The Elton John AIDS Foundation recently teamed up with Charlotte Tilbury to sell a couple of lipsticks and a black velvet pouch. For the campaign, the singer wears Goliath from the Elton-John-Eyewear line. He once considered using that name for himself. And the oversized glasses are reflective of his huge career.
His original name, Reggie, led to the creation of another pair–with simple black frames. In fact, there are others called Kenneth and Dwight.
Growing up, Reginald Kenneth Dwight admired Winifred Atwell. She seemed to be enjoying herself and engaged with the audience (much like Elton himself later on). So the eyewear line also a beige-framed number called Winifred.
”Cloud,” ”Apple,” ”Flower,” and ”Star” have been among Elton’s own glasses, made by optician John Cottam. He likes to say, ”Some people sing, some people paint, I make eyeglasses.”
Now based in Utah, John got his start at at the Optique Boutique in Las Vegas. He let the owner, Dennis Roberts, who also had a branch in Los Angeles, California, know about some oversized rimless spectacles with pink and blue tints and rhinestone designs he created. Dennis then asked for more samples to show his ”friend and client,” John told the Elton Blog. That was none other than Elton, who became John’s patron as well, and wore the custom specs to promote a couple of records and at his Hollywood Walk of Fame ceremony.
Another standout was the Butterfly-eyewear, but Disney wasn’t pleased when John fashioned a pair (even with an abstract design) based on Mickey Mouse.
The company, he concluded, obviously thought of it as a trademark infringement rather than a tribute.
