Meet Stevie Boi, owner and designer of SB Shades. Last year, he supplied over 100,000 glasses and counts celebs like Lady Gaga, Puff Daddy, and Britney Spears as clients.
Check Out Wendy Williams Modeling His Glasses
In January, the 23 year old was featured in Time Magazine’s 9 Dream Jobs That Actually Pay. Stevie Boi started getting noticed in the fashion world through an unconventional route. He gained a following via his MySpace page as a singer. Putting out musical content with a funky dressing style to add, the thirst was real to dress like Stevie. “As my music started to get bigger through social media—I began styling myself,” Stevie Boi told The Source.
Momma didn’t raise no fool! If you liked the way he dressed, ya gotta pay the brotha. “That’s how I got into the fashion industry,” said Stevie Boi. “It took off from there because people actually wanted to buy it on my website.”
His hard work is paying off. An army brat, Stevie Boi has been able to travel the world. His travel is what inspired his style. He recently created his X2SEA collection that is inspired by his recent trip to St Thomas Virgin islands. The collection that displays colorful prints and bright elaborate gemstones was recently displayed at Mercedes Benz fashion week.
Stevie Boi caught up with The Source and shared his insight on fashion and his journey to get to the top.
The Source: What got you into fashion? When did you get started?
Stevie Boi: I got started in 2008. That’s when I created my first collection. I made glasses and clothing, but my glasses got so much attention. So I left clothing and focused all of my attention to glasses.
The Source: As a kid, did you always like fashion? Where did the keen eye for fashion come from? Was it something that you had an eye for?
Stevie Boi: It is. You know, I always was interested in fashion, but I didn’t know what fashion was. As a kid, I used to take my mother’s curtains, and hem it up to make them into a dress—I’d get into a lot of trouble later. I started to realize it as the years went by and I said maybe I want to be a fashion designer. It’s interesting. I wanted to commit to being a fashion designer as well as an artist.
The Source: Some of the notable people who you’ve made glasses for is Lady Gaga, Rihanna, Jay-Z. Any interesting stories about any of your clients? How much respect do they have for your work?
Stevie Boi: It’s funny, but I have the freedom to do whatever I want. I don’t know if it’s my personality, I don’t know what it is. But they let me do whatever I want. I’m always the type of person that walks up to them and tell them, ‘tell me what to do.” They’re like, ‘No you’re good at what you do.’ But, I love that. I think it’s an amazing thing. They don’t just become customers, but they become valued customers.
The Source: Is there a synergy there? Do you just know their style?
Stevie Boi: Specific people have an image and I love it. So when I make something, I kind of defy it or tone it down. With people, you fit into different environments. What I try to do with my glasses is add a different thing that doesn’t fit and make it work.
