There are many reasons people pursue entrepreneurship. For most, they want to gain financial freedom, but for others, they want to create something for the later generation of their family. For Will Nickens Jr. and Shari Dionne, the latter was a driving force that encouraged them to create Shari Dionne.

Named after founder Shari Dionne, the brand’s story stems from a love story. Will, a native of Cleveland, Ohio, was residing in Dallas when he met Shari. Born and raised in the greater Los Angeles area, she and Will met in Dallas for a weekend. Initially starting as a fling, what they had blossomed into romance. But living on the opposite coast forced Will and Shari to endure a long-distance relationship. They would travel to meet each other halfway for dates during their relationship, helping them stay connected. While there were difficult moments, the couple persevered and eventually married.

During their travels in New Miami, Cancun, Cabo, and Puerto Rico, Shari’s fashion style often attracted people who complimented her. “It was just something about when she wore eyewear that made people compliment her even more,” explained Will. Encouraged by their words, the couple decided to start their own luxury eyewear brand, giving others the same sense of confidence and compliments on their vacation trips or everyday life.

While they built their brand around the idea of instilling confidence, Will and Nick also wanted people to be as protected from UV light as they are fashionable. Naming their brand Shari Dionne, the couple would expand their inventory, going beyond eyewear and adding a luxury swimsuit line launched earlier this summer. 

Since its inception, Shari Dionne has established itself as a brand that is fully committed to excellence and quality, cultivating powerful fashion statements through eyewear and encouraging individuality. “We understand that we live in a culturally diverse universe and thus have been inspired to create a line of eyewear to cater to a broad spectrum of people,” said founders Will Nickens Jr. and Shari Dionne.

Their product has been spotted on celebrities like Brandi Maxwell of VH1’s Basketball Wives, former women’s NCAA standout basketball twins, the Gonzalez twins, reality TV stars Yasmine Lopez, “Yummy,” and Charisse Mills from Zeus Network’s TV show One Mo Chance, and the original face of the Clubhouse app Bomani X.

Whether it’s their eyewear or swimwear, Will and Shari strive for excellence and quality, which they have been projecting in their packaging and marketing

 “We are meticulous and calculated in making sure we go above and beyond so that you can get an experience when unboxing our products,” shared Will and Shari.

Although there is plenty of fashionable eyewear in the space today, Shari Dionne can easily be distinguished by its trademarked winged logo on the lenses.

Will Nickens Jr. and Shari Dionne revealed that they built their brand to be something that could outlive them and allow them to benefit the future generations of their family. With a second child coming this 2022, they are enthusiastic about realizing their dream. The couple hopes that Shari Dionne will become a renowned brand worldwide.

“We’re in it for the long run, not just for short-term success. As a Hispanic and Black-owned brand, we want to be the brand of choice for our communities.”Learn more about Shari Dionne by visiting their official website. You can also find them on Facebook and Instagram.