Undoubtedly one of the most famous celebrities associated to sunglasses is Paul David Hewson, KBE, most commonly known by his stage name BONO, the main vocalist of Dublin-based rock band U2. The Irish singer as well as musician is almost never seen in public without sunglasses. Some speculated that he has cross eyed like Roy Orbison, and the others guess he might have a cataract or even hen’s blindness (nyctalopia). But during a Rolling Stone interview, BONO himself explained:
“[I have] very sensitive eyes to light. If somebody takes my photograph, I will see the flash for the rest of the day. My right eye swells up. I’ve a blockage there, so that my eyes go red a lot. So it’s part vanity, it’s part privacy and part sensitivity.”
Well, people with lighter-colored eyes tend to be more sensitive to bright light, as are those taking certain medications (doxycycline, tetracycline, and furosemide). In a brown eye there is a lot of melanin in the anterior border layer. This absorbs the light and gives a brown velvety appearance. In a blue eye there is not much melanin in the anterior border layer. The light passes into the stroma where the collagen fibres scatter the light back as blue. In a green eye (or a hazel one) there is a variable level of melanin, so that some of the light is absorbed by the melanin and some is scattered by the collagen. The brown layer looks yellow as it is thinner, and so the yellow and blue mix to make green.
As for Bono of U2, he has blue eyes. And that explains why he bears Photophobia (light sensitivity), a condition where eyes are overfly sensitive to light, possibly causing pain, tearing and discomfort. And it seems that his abnormality get worse as the age gets more. We hardly found the anti-poverty campaigner Bono wearing glasses during his early career in the 1980s. Perhaps it is because his eyes were not too sensitive at that time. His use of sunglasses on public has progressed through the years. He has been sporting sunglasses in most interviews and public appearances since the late 90s.
However, Photophobia is not the only reason why Bono of U2 wearing sunglasses almost all the time. Of course he did it also for the image reasons, possible vanity and to create a star image. Sunglasses have already been his trademark fashion style. In fact, they have also become something of an enduring piece of pop culture; in one instance, when BONO was photographed giving a pair of his sunglasses to Pope John Paul II to wear at the Pope’s request.
On a Rolling Stone’s Interview in 2005, BONO VOX dubbed himself “the Imelda Marcos of sunglasses”. The former First Lady of the Philippines, Imelda Marcos was famous for owning 3,000 pairs of shoes when her husband Ferdinand Marcos was a President.
Bono Sunglasses: 1992 Fly Shades - brown
U2’s singer and AIDS activist, Bono was first linked to *shades* when he figured himself as THE FLY, a fictional character with large, dark wraparound blaxploitation-style shades or Mirror Ball Man with more typical, round sunglasses. Those pair of 1970s sunglasses was found by FINTAN FITZGERALD, the wardrobe assistant of U2 band, during the Achtung Baby recording sessions whereupon Bono would put them on and make everyone laugh whenever they ran into a problem or disagreement. The shades came to symbolize the “new U2″, a departure from the pious, rootsy U2 of the Joshua Tree-era. Bono described the character as, “a barfly, a self-appointed expert on the politics of love, a bullshit philosopher who occasionally hits the nail on the head but more often it’s his own finger-nail he leaves black and blue.” The character featured in the music video for the song of the same name, as well as the video of “Even Better Than The Real Thing” and “Lemon“.
Bono’s Bug Eyed Sunglasses: Fly Shades
The Bono’s persona sunglasses were called “FLY SHADES”. It refers to their convex lenses that bulge out like a bug’s eyes; they make the wearer look like a human fly. The plastic frame sunglasses have a single, smooth, semi-circular lens that covers both eyes and much of the same area of the face covered by protective goggles.
“’Shades’ is the most widely used term for sunglasses in North America. The BUG EYED SUNGLASSES a.k.a Fly Shades were so popular among jazz musicians in 1960. American musician and producers, Lenny Kravitz is one of the celebrities who boast the trend of these bug-eyed sunglasses in 1990s. ”
During the 1992-1993 Zoo TV Tour, Bono wore at least two different styles of Fly Shades. The first style of FLY SHADES is the 1992 style of brown colored and oval lens sunglasses. Bono wore them on “The Fly” Video and during the ZOO TV TOUR. The second style was the 1993 FLY SHADES in dark green color which have a bigger size and more rounded shape. They appeared on “Lemon” video and during the ZOOROPA TOUR in 1993.
