June and July are about one thing; PRIDE! With events across London, the festivities culminate on Saturday July 6th with London 's iconic Pride parade.
Pride is a celebration of diversity and activism, honouring the rights of the LGBT community. In 2018 over a million people joined the parade, a truly monumental event. People marched, danced and laughed their way through the streets of London, campaigning for the freedoms that will allow them to live their lives on equal footing.
Around the world, people are under attack for who they love, how they dress, and ultimately who they are, and the LGBT community have been campaigning for decades to oppose shame and social stigma. Fashion and music have always been an incredible tool for self-expression, playing an important role in presenting an identity to the public. As writer Jacy Topps explained to HuffPost fashion as a means of protest and resistance has been going on for decades.
At the 2019 Costume Institute Gala at New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art (or more commonly known as The Met Gala) the theme was 'Camp; Notes on Fashion '. Guests were asked to immerse themselves in the theme via fashion, dressing to compliment the extravagance and over the top spirit of Camp. Lady Gaga (who was a guest at the event - and quite literally stole the show) is an artist who campaigns tirelessly for equal rights and the celebration of individualism. She uses clothes to liberate herself and the characters she portrays. From gender blurring experiments such as the fictional male alter-ego, Jo Calderone she created in 2010 to wearing a dress made from meat to the MTV Music Awards. As she once said 'How can we shift the world 's perspective on what 's beautiful? I asked myself this question. And the answer? Drag'
Lady Gaga has been a fantastic supporter of Oliver Goldsmith over the years and our sunglasses have been worn by her in many different guises. In 1965 Oliver Goldsmith was quoted saying 'I don't believe in those theories about certain styles suiting certain shaped faces. Life is too short. If you find a shape you like, have it and never mind what anyone thinks! ' and we still stand firmly by that declaration today. Our frames are for everyone and nothing makes us happier than customers who challenge the status quo and the expectations of fashion. Oliver Goldsmith has always been committed to celebrating the joy of great eyewear and the faces we sit upon, whoever they may be and however they may identify.
So, to everyone attending PRIDE!‚ slip on those shades and celebrate.
