How Wisdom Eyewear Combines Innovative Style With Childlike Wonderment

Founded in 2010 by illustrator and graphic designer Latif Rashad, Atlanta-based accessories brand Wisdom Fashion House offers modern eyewear that capture the essence of individuality and self-expression.

Drawing inspiration from streetwear fashion and contemporary art, Wisdom’s eyewear designs are a celebration of surrealism and artistic shapes, brought to life through vibrant colors and unconventional materials.

Alongside a bold artistic vision and unwavering creativity at Wisdom lies a commitment to innovation and sustainability. Rashad’s designs are not just fashion statements; they are also a reflection of his dedication to reducing plastic waste and minimizing environmental impact.

Crafted with high-quality polycarbonate, Wisdom frames are fully recyclable and designed to last for up to a decade, ensuring both durability and eco-friendliness. Additionally, the brand’s eco-friendly frame pouches and interchangeable lenses further underscore its commitment to sustainability, helping the brand make an impact in the realm of environmentally conscious fashion.

Wisdom’s eyewear have caught the eye of discerning customers and buyers alike, and the brand is now stocked at retail giants Nordstrom, REVOLVE and Shopbop.

Inspiration for a unique aesthetic

Wisdom’s very distinct aesthetic, which is a mix of traditional styles and modern edge, draws inspiration from Rashad’s own experiences; he infuses every creation with a story, a memory, a lesson learned.

“I like to think I use my life as one of my main sources of design inspiration,” Rashad says. “In a way, my life has its own sort of construction, from my circumstances and challenges to friends and family, they all give me inspirations in a very unique way.”

Whether it’s the challenges he faced in navigating the fashion industry or interacting with loved ones, every aspect of Rashad’s journey finds expression in the collections he creates for Wisdom. 

“I pull my best ideas from the seat of my experience,” he says. “For example, the challenges I faced in striving to compete and structure my business in the industry have taught me the harsh reality of how systemically far set back I was from professionally doing that.”

It was the lessons learned from his beginnings in the industry that led him to start Guerrilla Wisdom, an early collection that was presented at a fashion show in Atlanta’s famed Lenox Mall. “I used low-budget guerrilla marketing to get my brand noticed faster and more efficiently,” Rashad recalls.

A surprising source of inspiration for the Wisdom brand? “I’m heavily influenced by nature’s natural design palette, whether it be the mint green I find on a mossy rock or how scarlet and lavender blend when the sunset merges on the horizon,” says Rashad.

A fearless and unconventional approach

With nostalgia-inducing cartoon-like shapes and video game-inspired frames, it’s easy to see how Rashad has creatively worked to successfully make Wisdom stand out as a brand.

“Our focus on vibrant colors and our fearless approach to experiential marketing sets us apart,” Rashad notes. “We develop new standards in design and business models by actually doing the thing that everyone is thinking.”

The foundation on which Wisdom stands is rooted in a sense of childlike wonderment — a celebration of the unconventional and the unexpected. “We focus on putting the right thing in the wrong place,” Rashad explains. “Our design language is stoic in its form but whimsical in its style, whether it’s the storytelling of our campaigns or the physical design of our product. Wisdom is specially made for the adults who were born kids.” This ethos is reflected in each collection, which tells a story of playful exploration and creative expression.

     

Turning uncertainly into success

Rashad’s journey has not been without its challenges. Like many entrepreneurs, he has faced moments of doubt and uncertainty, and times when he wanted to quit altogether.

“I’ve doubted myself plenty of times,” Rashad admits. “I can recall one particular time where I thought about quitting Wisdom, because I genuinely thought it had run its course.”

However, it was these very moments that pushed him to take risks and to trust in his vision. Rashad recalls one specific challenging moment he had to overcome.

“It was December 2022 and I was behind on one month’s rent at my living/office space in Atlanta,. I remember saying, ‘this doesn’t make any sense financially for me anymore’. One day I received a call from Jason Geter, founder of Grand Hustle Records. He asked me to be a part of his PROJECT trade show in Las Vegas, where fashion brands market to retail stores.

“I thought to myself ‘I don’t have the funds to pay my rent and I don’t have the budget to go to Vegas, let alone book my travel and stay’. Funny enough, I had just enough to fly and stay in Vegas for a few days. 

“Honestly, at the moment it felt crazy to make such an irresponsible financial decision but I had complete faith in giving Wisdom one last try. I looked at flying to Vegas as a new experience, with it being my first time on the West Coast. But more importantly I looked at it as digging my ditches for the things I want, with complete faith that God would fill them up with water if I met him halfway.

“Long story short, I spent my time in Vegas meeting about 30 new stores, feeling completely accomplished and convinced that I made the rent! Only to return home with zero responses from any of the stores I met with in Vegas. I was devastated.

“By 1 February 2023, I was officially three months behind in rent. But the most amazing part of this story is that on that same morning of the 1st, I got a call from Neiman Marcus to bring Wisdom Eyewear to their Atlanta Lenox location.

“This all goes to say that you never know who’s watching you, and your path is completely tailored to your own unique life experience.”

The power of relationships

The most important thing Rashad has learned about the fashion industry so far? “Relationships!” he says. “I’ve learned that relationships are the most important thing in any industry. I’ve always kept a keen eye open for how to approach people, nurture relationships and how to effectively communicate.”

A lot of the opportunities that I’ve had have been based solely on two things: full commitment towards my goals and the people I know,” he reflects. However, he cautions against entering partnerships with the wrong people, emphasizing the importance of staying true to oneself.

“Being overly eager to reach your goals will lead you into blind partnerships with people who don’t truly reflect your values or ethos for you or your brand, which can create more obstacles.”

When fashion meets social change

Central to Rashad’s vision for Wisdom is the intersection of fashion and cultural preservation and advocacy. “The way to blend fashion and cultural preservation is by truly being who you are,” Rashad explains. “In this country I am identified as a Black man, and the experiences I contain are the heartbeat to my creative output, which I translate into my design language.”

For Rashad, fashion is more than just a means of self-expression; it’s also a tool to elevate and redefine cultural narratives through nuanced storytelling and fearless advocacy. He cites a campaign for “End Rape Culture” as an impactful way he has used his brand to amplify social messages.

“I used the voice we developed with Wisdom Fashion House to propel a message on our T-shirts that we called “End Rape Culture,” he shares. “I actually launched this garment with my older sister who I later learned was a survivor herself.”

The value of becoming an advocate for social change is vital to the ethos of Wisdom. “To this day, we stand with the experiences that reflect us and will continue to share them in the most fearless ways.”

Embracing technology and fostering community

Looking to the future, Rashad envisions technology playing a central role in the evolution of the Wisdom brand.

“Creating ‘Wisdom World’ — an interactive virtual shopping experience — is our next frontier,” Rashad reveals. “In this virtual universe, our audience can interact within the cartoon universe that surrounds Wisdom and shop in a new way.”

This development sounds ideal for the Wisdom customer, who Rashad describes as “childlike, formless and boundary free”. 

The Wisdom community is one that Rashad is intimately familiar with, and which drives his creativity. “I trust that I know my audience, which gives me leeway to be truly experimental with innovative designs that I believe will get a positive reaction,” he says.”

Discover Wisdom Fashion House on The Folklore