Bono wearing Fly Shades on U2’s Zoo TV Tour in 1992
(photo from www.flyshades.com)
Bono wearing rounded lens-Fly Shades on U2’s Zooropa Tour in 1993
(photo from www.flyshades.com)
During POPMART TOUR in the 1997-1998, BONO sported larger, tinted wraparound sunglasses with thick frames. By the early 2000s, his shades were frequently blue and more goggle shaped. Starting around the era of “How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb” in 2004, Bono commenced wearing his SIGNATURE ARMANI SUNGLASSES. These were commonly red or green tinted with no frames around the lenses (rimless). He wore these for most of every show on the VERTIGO TOUR, with the rare exceptions being songs like “Sometimes You Can’t Make it on Your Own“, “Running to Stand Still“, and “Miss Sarajevo“.
Bono’s shades seem to change every few years, perhaps whenever he found new better styles. He had ever worn shades by Romeo Gigli, D&G, Diesel, and else. Yet, BULGARI SUNGLASSES seems to be the most favorite even with the launch of his own Armani signature.
During the ELEVATION TOUR, Bono wore BVLGARI QUADRATO line, models 610 and 611 with customized ‘B’ letter on the sides of the frame.
The U2 frontman said,
“…A lot of people think that, when they see a “B” on the side, that it’s just my own megalomania. Only half the time it is…”
Well,..Apparently, the ‘B’ doesn’t stand for ‘BONO’; it’s the BULGARI!
On the other event, B-Man was spotted wearing Bvlgari 549 with blue lenses.
Bono wears Bulgari 549 blue lenses (above); Bvlgari 549 purple lenses (below)
Of the BONO’S SIGNATURE SUNGLASSES, there are two that carry out historical events. They are EMPORIO ARMANI 9285 SUNGLASSES and EMPORIO ARMANI 9592 RED SUNGLASSES. The first was appeared at at World Economic Forum meeting 2008 while the latter was worn by the Irish rock star at the Lincoln Memorial during President Barack Obama’s inaugural concert in Washington .
Bono wearing Emporio Armani 9285 Sunglasses on World Economic Forum 2008
details of Emporio Armani 9285 Sunglasses
Bono’s Armani 9592 at Obama Inauguration 2009
Video of U2 performing on Barack Obama’s inaugural concert “We Are One” in Washington, 18th January 2009
Featuring matte palladium silver frame and salmon colored lenses, this special edition pair of new EA 9592 Sunglasses (EA 9592/S Product RED) is part of the Emporio Armani’s PRODUCT RED collections. The proceeds from the selling - an average of 40% goes directly to the Global Fund, an initiative co-founded by Bono and Bobby Shiver to raise money for fighting AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. Bono is an active public spokesperson for the Product Red brand in which several companies has been its partners such as American Express, Apple Inc., Starbucks, Converse, Motorola, Gap, Emporio Armani, Hallmark, Microsoft, and Dell.
Bono’s Emporio Armani RED Sunglasses 9592 - crystal red
As worn by Bono of U2, the ARMANI RED SHADES 9592 features an ultra-light rimless single lens visor and rectangular metal frame with forked-arms that bears the signature of Emporio Armani and the Emporio Armani RED eagle logo. The decorative element includes the open-worked temples in the form 5-point star that fasten the frame and lens.
Logo of Emporio Armani Product Red
Also available in other frame/lens combinations: Shiny black/grey, Semi-shiny dark ruthenium/grey, and light gold/dark brown, these sunglasses prices US $143.30.
Specifications:
Series: 9592 011
Lens: 99 mm
Arm: 105 mm
Bridge: 01mm
Colour: Salmon
Frame Type: Visor
Lens Colour: Red
Frame Colour: Matte Paladium
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