Sunglasses are not only to protect the eyes from strong light and harmful rays but they are also fashion’s latest must have. “I must confess that I’m obsessed to shades. I don’t mind putting on any pair, as longer as their large enough to cover my eyes,” says Karen Barasa. People are however becoming a little fussier.Designer shades are a fashion statement. They say a lot about one’s looks and how one would wish to look. Often people buy designer glasses because of the message they send to the world. Peter Ngoga says he loves putting on shades when the sun is out but admits that the make really matters to him. “I’m a styled man and so love stylish items,” says Ngoga who is prepared to splash out on expensive designer labels. In our celebrity driven world, popular celebrities, the likes of Victoria Beckham, Naomi Campbell, Paris Hilton, and Kanye West have a huge influence on what the rest of us do and wear. This applies particularly to the dot.com teenagers, who are driven by the influence of celebrities. It is not surprising then that, wanting to look like their stars, teenagers are on the hunt for sunglasses. “Trendy glasses have been around for a long time. In the 80s, I remember buying a pair of prescription spectacles, and I used to attract a lot of attention in them,” said Christopher Mulisa. Kigali, fashionable sunglasses of all shapes and sizes are available. Ralph Lauren and Gucci carry a full line of everything from tiny half-glass lenses with ‘invisible’ frames, made of extremely thin metal or plastic, to giant, bug-eyed shades. Ends
