Baltimore City-based designer Stevie Boi stopped by our offices and the former military man turned eyewear designer filled us in on his past, as well as his future.
Stevie Boi may seem familiar to you because he’s received lots of press on his take on eyewear. Vogue and Elle magazine have featured his work on their covers and Lady Gaga has worn his glasses on tour. Snooki and Amber Rose are also fans of his work.
Here’s what the twenty-something Georgia native and the first African American designer to be featured in Vogue over 10+ times told us.
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GlobalGrind: Your designs are very interesting. Where do you get your inspiration?
Stevie Boi: I’m really inspired by Grace Jones. A lot of my inspiration comes from her. I love conceptional art, anything like sculptures, etc., I’m obsessed with it. I take it and transcend it and turn it into fashion. Clothing, accessories, eyewear.
Do you have a design background?
I did not go to design school, I actually went to school for criminal justice and I dropped out to focus on regular life. Next thing you know, I got into design and left my military job to persue it.
Where was this and how old were you?
I was about 19 when I started this business, I’m now 22. I’m originally from Augusta, Georgia, but my parents were in the military so I got to experience different cultures because I got to travel. I currently reside in Baltimore City.
What was your big breakthrough?
The first person I got to work with was Eva Marcile Pigford. That was a really big deal because it was for the cover of a magazine in L.A. After that it just took storm, I started getting all these random connections with celebrities and it became more of a “celebrity product” than just anyone’s product because were buying them left and right. That’s how the product started selling so much.
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Describe what the piece looked like.
It was basically a different shape from the ones I made for Lady Gaga that she preformed in every night at the Monster Ball Tour. They were purple sequins and they are goggle shaped, but smaller.
Would you say your work is similar to Coco and Breezy’s or not similar at all?
I don’t think its similar at all. I always run into problems when people assume that they are, but it’s obvious that i’ve been doing this for a minute. I’m actually really cool with them, too. We definitely get that question a lot.
Another question that i’m sure you’ve been asked is in regards to your taste in dress. It’s similar to Coco and Breezy. Where does that come from? It seems defensive.
It’s not defensive. I think it’s because we’re so young and we’re looking to change the industry. We’re not intentionally dressing like this to say, “Hey, pay attention to me.” I think it’s just a statement that we all make individually. I love leather, I love black, I love Grace Jones, so that’s probably why I dress crazy and so awkward.
What is it about Grace Jones that you find so inspiring?
Aside from her being the successful model that she was, I feel that she was creating things. She wasn’t just wearing pieces and saying, “OK, give me my check.” She was literally creating things with Jean Paul Goude, her ex husband. Like the hoody scarf I’m wearing right now was inspired by her because its something that she created with Jean Paul. She was more than a model, she was an artist, and an artist can be a series of things: a singer, a business person. They can be anything; it’s just a matter of what you create while doing it. She inspired me in so many different ways.
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There are references to violence in your pieces. For example your eyeglasses shaped like a revolver; and the one in shape of an axe. Why those silhouettes?
I wouldn’t consider myself like this warrior, crazy, psychotic person, I’m just really intrigued by those things. My earlier designs were so happy and colorful, and so bright. As my style started to change, I started to get more in to the darker side of things. When I design I don’t say, “Oh, I’m going to do a whole collection about violence.” It just happens to be that I created some brass nuckle shades, and some gun shades and some axe shades.
It’s controversial, people are going to like it regardless. Some people may be offended, but that’s my job. My job is to design. I’m an artist so sometimes I may have a glass of wine and sit in my loft, in the heat or in the cold, whatever environment, and just come up with the craziest designs. Then wake up the next day and be like, “What the hell did I create last night!?” I might think, How did I get to this point? The next day I’ll just release it.
Are these pieces one offs for editorial or can anyone buy them?
People can purchase them at StevieBoi.com.
What are you working on now? What can we look forward to?
What am I NOT working on. We’re filming a whole bunch of stuff, like a documentary type series. I’m also working on my collection for February, it’s going to be my biggest show yet. I’m super excited! I’ll be going to Africa for the first time. South Africa, Johannesburg, Cape Town, a couple other cities from November 26th to December 1st.
What will you be doing there? Is it for leisure or work?
It’s for work. Everyday there’s something. There’s a boutique out there that wants me to showcase at the different boutiques in South Africa; meet and greets. I have a lot of supporters there that I didn’t know. Looking at pictures, it’s just such a beautiful place, Johannesburg. I can’t wait to be part of it.
