a shield from the paparazzi, but also lending the wearer an air of mystery.

Kelly at the Oxford-Cambridge boat race on the Seine in May 1975 - Getty

The conditions were perfect for the Princess to become an early eyewear influencer. If we know anything about the Riviera, it’s that the light there is particularly beautiful and drew artists including Picasso, Matisse and Chagall to work there. But while creatively inspiring, sunglasses were then, and still are now, a necessity.

So it makes perfect sense that a luxury sunglasses collection inspired by the frames she used to wear is launching to benefit The Princess Grace Foundation – the charity established by the Princess’s husband following her death in 1982. Available to buy from Monday (from £395), they take a style lead from her most memorable film roles. Sales will support the foundation’s mission in supporting emerging talent in theatre, dance and film.

Sunglasses were a staple off-duty accessory for actors had been wearing sunglasses long before Grace Kelly came along – in the 1920s silent movie stars were regularly assaulted by clouds of magnesium from photographers’ flashbulbs, so sunglasses became a practical defence, and in the 1940s, Ray-Ban Aviators were popularised among men by pilots during World War II – a style we still wear today – but otherwise it’s the shapes championed by Princess Grace, that have become modern classics.

Kelly's eyewear legacy can be spotted on every contemporary high street - Howell Conant

Look around, and you’ll see Princess Grace-inspired frames everywhere, from McQueen to M&S. The modestly sized rounded frames that she wore in the mid-50s; the sharply angled styles she wore in the early 60s, the oversized aviators of the 70s. Her eyewear legacy can be spotted in every display case on every high street, with a take on each look to suit every face shape and budget.

Cary Grant and Kelly lounging on the beach in a scene from the 1955 classic 'To Catch a Thief' - Getty

'She epitomised that classic movie star look,' writes Abraham - Bettmann

For Freddie Elborne, founder of British eyewear brand Monc, a favourite of Zara Tindall and Amelia Windsor, the cat-eye shape remains enduringly popular. “Every summer, a new sought after variation of this design will materialise, but it’s the women such as Grace Kelly and Marilyn Monroe who have given this style its timeless allure,” he says. “The Gràcia frame is our modern take on this style, and our Brera frame, coming later this summer, is another rendition we’re excited to launch, paying homage to Kelly.”

The most appealing thing about this particular Princess Grace style legacy is that you don’t actually need to look like her to carry off the look. Or take out a second mortgage – as one might to buy an Hermes Kelly bag.

Sunglasses are a shield to the shy, a friend to the tired and hungover, and don’t require the wearer to be a certain dress size. They are a democratic accessory that always adds a soupcon of cool to even the most basic of outfits. And, at least in part, we have Princess Grace to thank for that.

Find your sunnies...

Gràcia sunglasses, £260, Monc; The Last Lolita sunglasses, £70, Le Specs; #D tortoise sunglasses, £40, Izipizi izipizi.com

Gràcia sunglasses, £260, Monc; The Last Lolita sunglasses, £70, Le Specs; #D tortoise sunglasses, £40, Izipizi

Tracy sunglasses, £425, Grace de Monaco; High Profile sunglasses, £83, Quay

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