The concept for Vontélle was born out of a need of both founders Tracy Vontélle Green and Nancey Harris. They wanted vibrant patterns, better fitting glasses, and to purchase from a Black-owned brand. When they did not find what they wanted, they created it.

The spectacular handcrafted designs are new to the eyewear industry and include a wider bridge for the nose, a longer temple for a comfortable fit on your ears, and a wider lens to fit over high cheekbones. The goal is to change how you see and be seen.

Tracy called Nancey (her friend since college) in June 2019 to complain about losing her glasses. She went to look for a replacement and had two issues.

 1. They all look the same.

 2. They didn’t fit well.

She was tired of having indentations on her cheeks and nose. Nancy commented that she had lost a pair of sunglasses as well. They started doing research after that call in June. How to make glasses, manufacturers, black designers, etc. In July 2019 they said, “Let's try to do this.”

Nancey booked both their tickets in August 2019 to attend an eyewear expo during Paris Fashion Week in 2019. 

RAINE: How did this spark, and expand over time and enhance the journey to where you are now?

VONTÉLLE: Our trip to Paris was an eye-opener (ironically).

We saw thousands of glasses and met eyewear manufacturers and designers, but NOT one Black-owned or Black Women-owned designer or manufacturer of eyewear. This served as our “aha moment” – this was the reason that glasses did not fit properly on our faces. We did not have representation in the industry. We decided to design and create better-fitting eyewear with a focus on adding textiles and patterns.

If not us, then who?

So, I made a list of entrepreneurs who birthed companies out of necessity and a missing component (Untuck It (shirts), Bevel (razor), Ruby Love (period panties), Peloton (exercise bike), Beats (headphones), Sundial/Shea Moisture (lotion/hair products), etc. All these products already existed, but they each found a missing component and used that to build multi-million-dollar companies.

Vontélle Eyewear is following a similar path by providing a new solution to the eyewear industry and working with our community. The corporate vision for Vontélle is to become the leading African American woman-owned luxury eyewear design company.

RAINE: Beyond a certain amount of functional necessity - making it a large market by default - eyewear is a very broad market. What is the secret to making your products and collections stand out within such a crowded space? 

VONTÉLLE: Our patterns and our sizes are our secret.

While there are many eyewear companies, none of them cater to or create for the diverse face.

Many ethnicities (African Americans, Hispanics, Biracial, Asian, Hawaiian, Japanese, German, Jewish, Polish, India/Bangladesh, etc), have issues - They wear rubber bands on the end of their glasses as it hurts. If the glasses are too tight, they rest on the lymph node behind your ears-which causes headaches.

If you look at many eyeglass wearers, the temples (arms) are short and often don't go over the ear. Moreover, the average Pupil Distance (PD) for most European ethnicities is 56 - 60. All other ethnicities have a PD of 60 - 75 - many African - Americans have a PD of 70 and higher.

RAINE: What is the most important factor when infusing glasses with enough stylistic flourish allowing them to transcend beyond a necessary accessory?

VONTÉLLE: After George Floyd and Black Lives Matter, there has been a real transition to celebrate our heritage – even more so.  Vontélle does that with our eyewear. We are the only brand that includes ethnic designs in our eyewear. Making them not only a beautiful accessory but a statement piece.  

The National Institute of Health’s National Eye Institute reports that African Americans and Hispanics are more likely to have cataracts, glaucoma, and diabetic retinopathy than any other ethnic group. This makes it more difficult to wear contacts, so properly fitting eyewear is crucial.

RAINE: How do you hope your brand enhances the creative and personal identity of those wearing your products?

VONTÉLLE: Vontélle eyewear stands out. Everyone who wears our products does so because they want to be more creative, love color, culture, and want to make a statement. They want to wear eyewear that matters…and buy from a black female-owned company.

Vontélle understands eyewear is a medical necessity! Yet there are less than a handful of Black eyewear makers.

Considering 164 million American adults wear glasses, Vontélle Eyewear is poised to disrupt the industry. With the right partnerships and capital, the goals of the company are limitless.

RAINE: Vontélle has been able to develop professional relationships. Collections with other brands and intellectual property throughout the business. When working with another brand, what is the most important element when developing a product/collection that maintains a certain amount of synergy between all parties?

VONTÉLLE: If you love patterns and color, you want to work with us. Our Nickelodeon collection does just that- you see the character and color in our glasses – they are not boring, and the kids love them. For example, SpongeBob has a sponge pattern on them. Baby Shark has sharks on them. 

We have embarked on some new partnerships for adults and we come in as ourselves - and our partners love it. They tell us what shapes they want and/or what vibe they want to create, and we collaborate from that point. We use their motif or brand colors to dictate the finished products.

RAINE: You are given the choice to pick one favorite product or product line from across the brands, and lifespan. What are you choosing and why?

VONTÉLLE: From Vontélle, all our eyewear is spectacular, but our Rwanda Wayfarer is dear to my heart as it was the first pair we designed and our best seller. It has a full pattern on the front and just elevates ANY outfit.

RAINE: Who are your dream brand or individual collaborators for a product line?

VONTÉLLE: For a men’s line, Lebron James or Tom Ford. I would love to work with Donna Karan, she’s also from NY. I also like Rachel Roy and can’t forget Oprah & Gail; they wear the most fabulous glasses now.

RAINE: What is some advice you can give in funding a creative career or business?

VONTÉLLE: The first step we recommend is to ask questions. Ask everyone “How did you do that? Where should I go to get this?” Do not be afraid to ask. LinkedIn is your best friend. You can find a great deal of information using search engines.

Moreover, do not take “no” or “I do not know” for an answer. If you want or need information, keep asking. Do your research and get the knowledge and answers you seek.

Lastly, ensure you have a business plan, review the numbers - actual potential ROI (return on investment) and reach out to other start-up business owners in your industry. There is the fun part of the business, which is probably what drew you there, and there are the necessary business needs.

RAINE: Do you have any further exciting projects coming up?

VONTÉLLE: We now have 3 licensing deals (Nickelodeon, 50th Hip Hop, and Bouffant & Broken Hearts by Kendra Dandy).

- in Saks Fifth Ave - they carry curated 10 SKUs

- We have 4 new collaboration collections.

·         Harlem Haberdashery x Vontélle

·         Earline Sims collection x Vontélle

·         Naevia’s Magic Glasses x Vontélle

·         Deemed x Vontélle

- Divine Collection for our sororities & fraternities

- We are creating a new collection for National Vision (they own the America’s Best chain of stores).

Our most important project and one we are most proud of – is giving the gift of sight to homeless families. We have partnered with WIN (Women in Need), the largest provider of family homeless shelters and supportive housing in New York City, and local optometrists to offer free eye exams.

We are working with vision companies to donate free eyeglasses and the Steve & Marjorie Harvey Foundation.  Providing a grant which pays for the prescription lenses for women, men, and children in need.