Q&A: The Elements of Style

Glen Plake has a very distinctive style. Highly hip, brightly colored clothing and a towering Mohawk are his trademarks, but his penchant for the extreme doesn’t end there. Plake is a veteran extreme skier, a ski film star, and a ski mountaineer that is an icon in the world of skiing.

Plake has also recently been dubbed “The Luckiest Man Alive” by the international press as he miraculously survived a massive avalanche that took the lives of his two team members on Nepal’s Mount Manaslu last September.

Plake has a passion for eyewear. His long-term collaboration with the French performance sunwear maker Julbo has resulted in a number of signature Glen Plake styles. Here, Eyecare Business catches up with Plake to learn more about his own personal eyewear style.

Eyecare Business: How many pairs of sunglasses and goggles do you own?

Glen Plake: I have eight pair that I keep at my home in Europe and about 10 at my home in the U.S.

EB: What type of sunglass styles suit your personality/lifestyle best?

Plake: My favorite is the Julbo Bivouak with the Zebra lens. The Bivouak has magnetic snap-in side shields that deliver increased protection against the elements. The Zebra is a photochromic lens that adapts to all the varying light conditions I’m in.

EB: How would you describe your own personal style?

Plake: “Mountain style with an attitude.”

EB: Do you wear sunwear for fun/style as well as performance?

Plake: Yes, I wear it for both. With what I do, I require the performance and I dig the style.

EB: What type of styling/colors do you like the best?

Plake: My style preferences come and go, but usually I like bright, neon, and metallic colorways the best.