Whether Magic Johnson’s 26-year-old daughter, Elisa Johnson, is posing on her Instagram account for her 382K followers or tooling around New York City where she attended the Fashion Institute of Technology and filmed EJNYC with her brother EJ Johnson — she always has on a pair of killer sunglasses. Because statement eyewear has become Johnson’s signature, it was natural for her to venture out to create her own debut eye collection. Launching today, May 10, Johnson’s line is inspired by her personal point of view, as a born and bred Angeleno turned New York City street style maven. Each design reflects her style, a juxtaposition of classic, current, luxury, and street. The inaugural capsule collection will include five styles with pricing ranging from $125 to $150.
Below GRAZIA chats with the designer about her upcoming launch, inspiration behind the debut collection and we even share a sneak peak of the sunglasses launching later today.
GRAZIA: How does it feel to be so close to launch day? What are you most excited about?
Elisa Johnson: It feels amazing! This has been something that I’ve been working on for so long! I am a perfectionist, so I will always be anxious about things — but I know that I really took my time designing the line, and creating pieces that are unique and wearable. I am most excited to see my sunglasses on customers. That is going to be the greatest and most surreal feeling.
How did fashion school prepare you for this moment?
I studied Fashion Business Management, so more so on the business side than anything else, my schooling prepared me for this moment. From knowing how to calculate wholesale to retail pricing, to putting inventory into Excel — all of that I learned in school. I also think just being around a community of young creatives here in New York City has constantly kept my point of view fresh and inspired.
What was your inspiration for the aesthetic through-line of this collection?
I definitely wanted to come as close as I could to have sunglasses for everyone within the first collection. I was constantly trying to categorize which frames could cater to all the different people in my life with varying styles and aesthetics. With that being said, I definitely wanted the line to be an extension of myself and my own personal style, which I would describe as classic, with an edge. With this first drop, I definitely wanted the designs and colorway to reflect that.
I know they’re all your babies but what’s one of your favorite pairs? Is there a signature style that will anchor the collection?
They’re definitely all my babies, but one of my favorite pairs would have to be the ‘Janes.’ They’re an aviator style frame, that comes in both an acetate and metal. I named them after my birthday twin, Jane Fonda, because they’re bold and make a statement like her, while also having that classic elegance.
How often will you release new products?
I definitely have some new colorways of current designs, as well as some completely new frame designs in the works. I definitely want to constantly keep the line fresh, and be adding in new products relatively frequently. The creative design aspect is the most fun part to me, so I wouldn’t say a day goes by that I’m not sketching down a new idea, or playing with new colors in Photoshop. I also definitely want to take a step back with this first drop to assess where the demand is, and what styles people are gravitating toward.
Let’s check out some of the styles we’re dying to get our hands on:
JANE:
BONNIE:
GIGI:
LYRIC LEIGH:
Just in time for our vaxxed girl summer plans, the line launches today, May 10, 2021 at 3pm EST exclusively on elisajohnson.com
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