Down under’s very own darling of pop music, Kylie Minogue has been wearing glasses since her early 20s, therefore it’s no surprise that Specsavers turned to the fashion and music icon to create an exclusive eyewear range which launched last year. “I didn’t know why I was holding onto all these pairs of glasses,” Minogue admits to MiNDFOOD. But once she started working with Specsavers, Minogue explains, it all became clear. “I have quite a collection of glasses, and I already had all this inspiration for the Specsavers range in my house,” she says.
This year, as Minogue celebrates turning 50 and the release of her 14th studio album, Golden, the pop icon adds nine new frames to the best-selling collection. To mark the occasion we caught up with Minogue to find out about the inspiration behind the new frames in the range, her upcoming tour and what Golden means to her.
Tell us about the inspiration behind the new additions to your Specsavers collection.
Some of the inspiration came from the first Australian launch actually. It was a fantastic launch and I loved seeing all these hip young things who put on the event. There was a journalist that there who had double-bridge metallic glasses on, kind of like grandpa glasses. And I thought, “Oh, can we do something like those for the next range?” And we did. The style is Never Too Late; I’m wearing them at the moment.
There are styles that I can clearly identify where the inspiration came from. But I’m always sending the Specsavers team ideas and inspiration when I see them. They’re really like Santa’s little elves. They make up so many prototypes. Anything is possible!
What is the secret to finding the perfect pair of glasses?
It’s not easy! I’m not going to lie. It’s made a bit easier for me now that I’ve got my own range. It can be overwhelming going in to buy. Especially if you need glasses to see, and you’re trying on glasses without lenses in them. It’s hard. Take a friend with you, I think that’s the best thing you can do.
You’ll be kicking off your Golden tour in a few months. How do you maintain balance and stay healthy while touring?
It’s a process. I try to take care of myself in general. But on tour, I live and breathe for the show, so there’s not much time or energy for extracurricular stuff. Getting ready for the show, doing the show, calming down from the show, checking into hotels, moving to the next place – it’s like the circus. There’s so much to love about it. I adore being on tour. You can’t take your foot off the gas though. So you have to eat well, sleep, try to nap, try to get enough goodness in.
You’ve expressed frustration with being asked about your age – a question your male counterparts aren’t too familiar with. Is our obsession with changing?
It definitely is. I know for a fact through the promo for Golden album and my last album. How much of that is because of what’s happening in general, with the movement and how much of that is me personally, I’m not sure. But I’m celebrating turning 50. I feel fantastic to be turning 50 and to be at a point in my life where I’m taking stock, being appreciative of everything I have. Through making the album Golden I was really able to do a lot of that and be very honest with myself and honest with other people and that’s really liberating. It really is different, thank goodness.
Can you talk about the significance of the lyrics ‘We’re not old, we’re not young, we’re golden’ from the track Golden?
Well, I thought I would really like a song called Golden but I had no idea it would become the album name and the entire concept for this period in my life. It’s a happy coincidence that golden is associated with a 50th wedding anniversary.
We can’t be younger than we are and we can’t be older than we are. I remember being 14 and thinking I’m not old, I’m not 30 which seemed so ancient at the time, and at the same time, I’m not a kid. You can apply it your 14-year-old self and I can apply it to now. I’ve got older friends who say “50! You’re a spring chicken, wait till you get to 80.” You can’t change where you are in life. It’s a note to self as much as anything to just try to be golden, whatever that means to you. And then I went further into that in the concept in my head – gold is malleable, it’s resilient, we’re attracted to it, the sun in the day and the moon in the night are both golden. So whether it’s a dark moment or a bright moment in your life, just try to be you. It got a whole lot deeper than I anticipated!
Can you share some of your beauty secrets with us?
I’m very diligent about skincare. I started wearing heavy TV makeup as a teenager. So I’ve always washed my face and I always use a muslin cloth or a face cloth. Exfoliating is important of course, and I always use sunblock. Then there’s the health side, I try to eat well. A good dermatologist who will give you some good treatments is important too. I love a laser treatment to stimulate collagen – it’s non-invasive. But on a side note: I’m the worst at booking these things, but when you can find the time do it!
We’re so lucky now, with what’s available to all women of all ages – you can really make the most of what you have. I always say less is more but then I look at what’s happening on the red carpet in the world of mega contouring. That’s not my style. I think we’re now accustomed to seeing different types of beauty on different types of people. Find what works for you and don’t be afraid to experiment!
Each new pair of frames in the Kylie Minogue Eyewear collection takes its name from one of her classic tracks, including All The Lovers and Spinning Around. Priced from $299 for two pairs of single vision, the nine new frames, including two exclusive fashion tints, join the rest of the glamorous collection in Specsavers stores nationwide now.
