DO’s and DONT’s for Spring Eyewear with Tiffany McIntosh of Eye Candy CreationsSub: In Partnership with The Beverly Center
In Partnership with The Beverly Center
Rebekah Iliff
Each mom entrepreneurial journey is the same in many ways, but unique in others; and Tiffany McIntosh’s story is no different. She is not unlike many of us who spotted a gaping hole (or opportunity) in a specific market, and one day took a giant risk while thinking: “I can do this better.” But, what is unique about McIntosh is her beginning: a young adult with sharp dreams of becoming an ER surgeon, who instead found herself as a single mother at 18, working in an optics shop while she attended community college.
As her original dreams faded, she envisioned new ones and held fast to her philosophy of always moving forward, operating on faith, and working hard—putting 100% into anything she set out to do. Within one year of starting her internship at the optics shop, she’d worked her way up to manager and was the highest revenue generator of all the employees.
This was just the beginning of her journey to becoming an entrepreneurial woman.
Over the next 15 years, she put her head down and learned all aspects of the optical industry, on both the retail and wholesale sides. She repped eyewear fashion brands such as Givenchy, Furla, Tag Heuer, Carolina Herrera, Chopard, Lanvin, Rocawear, Aston Martin, and Rocawear; and she became the go-to eyewear supplier for movies and television shows filmed in her adopted hometown of Atlanta, Georgia.
Now, the company she founded in 2014, Eye Candy Creations, distributes to over 6,000 stores across the United States. The company also develops their own designs through licensing deals with major brands, as well as customized designs for celebrities. Fun fact: you may have even spotted McIntosh on Season 8 of The Real Housewives of Atlanta. Her most recent retail endeavor is with Beverly Center in West Hollywood, California, which will feature original designs for their latest project with Fubu.
“This is a full circle moment for me,” says McIntosh. “My daughter is getting ready to go to law school, and I made her the face of the Fubu campaign: in her, I see the perfect inflection point of all my hard work, vision, and faith over the past twenty-plus years.”
McIntosh was kind enough to spend some time with me, and offered her top DOs and DON’Ts for eyewear, both for this upcoming season and in general. Not only is it sage advice for sunglass wearing, but for living a life rooted in moving forward, having faith, and putting 100% effort into whatever it is you do.
DO be bold.
According to McIntosh, bold colors and large, oversized frames are definitely hot right now. Gold, pink, and blue are just a few of the current color favorites, and large cat-eye shapes or retro-inspired frames are equally as enviable.
DON’T be shy.
While you may be thinking “trendy sunglasses are for the runway and celebrity photo shoots” this is a skewed mindset. “You don’t have to be J.Lo are Cardi B. to get your glass on,” she says. “Yes, they wear outrageous well, but influencers should inspire us to take chances, not shy away from the fun!”
DO protect yourself.
One of the current trends with everyday spectacles is blue light lenses. These lenses provide some eyeball protection from our collectively increased screen time. Word to the wise, eye fatigue is due mostly to digital eye strain having nothing to do with blue light. Use the 20-20-20 rule to keep your peepers healthy: every 20 minutes, look at something 20 feet away from 20 seconds.
DON’T stress.
While oversized shades are all the rage, in recent years more brands have started designing frames for customers with narrow, petite faces. This is good news for those of us who fall into the “pea head” category, as it’s nice to have options for a more traditional look—that is, when we aren’t channeling our Mary J. Blige alter egos (something we should do frequently, by the way).
DO have options.
McIntosh may sound like the consummate sales executive when she says “make sure to buy multiple pairs of sunglasses.” But, she’s got a point. Similar to handbags and shoes, it’s ideal (not to mention enjoyable) to have options when it comes to this important accessory. Bonus tip: invest in an eyewear chain to jazz things up while keeping those trendy glasses from slipping into the elevator shaft or getting captured behind the carseat, never to be seen again.
DON’T overspend.
One of the core reasons McIntosh launched her company was to offer consumers high quality, affordable luxury. With her twenty-plus years of experience working in every aspect of the optical industry, she believes these two things—luxury and affordability—are not mutually exclusive. In essence, she wants everyone to have the opportunity to look like a movie star, without requiring a movie star budget.
Now, that’s what I would call easy on the eyes.