How Arab-American Trailblazer Rami Malek Styles Aviator Sunglasses On and Off-Screen
Award-winning actor Rami Malek is a pro at breaking down barriers. Entering Hollywood and its propensity to cast Arabs in negative, stereotypical roles, Malek sought to be a consummate pathbreaker and take his rightful place as a leading man. He succeeded. In 2019, Malek became the first actor of Egyptian and Coptic heritage to win the Academy Award for Best Actor, and was listed by Time Magazine as one of the 100 most influential people in the world.
Part of Malek’s star quality is his sense of fashion. He prefers sporting a particularly sophisticated pair of men’s sunglasses: the Aviator. This iconic sunglasses design, which was pioneered by Ray-Ban as eyewear for US pilots in 1937, is now a timeless and exceptional accessory—and Malek knows how to wear them well. Here’s an overview of how this Arab-American trailblazer styles his Aviator sunglasses both on and off-screen.
On-screen: Bohemian Rhapsody
In his award-winning performance, Malek portrayed the flamboyant Freddie Mercury with heart and charisma, unafraid to fully embrace his captivating personality—down to his wardrobe choices, which Mercury was famous for incorporating into his performances. Malek was reportedly fastidious with his costume and collaborated with Bohemian Rhapsody’s designer, Julian Day, to ensure the clothes’ exemplary fit and feel. One aspect of the look, of course, was Mercury’s Aviator vintage sunglasses, which date back to the 1980s. In the film, Malek wears the silver frame with two lenses—one with pink lenses that he wears earlier in the movie to showcase Mercury’s exuberant personality, and one with dark, highly-reflective lenses to mirror when Mercury starts withdrawing from public life. Day and Malek’s deliberate use of the shades add yet another layer of brilliance to Bohemian Rhapsody.
Off-screen: Business Casual
Malek seems to have taken inspiration from his starring role. While he doesn’t dress in Mercury’s bold colors, the actor isn’t afraid to make daring choices. Whether showing up at a photo shoot with a simple shirt and trousers with only a tailor wool overcoat to invoke a sense of chicness or going for an all-black outfit with differing textures, Malek appears to like pairing simplicity with winning creativity. His Ray-Ban Aviators are also still a favorite, and he likes wearing them a mix of formal and laid-back attire—such as when he wore a cropped jean jacket with slacks—that make up his form of business casual. He’s also been spotted wearing Dior Blacktie sunnies with a double metal bridge to lend him extra elegance.
On-screen: The Little Things
What do you wear to get the look of a detective in a neo-noir psychological crime thriller? Sunglasses, of course. In this tense murder mystery, Malek wears Randolph Engineering Aviator sunglasses with bayonet arms and gray lenses to add to his character’s enigmatic and morally ambiguous persona. It works—his performance as a frustrated chaser of justice is only accentuated by the screen he puts between himself and the world.
Off-screen: Red Carpet
In 2022, Rami Malek became one of the presenters for the Oscars. For the part, he dressed in a classic black-and-white tuxedo with a bowtie, an eye-catching gemstone lapel, and Aviator sunglasses. The actor wasn’t alone in wearing sunnies for the awards. Among others, Travis Barker and Benedict Cumberbatch caught onto the trend of wearing shades with their suits, and TikTok star Reece Feldman made his debut on the red carpet with cropped pants, a pink jacket, and his signature squared-off round shape sunglasses.
Malek’s acute sense of style only adds to his star quality as an Arab-American trailblazer—especially when it comes to shades. Take inspiration from the cultivated ways he styles the different iterations of his favorite Aviator sunglasses.
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