Apparently, it transpires, they are fashion icons, setting trends for other followers of fashion to imitate. Pope Benedict is reportedly a fan of Gucci sunglasses at the ripe old age of 78, proving the point that you are only as old as you feel. He has also been seen wearing Prada shoes beneath his daringly raised cassock hem, which has since had to be lowered.

He is in good company. Internationally acclaimed clothes horse, Victoria Beckham of Spice Girls fame, is also an avid fan of Gucci sunglasses, despite having designed her own brand of designer sunglasses. Unlike the Pope, Posh spice prefers to raise her hems, and onlookers eyebrows, with her daring style of revealing clothing that would be small enough to make even the most liberated Pope blush.

With style icon, singer, songwriter, fashion designer, author and business woman listed on her CV, Victoria Beckham has her own fan base who avidly follow her fashion statements and wearing Gucci sun glasses is one of her trends picked up by young and old alike.

As with Victoria Beckham, Martine McCutcheon also hails from the good old UK. Another actress with many hit pop songs under her belt, McCutcheon struggled to make it to this point in her career. A sentiment the Pope should be familiar with. Coming from a relatively poor background, and having survived a rather turbulent upbringing, McCutcheon stuck to her guns and pushed for the career she wanted. A Church of England trust finally agreed to sponsor her through stage school.

Having made her name acting and singing, she is passionately followed by the paparazzi, who show a fervent interest in her body shape and fashion sense. A supporter of the 'normal' woman shape, with refusals to even try and be unhealthily stick thin, McCutcheon is a leader in the fashion stakes with her Gucci sunglasses and hour glass figure.

Or maybe the Pope was influenced by the likes of American singer and songwriter, Gwen Stefani. Raised in a Roman Catholic household, even the Pope would have been proud of her. Until, that is, she began enjoying international success as a fashion designer. Her eclectic designs are influenced by Guatemalan, Japanese and Jamaican fashions and have made her well-known in the midriff exposing stakes.

As a prominent trend setter, Stefani chooses Gucci sunglasses to be seen out in. Obviously, she is aware that chances cannot be taken when it comes to designer sunglasses.

Also from the United States fashionistas, comes winner of the Female Fashion Icon Award, Jessica Simpson. Better known in America for her acting and singing skills, Simpson is a regular on MTV and her show 'Newlyweds' with her husband Nick Lachey has made her a pop culture phenomenon.

Thanks to these somewhat sketchy attributes, she has, at least, become a force to be reckoned with in the 'must be seen in' fashion stakes. And despite her tiny frame, she also has managed to find a pair of Gucci sunglasses to suit.