One of the most original and exciting eyewear lines at Hillmoor Optical comes from innovative New York designers Coco and Breezy.
Distinguished by uniquely bold and eclectic style designed to illuminate individuality and empower self-expression, every frame is a work of art created from the imagination of two talented siblings that left everything behind to follow their dream. This is their story.
When designers and DJs Corianna and Brianna Dotson — better known as Coco and Breezy — were growing up, they always felt like outsiders. The twin sisters were the only Afro-Latinas at their high school in Minnesota and would frequently get questioned about their hair, their outfits, and the arroz con guandules or tostones their Puerto Rican mother would pack them for lunch.
Instead of trying to fit in, Coco and Breezy looked past their classmates’ judgmental gazes and wore funky outfits with matching glasses they had customized with studs and sparkles. The sisters’ style had become a hit with their 50,000 followers on MySpace at the time. In 2009, Coco and Breezy sold their car and went to chase their dreams in New York with only $1,000 to their name.
They were 18 and had no place to live, but they were determined to launch an eyewear business.
Today, the 31-year-old twins’ eponymous eyewear brand Coco and Breezy is the first Black and Latinx-owned eyewear company to be sold at Nordstrom and 400 other eyewear retailers across the U.S. Their glasses have been worn by the likes of Lady Gaga, Rihanna, Beyonce, Alicia Keys, the late singer Prince, and many more.
While their new sunglasses have been dropping nearly monthly this year, Coco and Breezy have also been producing music and DJing at parties across the U.S. The sisters perform side by side in the booth, dancing and blending the sounds of house music with influences from soul, Latin, tribal, and R&B. In addition to building their glasses brand and DJing, the sisters also own nature lodges in the mountainous areas of the Catskills and Adirondacks in New York called The Lorca.
Though they had never planned to become business owners, the sisters have become trailblazers in predominantly white industries and say their childhood role models — from the Black hair salon owners who became like family to their own parents who had overcome segregation and machista upbringings — are to thank for their inspiration.
Whether it’s coming up with new ideas for music while designing sunglasses or brainstorming how to make The Lorca a more restorative retreat for guests, Breezy says each of their entrepreneurial efforts aims to uplift their culture and communities of color.
Source: Latina.com
