Framing the Future: The Black-Owned Eyewear Brand Disrupting Fit, Fashion, and Representation
- Dec 29, 2025
- 2 min read
By Tracy V. Green and Nancey Harris
To start things off… we are Tracy V. Green and Nancey Harris, the Co-Founders of Vontélle Eyewear. Vontélle was born from the desire to bring better sizing, inclusivity, culture, color, and confidence to the world of eyewear. Our frames focus on fashion, fit, and function. Inspired by our African, Caribbean, and Latin roots, each pair tells a story with bold patterns and vibrant designs. We also prioritize size inclusivity—creating frames that truly fit. We were tired of “standard” eyewear: short temple arms pressing on lymph nodes and causing headaches, narrow bridges that pinched noses, and frames that left indentations on cheeks.
Vontélle fills that void with frames that are wider, longer, and designed for every face.
One untold pattern we’ve noticed as Black business owners is how underrepresented Black designers and businesses are in the eyewear industry, despite eyewear being a daily accessory. This lack of representation has also meant little innovation in fit and sizing. For decades, the industry has operated on one narrow “average” face shape, ignoring the fact that millions of people need frames with longer temples, wider bridges, and more depth.
As Black business owners, we knew that exclusion firsthand—wearing frames that dug into our cheeks, squeezed our noses, or caused headaches from pressure behind the ears. The industry didn’t account for us, so we built our own solution.
This matters because eyewear is not just fashion—it’s health. Poorly fitted frames can cause headaches, sinus pressure, and discomfort all day long. And when designs lack cultural depth, people feel unseen in both style and function. By ignoring size inclusivity, the industry has forced many of us to settle for eyewear that hurts physically and erases identity visually. That’s why Vontélle combines both: frames with extended temple lengths, wider bridges, and culturally inspired patterns that fit the face and the spirit. Representation impacts everything—from design inspiration to consumer identity. Everyone deserves frames that make them feel seen, celebrated, and confident.
Vontélle is rewriting the rules by centering both culture and inclusivity in fashion eyewear. We’ve introduced collections inspired by African textiles, Indigenous prints, and diasporic traditions that have rarely—if ever—been honored in this industry. Beyond design, we’re creating access: working with schools to provide children with free exams and glasses, collaborating with major entertainment brands like Nickelodeon to bridge cultural storytelling with mainstream audiences, and building partnerships in spaces like America’s Best (900+ stores), Sam’s Club, Saks Fifth Avenue online, ShopBop, Walmart —retailers that haven’t historically showcased Black-owned eyewear. We’re proving that our vision belongs everywhere, while showing the next generation that success looks like us.
The future is bold, inclusive, and disruptive. Our goal is to expand into overseas markets, bringing better-fitting, culturally rich eyewear worldwide. We’re deepening our entertainment and fashion collaborations, proving that frames can be both functional and runway-worthy. Recently, we lit up Times Square during New York Fashion Week with a Vontélle billboard alongside other notable BIPOC fashion designers. At the heart of what’s next is impact: scaling our work with schools to provide eye exams and glasses for underserved children, while continuing to challenge the industry on sizing and fit. Vontélle’s vision is clear—fit, comfort, and cultural authenticity are non-negotiable. The best is yet to come.
Connect With Us
IG: @vontelleeyewear