Sold under the SB Shades brand, Stevie Boi’s outrageous eyewear is a favorite of Lady Gaga, Diddy, and other celebrities.
Where do you live and how old are you? Baltimore and London. I am 23.
How did you get your start? I started designing in 2007, and I learned from experimenting with different materials I bought from craft shops. I do not have any formal training in fashion. In 2009 I created SBshades.
Who was your first paying celebrity client? Lady Gaga. She ordered pieces from my site just like any other person. It was spectacular!!
Is your business profitable? Yes
How many pairs of glasses did you sell last year? Over 100,000 pieces
How many employees do you have? Six
How did you support yourself before your business became profitable? I worked for the government. I purchased armory and tanks for the soldiers in Iraq. I also tested these weapons out with the soldiers. It was a lot of fun.
What’s the best part of your job? Having the freedom to do whatever I want with fashion! It’s amazing to create something and see people get a sense of emotion behind your product. That’s always refreshing for me.
What’s the worst part of your job? Being the businessman and artist all at once. It’s kinda contradicting.
Would you recommend this line of work to anyone else? I would only recommend this type of work to a sincere artist. Anyone can do what I do but may fail to market the product correctly. It’s never a proper balance. And unfortunately a lot of people don’t have the eye for fashion.