For Lara Dutta, the 60s were iconic, especially the kind of sunglasses you'd find in that era. "You had the big shades," she reveals. "I'd love to bring them back, but they necessarily don't suit everyone. I'd rather modify them and bring out a version that's more Gen Alpha or Gen Z, but with the 60s sort of aesthetics," says the former actor and beauty queen who turned entrepreneur with her brand Arias, a contemporary, multi-category lifestyle brand that's been around for four years now.
For those of you who don't know, Arias is basically Lara's daughter Saira's name spelled backwards. "It (the brand name) is just my endeavor to keep my daughter close to me with everything that I was doing in life," reveals Lara in an exclusive interview with FPJ at during a recent collaboration with premium eyewear brand Shisenfox on their exclusive in-store showcase at Classic Vision and EyeWorld Optics in Mumbai.
Lara Dutta's Personal Style
"When I saw Shisenfox's design aesthetics, I felt it was a very organic extension of everything I have built over the last four years. I have come from a glamorous field; I won Miss Universe and been an actress. I have also associated with glam and style, and my own personal style has never been about following trends. I would like to maintain a very classic, timeless sense of style," she explains.
"For me, Shisenfox aligns with the vision I have. Everyone wants to look their best and feel good, so a brand should be aspirational and give you the opportunity to wear something stylish, but also something that's an extension of you. That's how the Arias by Shisenfox collection has been developed. There are not just sunglasses and trendy eyewear but also prescription classes."
When Lara turned 40, she ended up having to wear reading glasses. "I am constantly losing my glasses somewhere or the other, mostly it is on the top of my head," she jokes.
What You Will Find in Lara's Bag
Lara's got a huge collection of sunglasses, and she picks her shades depending on her mood, what she is wearing for the day, the occasion, etc.
However, she loves tortoise shell glasses. "They are so beautiful and elegant always. You'll always find one or two pair of sunglasses in my bag at any given time, but for me personally, I like the tortoise shell frame. I also love the slightly more cat-eye frame, but I'm a huge fan of the classic aviator style," she shares.
"I am not big on a lot of bling and embellishments around the glasses. I think one ends up looking like they have got frog eyes. For me, it is functionality, more than anything else. I want something that actually stays on my nose through the day, rather than slipping off, and I'm not constantly pushing my glasses up. It's important that I have something without even realising I have something on. Comfort is key," explains Lara.
Introducing Her Daughter To Eyewear
Lara's daughter was six years old when COVID hit. "The kids had almost three years of school online and even if it wasn't prescription classes, it was blue-light classes to protect their eyes from looking at a screen all-day," the actor reveals. "So unfortunately, my daughter got introduced to glasses far earlier than I'd have wanted her to."
"Saira plays a lot of tennis outdoors and I keep telling her, 'You got to protect your eyes, why don't you wear sunglasses'. Right now, they wouldn't be bothered about what they are looking like, and our kids need to reach a certain age, for sunglasses. For her, mom's words will ring through a little later in life," laughs Lara.
How Does Lara Pick Her Eyewear?
Lara's customer, consumer and fan base has always been Indian, and she is very clear about that. "We have such amazing, tremendous potential within the Indian market, and we have the best at a price-point that's friendly to the Indian pocket. So, why do we want to encourage outside brands?" she questions.
How does she choose her eyewear? "It really depends on what I want to feel like. Most of the times, I want something that's functional yet stylish. It needs to be something that she is not constantly fiddling with. Just because it is trendy, doesn't mean it is something that work for me."
Lara's daughter often reminds her that she is the only one in the airport wearing sunglasses, and her explanation for that is pretty simple.
"For celebs, it is that one layer of defense or shield from the outside world; it gives us something to hide behind. It is the reason why, at least as an actor, I have my glasses on all the time.
"My sunglasses are an extension of who I am and a part of my aesthetic. Most of my eyewear is quite classic and timeless. I love experimenting. I will pick up something hatke, but most of the times, I will keep coming back to stuff that works for me."
