Good thing she’s launching dozens of new optical frames and shades online this month.
Before Kylie had Lip Kits and Kate Hudson had athleisure, there was Gwen Stefani. The pop star launched her first fashion label in 2004, followed by perfumes, sippy cups, and even cartoons.
Now The Voice‘s queen bee has two new eyewear lines with Tura—gx by Gwen Stefani and L.A.M.B. As part of the collection, Stefani’s launching dozens of new optical frames and shades online this month…which means she has a new excuse to call the ELLE.com office for a chat.
You didn’t grow up wearing glasses. But your son, Kingston, wears them, right?
He does! He had to get them starting in kindergarten, and at first, I felt so nervous, but he loves them. And the glasses have become his signature look. He’s partly why we’re doing our first junior’s collection this season, because he loves wearing glasses, and so do his friends. It’s so cute. And it’s amazing how life works itself out, because I have to wear glasses now, so we can all match.
A lot of celebrities try to start their own fashion brands, but you’ve been a successful entrepreneur for 13 years. What’s your secret?
The first thing you have to know is that you can’t force someone to wear something just because a celebrity made it. It can’t just be something I would want. It has to be something you would want. So finding the right people who “get” me, creatively, but also understand other people, and want to make other people happy, that’s a big deal…It’s especially true for eyewear, because people have to literally walk into a store and pick something that works on their face. It has to be right for you, in a very personal way. And if you need glasses, I want you to see that it’s not a punishment, it’s a reward. It means you get to wear something so cool.
This is your third collection for Tura, so it’s obviously working…
Yeah, they’re dope, I have to say. I think it’s because we’re very honest about the fact that if you’re wearing glasses, they’re not invisible. We can see them. They don’t fade into the rest of your look. So if you’re going to wear them, you might as well go with a bold color, a cool pattern, something beautiful.
You’re Revlon’s newest face. Do you wear more or less makeup with glasses on?
Oh, come on! I wear more makeup no matter what! My makeup look is just lots of makeup, all day long, all night long. I love it. And I will talk to you about makeup forever. But I will say, with glasses, you have to be careful with eyelash extensions. You don’t want them to be so long that they hit [your shades].
Your eyelashes are that long?!
[Laughing.] I guess that’s when you know it’s time for a trim.
I never lose my makeup, but I always lose my sunglasses. Help.
I hear you. I’ve gotten to the point where I just tell myself that sunglasses are like your phone. You always check when you’re getting out of the car, “Do I have these?” And even if you’re always losing stuff, like me, it’ll get better. But believe me, I understand. I’ve traveled the world for years. And it’s hard when you have a lot going on to not leave stuff places. But if you care about something, you won’t lose it. That’s the trick, I think: Get sunglasses you really love. I mean, get mine! [Laughing.]
You skipped Fashion Week this season. Any plans to come back after The Voice ends?
It’s not so much The Voice, it’s that Fashion Week is always a conflict with the kids, because they’re in school. But I love fashion shows, and I feel like I get withdrawal. It breaks my heart and cracks it in half that I’m not there. So I keep up with the shows online, and I even go on YouTube and watch some of the old collections I’ve done. But I’m going to come back when the timing is better for me. I will be there again. It’s too much fun, and my heart’s so in it, that I have to come back.
Credit: Elle
