Elisa Johnson on building an eyewear brand, independence and earning her father Magic Johnson's investment

Elisa Johnson launched her eyewear label in May 2021, after selling some of her own handbags to pay for the first samples and pitching her father, American businessman and former basketball player Earvin "Magic" Johnson, for the investment that got it off the ground. Five years on, the brand sells through Saks, Neiman Marcus, Nordstrom and Kith alongside its own site, and has just released a fall 2026 collection fronted by model Jasmine Tookes.

The groundwork was laid at FIT in New York, where Johnson studied fashion business management and interned with eyewear designers including Coco and Breezy. That is where she learned what the category actually costs and takes. "Having this opportunity was so invaluable to me, because I was able to gain such a tangible understanding of not only the steps it takes and the scope of work, but also a grasp on timelines and all of the different costs," Johnson told FashionUnited.

She designed the first frames herself. The Jane, which became the early best-seller, took the most revision and told her most about who was buying. "The Jane was always my personal favorite of our frames we launched with, and had the most tedious process of me revising the design to get the sizing and design to perfection, so I was so happy to see customers loved it as much as I did. It was affirming to me that customers were looking to buy frames that were both original in design, but also an investment in their day to day wardrobe," she said.

Johnson started the label in part because she saw a shortage of accessibly priced premium eyewear and very few Black-owned brands in the category. Five years on, she credits social media with opening the market to smaller labels and says independent premium brands have multiplied, while adding that there is still major room for growth in terms of Black-owned and minority-owned brands in eyewear.

Staying independent in a category dominated by a handful of licensing groups is, by her account, a question of speed.

"As an independent brand, we're not beholden to a specific seasonal calendar and able to more quickly respond to both the current marketplace, and our own customers' demands. We are so often looking at both what our customers love, and what we notice is emerging in trends, and able to respond to this at a much quicker pace, than if we were beholden to the structural confines of licensing. With our launches we are always planning ahead, but we're also able as an independent brand to make alterations in ways that we would not if we had to have our orders in six months in advance," she said.

Jasmine Tookes for fall 2026

Tookes shaped how the fall collection was presented, she said, around warm hues and classic frame shapes treated with more softness. The range runs to acetate and metal frames priced between 125 and 145 dollars, including the low-profile Yves, the 1990s-style wraparound Reighne, the cat-eye Lori, the rectangular Alix, the oversized Celine and the square Miller.

None of it would have started without the money, and the money did not come easily. Her father made her come back with a business case instead of just an idea. "I think looking back, this was such a gift that my father didn't just automatically give me the money and made me earn his investment," she said.

"My dad is an excellent businessman, and he wanted me to come to him with more than an idea, but a clear brand vision paired with a thorough understanding of the financial and logistical requirements to launch successfully. Having to take that extra time to invest my own money into having a refined collection of samples, finished logos and branding, packaging samples, a developed website, paired with the financial plan for the investment allowed for him to see this was something that I was committed to. This process of going through multiple rounds of fine tuning my business plan and pitch deck, strengthened my vision for the brand and provided me with a truly comprehensive understanding before launch," she said.

That preparation is what she tells other designers to copy. Her advice to anyone launching in a category as capital-intensive as eyewear is to arrive with the clearest possible vision of the brand and to seek out mentorship first, which is what she says left her ready when the brand finally launched.

The next phase is category and geography. "Over the next five years, I'd love to expand into men's and continue growing internationally. We launched in Canada this year, with Europe and Australia on our radar. We've also recently brought prescription processing in-house, so continuing to grow that operation is a big focus for us," she said.