FASHTALKS WITH VULIWEAR

Tell us the story behind how your brand came to life. What inspired its creation?

Back in 2015, I was at work surfing the web, I came across macrophotography of insects. The magnification was so large you could see their compound eyes and the awesome colors and patterns they created. I was mesmerized. Who knew that such hidden beauty was buzzing all around us?

The first thing that came to mind was sunglasses and I wondered why brands focused on the frame and not the lens, which is the first thing you see when someone is wearing sunglasses. I didn't have any experience in retail or eyewear but I’m always up for a challenge. I like to think outside the box, so my focus was on the lens.

It took me a couple of years of research to find manufacturers that could produce unique lenses and make the metal frame I designed. It was important to me that the sunglasses were authentic, and I want to design them myself instead of purchasing frames and putting a logo on them. I wanted to create Vuliwear.

After getting my prototype made, my boss at that same job, along with two other co-workers, each invested $20K each and we launched on June 27, 2017- National Sunglasses Day which is also my late mother’s birthday. It was destiny.

How did you choose your brand name, and what does it represent?

Every aspect of building Vuliwear has been a very thoughtful and intentional process. Vuli means “shade” in Swahili. I wanted a brand name that had meaning, and it needed to roll off the tongue and be easily remembered. Vuli checked off all my boxes.

"⁠Knowing our customers is essential because it allows us to speak with clarity, relevance and authenticity. When you understand their desires, values and challenges every message we send from product design to marketing resonates on a deeper level. By sending out surveys periodically to new and existing customers we gather information and honest feedback."

What core values guide your brand, and how do they show up in your designs?

Delivering intentional, quality eyewear and lifestyle essentials that combine bold design, everyday functionality and unique style are at the root of our core values. Each piece not only looks and feels great but it’s purposeful -- whether it’s safeguarding what is most important or making an everyday carry fashionable and functional. As we continue to expand into lifestyle, our products will continue to pair fashion and functionality.

What inspired you to become a designer, and how has that influence evolved?

I come from a family of creative designers, my mother was a seamstress, my father was an entrepreneur with handy-man carpentry skills, my sisters are artists who can design, sew and paint. We hosted several fashion shows, and I modeled, so it’s in my blood. We are blessed with many talents

Walk us through your creative process from concept to finished piece.

Each of our lens-first sunglasses are inspired by an insect and their colorful eyes. From there, my sister Stephanie Ellison-Lewis sketches the design and we work with manufacturers to recreate mirror coatings on the lens. Samples are made, and once approved production starts and once complete and assembled products are shipped from Italy to our warehouse. For our lifestyle pieces, we start with sketching the design with measurements to provide to the manufacturers. After sample approval, production starts and products are shipped to our warehouse in NJ.

What sets your brand apart in today’s fashion landscape?

What sets Vuliwear apart is the seamless blend of luxury fashion, health-conscious design, and utility. No other eyewear or bag brand prioritizes this combination—making Vuliwear more than a product, but a lifestyle upgrade. Whether you’re dressing for the runway or the real world, Vuliwear ensures you’re equipped with accessories that look great, are made well, protect your vision, and solve the everyday frustrations of modern luxury living.

What was your first experience in the fashion industry, and how did it shape you?

My first experience in fashion is that I come from a family of fashionable and talented women. My mother could sew without a pattern and whip up an outfit in 30 minutes. In elementary school, my teachers would admire and show off my outfits and I was labeled ‘best dressed’ at 5 years old.

What has been your biggest challenge so far, and what did it teach you?

Being a “solopreneur” is the biggest challenge because you wear so many hats and they’re all important in order to design, maintain, market, scale, and generate revenue. You find out very quickly if you’re really built for entrepreneur life. Building a team takes time and a lot of trust, but it’s vital to grow your business. It has taught me to be flexible, communicate my vision clearly and trust others who are experienced and better suited for the task.

Another huge challenge is finding your audience. When first launching you want to sell to everyone and that’s just not realistic. You have to find your audience and that takes time and a strategy that must be consistent and fluid. Once you’ve converted friends and family to customers and sales have slowed down, now what? The real work begins and it’s a make or breaker.

What accomplishment are you most proud of to date?

I am really proud and excited about our rebranding and scaling into lifestyle; both are major milestones. We launched almost ten years ago, so as we expanded our product line it made sense to refresh our brand identity. The process allowed me to step back and analyze Vuli through a different lens together with my son Noah Ellison and our branding consultant.

Noah is also very creative and the catalyst for the Beba Crossbody bag design, recognizing the need for men to have something sleek and functional to carry daily essentials. Our patented interior design includes a protective compartment for your eyewear and phone making this crossbody truly unique, fashion-forward and functional. I’m proud to announce that Vuliwear is now featured on the Nordstrom Marketplace and we are continuing to expand with momentum within the broader elevated fashion eyewear and lifestyle space.

"Delivering intentional, quality eyewear and lifestyle essentials that combine bold design, everyday functionality and unique style are at the root of our core values. Each piece not only looks and feels great but it’s purposeful -- whether it’s safeguarding what is most important or making an everyday carry fashionable and functional."

How do you connect with your customers and use their feedback?

Knowing our customers is essential because it allows us to speak with clarity, relevance and authenticity. When you understand their desires, values and challenges every message we send from product design to marketing resonates on a deeper level. By sending out surveys periodically to new and existing customers we gather information and honest feedback.

Our Beba Crossbody bag was intentionally designed from real-life experiences that explained why people shy away from investing in high-quality sunglasses that have a higher price tag → they lose them, get broken, stolen etc., hence no protection if they’re not carrying the case with them every time they wear them. We’ve solved that problem.

Outside of your brand, what are you most passionate about?

My family. My son, Noah and my grandbabies. They are the best! I've been blessed with a great support system from my three sisters to my best friend for over 40 years.

What excites you most about the future of your brand?

My vision for Vuliwear is to become a globally influential lifestyle house where innovative design evolves into a complete expression of modern living. Vuliwear is just the beginning. We’re already expanding into Vuli Life with crossbody bags, with the future expansion into fashion, art and home – building a lifestyle world that shapes how people see, move, express themselves and live.