Meet Dionne Ellison, owner of Unique Sunglass Brand, Vuliwear

Looking for a unique sunglass brand? Check out Vuliwear and get back to nature.
by Cody Yarbough
“There’s nothing more awkward than walking into a room and someone is wearing the same thing as you. With Vuliwear, that’ll never happen to you. You’ll be the cool person in the room with the unique sunglasses.” Says the owner and founder of Vuliwear Dionne Ellison.
The inspiration for Vuliwear hit her one day while she was on her computer. She came across a macro photo of a Damselfly, and the brilliant color in the insect’s eye intrigued her. When she looked at the picture on the screen, she didn’t see a bulging pair of bug eyes. Instead, she saw a pair of sunglasses, and that day the idea for her line of eyewear was born.
“I’m not infatuated with bugs at all. Spiders do still give me the creeps. But I can appreciate the beautiful aspects that God gave all his creations in nature, and that includes insects.”
As for the name, “Vuli” is actually a Swahili word that means “Shade” Not only was it an appropriate name for a sunglasses company, but it was also a creative way to honor her African ancestors.
Working with her sister, she was able to design several glasses based on the colorful eyes of different insects from around the world. Each one unique and stunning in its own way. Then, in a move as unique as her sunglasses, she decided to sell them herself as opposed to selling the designs to an established fashion company. Though it would have been much easier to cash in her idea for a nice sum of money, she made a decision that she felt was much more rewarding in the long run.
“So many times as black people we give away our ownership of our ideas for big one-time paydays instead of building generational wealth.” Ellison explains, “I want to be able to build something for my son so that one day in the future if he wants to get into fashion and make clothes or sunglasses or whatever, he has a head start.”
Today Dionne Ellison owns an international brand that has been shown on television, written about in multiple magazines, and worn by several celebrities.
If you’d like to learn more about Vuliwear and its founder, links to the company’s website and social media pages can be found below.
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