The Seoul-based eyewear brand Gentle Monster has been seen on countless exclusive red carpets and runways, worn by some of the biggest celebrities of our time. It’s no secret that many big names are fans of the brand. Hundreds, if not millions, have become fans of Gentle Monster from seeing their favourite stars owning a pair or two of Gentle Monster eyewear.
The list of celebrities who have worn Gentle Monster is long, but we’ll take a look at the top 12 most influential celebrities in their favourite pairs of Gentle Monster eyewear.
Gigi Hadid
American supermodel Gigi Hadid has appeared on dozens of magazine covers and walked an impressive number of runways for top brands all around the globe. Many look up to her as a role model in more ways than one. It’s only natural that fans of hers would take style cues from this supermodel, who happens to be a big fan of Gentle Monster eyewear.
In 2016, Hadid posted a holiday shot on Instagram wearing a pair of pink-lensed Gentle Monster sunglasses. This sparked questions and interest in the Korean brand.
Another time Hadid was spotted in a pair of Gentle Monster eyewear was earlier in the same year. She accessorised her athleisure outfit with the Gentle Monster Silver Love Punch Sunglasses.
Hadid was also one of the first few people to wear slim, small sunglasses and make them trendy with the VECTOR 02 Sunglasses back in 2018.
A pair that Hadid had been seen wearing very often is the Open Ceremony x Gentle Monster sunglasses. One of those times was during fashion week in New York City in 2016.
Billie Eilish
Music artists have always been icons of fashion inspiration for the longest time. One of the biggest artists today is American singer and songwriter Billie Eilish. Her catchy tunes and original lyrics aren’t the only aspects of her that her fans adore — it’s also her fashion style. Eilish is not afraid to share that she’s a big fan of Gentle Monster.
In a feature in Elle USA Magazine, Eilish wore the GENTLE MONSTER X AMBUSH ZIP TIE collection, accentuating her unique style.
Another time Eilish wore the Korean brand’s product was for Yoho Magazine, wearing COLD YC2 sunglasses.
It’s not only in magazines that Eilish wears Gentle Monster. At Zurich Openair 2019, she was wearing the SCON GR1 onstage. The green frames complemented her style and outfit that day extremely well, it’s as if it was made for her.
Emily Ratajkowski
Another supermodel that many look to for fashion inspiration is American model Emily Ratajkowski, who had not only been walking the runways but also appearing on the big screens, as well as in big-name artists’ music videos.
The model and actress was seen wearing a pair of GENTLE MONSTER frames — said to be a frame from the Flagship collection — during the brand’s first NYC flagship store opening in 2016.
Hailey Bieber
In the same pool of supermodels is Hailey Baldwin, more commonly known now as Hailey Bieber. This media personality and socialite has always been in the spotlight, but more eyes have been on her since she married her husband, Justin Bieber. She has become a global style icon, and many would purchase whatever items she had been seen wearing. In the past few years, Bieber had been seen wearing Gentle Monster more than a few times.
One such occasion is in 2021, when she was seen wearing the Ghost 01 sunglasses.
Another time is when Bieber posted an Instagram picture in 2021 in a more casual look, complete with the Gentle Monster New Bond sunglasses.
One of the most significant times Bieber had been seen wearing Gentle Monster sunglasses is when she wore a piece from the Gentle Monster x Alexander Wang collection in 2019. The pair of sunglasses was based on the signature Gentle Monster’s iconic model with an added touch of a semi-cat eye front and bold temples, decorated with a fluid metal snake detail around the lenses front.
Rihanna
Rihanna is arguably one of the biggest stars of our time. Bad girl Ri Ri is, without a doubt, an extremely prominent singer and businesswoman. Millions of people know of her, and millions of ladies all around the world look to her for inspiration of all kinds, including fashion. It’s no surprise that many turned into fans of Gentle Monster because of Rihanna, as it’s known that she owns a few pairs herself.
In 2017, Rihanna was seen wearing the PALABRA 02 at the TDE Christmas Concert and Toy Drive. Her entire look was mesmerising, so it’s only natural many wanted to get a pair of these iconic glasses seen on Ri Ri.
The superstar was also seen to own the same model of sunglasses that Gigi Hadid has: the Open Ceremony x Gentle Monster sunglasses. Rihanna was seen wearing the sunglasses to the Global Citizen After Party in 2016.
Another occasion where Rihanna was wearing Gentle Monster is at the 2019 Miyake Mugler Porcelain Ball in NYC. She was wearing the M.PRI$$ C1 Sunglasses.
Lil Nas X
American singer and rapper Lil Nas X is an artist many are huge fans of, topping US billboard charts and making history as the only artist coming out as gay while still having a number-one record. He has made his stand on fashion very clear: he is all up for it. Lil Nas X’s outfits for various events and red carpets have made news headlines dozens of times, and some of these outfits even feature a pair of Gentle Monster sunglasses or two.
At the MTV Video Music Awards in 2019, Lil Nas X was spotted wearing Gentle Monster’s BEES 3 Sunglasses to match his all-red cowboy look. The red lens of the design, with frames that were inspired by the shape of a crescent moon, perfectly complemented his look.
Another groundbreaking fashion moment of Lil Nas X was in 2021, where he was topless but wearing black feathered wings on his back and a pair of leather trousers. Accessorising his look was the Ghost Sunglasses by Gentle Monster.
