An "Eye" for Fashion

If you’ve ever visited the booth of Eyekon Eyewear, the very first thought that comes to your mind is, “they’re having way too much fun.” If you’ve never visited the booth of Eyekon Eyewear, this season would be a great time to stop by. The husband and wife team of Charles and Dannielle (Dani) Nelson have something unique and exciting to see with their novelty line of sunglasses, called Pardi Gras.

Pardi Gras was developed to facilitate the need for fashionable and festive, yet functional, eyewear. “I thought it would be a great idea to offer my customers an opportunity to participate in the Mardi Gras holiday without having to go all out in a full regalia costume - just put on a pair of Pardi Gras sunglasses and you’ve got an instant costume,” mentions Charles. Pardi Gras eyewear can be worn in place of a mask. Most of the styles feature a No.2 gradient lens, which enables wearers to block the harmful UV rays during the day, without hindering their vision at night.

Customers have often inquired about how Charles and Dani came up with the name Eyekon. “Ten years ago, we were brainstorming about names that were symbolic of vision or a play on the word eye,” said Charles. “Dani suggested the name Icon and that developed into Eyekon. We felt Eyekon was a word that really personified our brand. Everyone can relate to being a fashion icon.”


Dani’s great brainstorming skills are probably due to her marketing and design background. “As a designer, she’s an invaluable asset to have when you are an entrepreneur and small business owner,” said Charles. Charles has a sales background and together they make the perfect power couple, complementing each other well with their talents. Another valuable member of their team with previous creative experience is longtime family friend, Jeffrey McIllwein. Ms. McIllwein brings another level of innovation to the sales team as an accomplished hair stylist. “Creative vision is creative vision,” said Jeffrey, “whether we’re designing a great cut or fantastic accessories.”

When visiting the Eyekon booth you will be treated like family – maybe even a little better than family! They do everything they can to provide excellent customer service. The entire team loves helping customers to explore their taste in sunglasses, introducing them to the latest trends in eyewear. Eyekon is a place to visit when you want to know what’s in fashion right now, as well as the direction of trendy eyewear in the near future.

While most customers are only concerned with style and comfort, Eyekon takes great pride in providing quality eyewear along with comfort and style. Sunglasses must provide protection from ultraviolet radiation, a component of sunlight that contributes to eye disease. The FDA, the government agency that oversees sunglass manufacturing and sales in the U.S., recommends sunglasses with lenses that block 99-100% of UVA and UVB radiation. Because of specific guidelines, a label should read either UV 400 or 100% UV protection. Eyekon sunglasses provide 400UV protection, which is the highest amount of protection you can have. Charles and Dani travel annually overseas to source new products. The trip provides an opportunity for them to learn what kinds of products are available there, make new contacts, re-establish relationships with existing suppliers and shop new conceptual ideas. Traveling to dozens of tradeshows primarily in the Gulf Coast region, Eyekon is proud to introduce their customers to new and innovative designs. Eyekon features more than 200 styles of sunglasses meticulously displayed in their booth. Eyekon has been an exhibitor with Helen Brett shows for about seven years. According to Charles, “Helen Brett provides the perfect marketplace to showcase our product. We exhibit at all of the Helen Brett shows in New Orleans and will soon exhibit in their Memphis show.” Eyekon strives to provide a shopping experience comparable to no other sunglass vendor. If you visit the booth and can’t find exactly what you want, Charles will have whatever you were looking for and something extra the next time you visit.

Eyekon not only offers the latest in fashion trends, they also have the ability to offer custom designs. A customer suggested they design sunglasses that could be worn for the Baton Rouge Spanish Town Festival. Within months, Eyekon developed the design and worked with their manufacturer to bring the design to fruition. Now, pink flamingo sunglasses have become one of the most popular selling sunglasses to date. While the design was initially developed for the Spanish Town parade, they continue to be the top sellers in the entire Gulf Coast region.

Charles and Dani truly bring a unique vision to their business. You could say that their distinctive way of seeing puts the “eye” in Eyekon! Stop by their booths at the Helen Brett shows and see for yourself. For booth numbers click here. You can also visit them on the Web at eyekoneyewear.com.