The best sunglasses of SS22 combine utility and elegance

Left, Sunglasses, £550, by Akoni. Jacket, £1,059; shirt, £199, both by Sandro. Right, sunglasses, £390, by Lindberg. Fashion: Jason Hughes

(Image credit: TBC)

By Jack Moss

last updated 3 August 2022

Utility and elegance meet in this season’s optical offerings, primed for open-road adventure and dress-up alike. Wide-angle frames, high-shine lenses and contemporary riffs on the classic aviator provide a tough shield of protection against the glare of the hot summer sun, while sleek profiles and subtle decorative flourishes ensure they remain compatible with more glamorous choices of apparel. Indeed, for the S/S 2022 season designers propositioned sunglasses as an accessory equally acceptable to be worn after dark (in this case, their shielding effects can instead be utilized for avoiding unwanted conversations).

S/S 2022’s best sunglasses, for adventure and dress-up

Model wears S/S 2022 — Sunglasses, £390, by Celine Homme by Hedi Slimane. Top £650; jeans, £559; cowboy hat, £650, all by Celine by Hedi Slimane

A plethora of designers captured this fusion of defense and dazzle – from sleek, white-rimmed frames by both Fendi and Akoni (a cat’s eye shape and gently curved wraparound respectively) to squared-off styles from Cutler and Gross and Serengeti, which conjure a feeling of nostalgic, understated glamour.

Elsewhere, labels Lindberg, Celine, Gucci and Louis Vuitton each provided their own distinct play on the classic aviator – an eyewear style long utilized for protection against the elements – which they elevated and modernized for the S/S 2022 season with glossy metal hardware, mirrored lenses and blown-up, face-covering silhouettes.

Model wears sunglasses — Sunglasses, £330; dress, £1,290; boots, £3,500, all by Fendi

Model wears Gucci S/S 2022 — Sunglasses, £685; jacket, £2,180; lace-up trousers, £4,440; hat, £575, all by Gucci

Model wears eyewear by Cutler and Gross — Sunglasses, £315, by Cutler and Gross. Shirt, £175, by MHL by Margaret Howell. Tie £95, by Margaret Howell. Jeans, £189, by Sandro

Model wears eyewear by Serengeti — Sunglasses, £325, by Serengeti. Dress, £475, by Nanushka. Boots, £890, by Celine by Hedi Slimane

Model wears Louis Vuitton — Sunglasses, £500; waistcoat, £1,480; shirt, £975, all by Louis Vuitton

Model wears eyewear and clothes by Gucci — Sunglasses, £685; jacket, £2,180; lace-up trousers, £4,440; hat, £575, all by Gucci

INFORMATION

A version of this article appears in the June 2022 issue of Wallpaper*. Subscribe today!

Jack Moss is the Fashion Features Editor at Wallpaper*. Having previously held roles at 10, 10 Men and AnOther magazines, he joined the team in 2022. His work has a particular focus on the moments where fashion and style intersect with other creative disciplines – among them art and design – as well as championing a new generation of international talent and profiling the industry’s leading figures and brands.