Beyonce
Known as “Queen Bey”, this American superstar needs no introduction. Beyoncé has toured the globe and sold out the biggest arenas for her concerts. Her outstanding vocal performances and boundary-pushing artistry have earned her a spot at the top. With being in the biggest of spotlights, it’s only natural that her fashion game is just as on-point, and Gentle Monster takes up a nice chunk of her accessories wardrobe.
The Queen Bey has been seen in the VECTOR 02(R) sunglasses at the All-Star Game in 2018, bringing back the trend of miniature sunglasses.
A more recent occasion where Beyoncé wore Gentle Monster was in 2022. As part of a visual treasure for “I’M THAT GIRL”, an opening single from her latest studio album, RENAISSANCE, Beyoncé wore SCON M01 Sunglasses as she lounged on a velvet sofa in a stunning, bejewelled dress.
Dua Lipa
This singer has been awarded numerous accolades throughout her career. Albanian artist Dua Lipa has quite the collection of trophies, including six Brit Awards, three Grammy Awards, two MTV Europe Music Awards, two Guinness World Records, and two Billboard Music Awards. That is more than enough proof that she is the real deal.
She also has an original and unique fashion style that many love and take inspiration from. One occasion of her wearing Gentle Monster was a picture of her chilling outdoors, posing while wearing the Visioniser Sunglasses in 2021.
it wasn’t a one-off thing — Dua Lipa was also seen wearing the CEO Y2 sunglasses back in 2019. It seems that the superstar has more than a few pairs of Gentle Monster sunglasses.
Jennie Kim
Korean pop, or K-pop, is drastically rising in popularity as we speak. One of the biggest celebrities in the K-pop business is Jennie Kim, more commonly known as just Jennie. She is part of the girl group called Blackpink, which started back in 2016. K-pop fashion is just as big as K-pop music — the two come hand-in-hand. Jennie has become one of the biggest K-pop style icons, and Gentle Monster is a consistent part of her wardrobe.
In fact, she even has two collaborations with the Korean eyewear brand. The first drop was in 2020, which sold out in minutes. Called ‘Jentle Home’, the collection consisted of sunglasses, optical frames, and even accessories. These frames feature rectangular shapes and square silhouettes, channeling the ultimate 90s vibe.
The second collaboration dropped in 2022, which also had an accompanying mobile app called “Jentle Garden Game”. The seven-piece eyewear collection consisted of sunglasses and optical glasses, which featured coveted and sleek frames, as well as bedazzled dainty ones.
Son Ye Jin
Thanks to the rise in popularity of K-pop, Korean dramas are also gaining traction in the West. One of the biggest Korean dramas, or K-dramas, recently is Crash Landing on You. Just like with K-pop, stylistic choices made in K-dramas and by the actors make the news. Actress Son Ye Jin, who was one of the main characters of the show, was wearing bold, black sunglasses by Gentle Monster in Episode 12. These became an instant hit among fans.
In fact, even other celebrities have bought the exact same pair — allegedly after seeing the show themselves. These celebrities include Anne Curtis and blogger Michelle Dy.
Kaia Gerber
Awarded Model of the Year at the British fashion Awards, American model and actress Kaia Gerber has risen to fame in such a short period of time. She is the first model born in the 2000s to be achieve The Big Four — this ‘title’ is given to someone who has been featured in all four of the biggest Vogue covers: American Vogue, British Vogue, Vogue France, and Vogue Italia.
A fashion enthusiast herself, Gerber is not shy to show off her love for Gentle Monster. She has been seen wearing multiple styles of the Korean brand. One of it is the Gentle Monster x ALEXANDER WANG in 2018.
Gerber was also seen in POXI 02 (M) on multiple separate occasions.
The most iconic one of them all was Gerber in the exclusive Gentle Fendi 01 sunglasses created by Silvia Venturini Fendi. This style is part of a two-piece unisex collection, and the pair Gerber was seen wearing features cat’s eye-shaped lenses with the word “Gentle” on one lens and “Fendi” on the other.
Tilda Swinton
British actress Katherine ‘Tilda’ Swinton is best known for her Roels in independent films and blockbusters, including The Chronicles of Narnia, Doctor Strange, Snowpiercer, and The Grand Budapest Hotel. The actress has also been awarded multiple awards for her outstanding skills, including the British Academy Film Award. Swinton is also a fan of Gentle Monster — so much that she teamed with the Korean eyewear brand on a sunglasses collection.
The collection included three styles with extremely striking silhouettes, but are all very close to Swinton’s own style. Two of them are acetate frames while the third is a nearly frameless style with thin stainless steel rims.
Gentle Monster U.S. vice president Taye Yun commented: “Gentle Monster has always been an avid admirer of Ms. Swinton’s artistry. Whether through film, photography or performance art, her vision and aesthetic is in-line with the Gentle Monster DNA. Not only is she Gentle Monster’s muse, but she also represents the core identity of what Gentle Monster is all about.”
Swinton teamed up with Erik Madigan Heck for a short film called “The Endgame” which featured the glasses.
Conclusion
The list of celebrities that have worn Gentle Monster sunglasses is endless, from K-pop and K-drama stars to Hollywood A-listers. Other big-name celebrities who have worn Gentle Monster include DJ Diplo, Anne Curtis, Rebecca Longendyke, Adwoa Aboah, Kim Go Eun, and Kim Da Mi. This speaks volumes of the brand itself — of its quality and craftsmanship as well as the brand’s story.
If you’re not all too familiar with the Korean eyewear brand, check out this article for a run-down of Gentle Monster.