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Gigi Hadid wears Type style Gentle Monster sunglasses
Credit: Instagram @gigihadid 

It seems natural to take style cues from a model of the moment with the fashion world at her fingertips. So when Gigi Hadid recently posted a holiday Instagram shot wearing a pair of pink-lensed Gentle Monster sunglasses, it catapulted the relatively unknown label (in the west at least) into the style spotlight.

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The South Korean eyewear brand is fairly new to the global market but has quickly become the epitome of cool, blending functionality with edgy fashion.

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Emily Ratajkowski in Gentle Monster sunglasses

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Gentle Monster, Cara Sunglasses, $432. SHOP NOW

Its experimental designs have garnered a cult following throughout the K-pop world and via a growing number of celebrity fans worldwide, like Emily Ratajkowski, Chanel Iman, Aimee Song, Miranda Kerr and of course, Hadid.

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Chanel Iman in Love Punch style from 2016 range

Gentle Monster is redefining classic eyewear, creatively pushing boundaries to produce highly aesthetic frames, such as quirky spin-offs on aviator and cat-eye styles. (Think futuristic frames, hypnotic mirrored lenses and time travel-esque specs.) Its pieces have accessorised the runways of New York Fashion Week through collaborations with designers like TOME (SS16), Opening Ceremony (AW16) and Hood By Air (SS17).

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Backstage at Opening Ceremony AW16
Credit: Instagram @gentlemonster

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Gentle Monster, Ray Sunglasses, $607. SHOP NOW

Each of the conceptual brand’s stores are a huge draw-card too. All are fitted with a thought-provoking installation displaying sunglasses that feel more like an art exhibition than retail space.

The brand is currently available in just select designer boutiques across Australia, but widely available online via retailers like ShopBop, Lyst and direct from Gentle Monster. Rumour is a bricks and morter store might be coming soon. Here’s hoping.

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The same style worn by Gigi Hadid in her Instagram post
Gentle Monster, Type Sunglasses in Pink, $364. SHOP NOW

Story by Bobbi Lombardo