You won’t find many surprises in the story of Michelle Visage’s ascent to super-stardom. She won a Madonna look-alike when she was 16. (Of course she did.) She was a big part of the New York ball scene. (No! Really?) She performed in an R&B dance troupe in the 90s. (Of course.) And she met drag star and future Drag Race host, Rupaul, at a swanky monthly club night in the 80s. (That figures.)
But what’s probably the least surprising thing about Michelle, the co-host of the show that took drag to the mainstream, is that the lady’s got incredibly consistent, lip-smackingly good style. Whether she’s dishing out acerbic takedowns from behind the judges' table on Drag Race, bringing queer dance culture to the dusty ballrooms of Strictly, or simply kicking back on her Insta, she always - invariably, infallibly - looks stunning doing it.
From diamonted nails to chandelier-esque earrings, she doesn’t do things by halves, our Michelle. But one part of her look that she does at the very least double as hard as most other humans is: glasses. She’s not afraid of using eyewear to splash colour or inject a mega-dose of personality into her look. She goes big a lot, too, and when she does, she goes two or three times bigger than most of us thought possible. Without a doubt, Ms. Visage is one of the few that fully appreciates the show-stopping power of a really nice pair of glasses.
We love Michelle Visage. We love her passion for all things drag and her eye for outstanding, statement-making eyewear. So we thought we’d say thanks to her for her services the best way we know: scrolling through her Insta feed, picking out some of her most-solid bespectacled looks, and listing them here along with some inspiring notes on what you can take to your own eyewear wardrobe. Michelle Visage, you’re officially an eyewear icon. We salute you!
Lip sync for your life
No, we’re not about to force you to do your best Beyonce in some seven-inchers. We’re talking about Michelle’s use of frame and lip colour synchronisation. When you’re next shopping for a pair of bold-coloured glasses, try picking out some frames that will match up with your favourite lippy.
Picture these Kathryn C cat eyes from Mr Leight coupled with your go-to ruby lipstick, for example. Lush, no?
Do it in DITA
If there’s a brand that always seems to find itself frequenting famous noses, it’s DITA. Celebs love DITA, so it makes sense that eyewear-obsessive super-famous person, Michelle Visage is also a big fan.
If you’re not familiar with them, DITA creates frames that favour the brave. They make high-quality modern frames out of modern materials and we absolutely agree with them when they say that life never quite looks the same once you incorporate DITA into a look. Take some cues from Michelle and shop our collection of the rich and famous’ favourites, DITA eyewear.
Be vogue, not vague
If you weren’t already 100% sure, voguing is a form of dance rooted in New York’s 80s queer scene which is typified by big, bold and exaggerated poses that celebrate femininity at its most proudly femenine. You’ve probably already seen it in that video for Madonna's 1990 song, Vogue. Remember?
A long time supporter of the vogue scene, we reckon Michelle has brought in a little of voguing’s exaggerated drama into much of her eye wear wardrobe, like these slick and bold black square glasses. If you’re looking for a pair of acetate frames sturdy enough to take on your favourite New York dance floor, take a look at some Jacques Marie Mage's acetate frames.
Big is Good, Biggest is Best
Yes, small is beautiful, but big is sometimes just that little bit more beautiful honey. If it’s your kind of thing, don’t just go big, go biggest. From Aviator sunnies to giant round frames, Michelle owns the oversized look by pushing it to its logical conclusion: absolutely humongous. Have you ever considered going a bit bigger? You should.
Be a bit more Michelle, and take a look at our super-massive range of oversized and extra-large sunglasses and glasses.
Cateyes Slay
There truly isn’t a frame style that says feisty, feminine, and catty Drag Queen competition judge like a pair of cat eyes do. We don’t really know why, there’s just something about them. If you want to sprinkle a bit of Michelle Visage’s confidence catnip into your daily grind, remember: cateyes slay. Wear cateye sunglasses when it’s sunny out, wear cat eye glasses when you’re reading. You’ll be purrrrrring almost instantly.
Push your trolley to the cat eye aisles of the virtual Seen store, click here to shop cat eye glasses.
Aviate
You’d be forgiven for thinking that the word aviate means ‘to pilot or fly in an airplane’. It doesn’t. It’s actually a verb meaning ‘to incorporate double-bridged or aviator-style eyeglasses into a wardrobe regularly and in a glamorous manner.’ Look it up if you don’t believe us.
Here it is used in a sentence: “Aviate like Michelle Visage with this pair of Tessel frames from DITA.”
Get it now?
Variety is Spicy
In case you were unsure if the old adage applied to eyewear as well, Michelle’s generously varied and outrageously good selection of frames will have surely tipped the balance in favour of yes: more is merrier, variety is the spice of eyewear. She doesn’t just have glasses for every occasion, but for the occasions that take place following the after parties of those first occasions. In fact, she actually managed to showcase a different pair of glasses everyday for an entire year on her Instagram. Impressive.
If you’re looking to expand your eyewear collection even just a little bit, you couldn’t be in a better place. We have loads of exciting, adventurous frames for you to try out. Just head here, and shop ‘till you're just about to nearly drop.
Love Yourself
We couldn't be happier that there's celebs out there like Michelle Visage representing the power of iconic, independent eyewear. As we're sure she'd agree, we reckon there isn't anything quite as good for bringing personality into a look as a pair of well-made, wonderfully designed frames. If like Michelle you're eyewear obsessed, browse our collection of frames online or shashay your way to the Seen store and check out our full collection in person.
