Marcus Smith-Alexandros Eyewear, CEO & Founder

Black Facts.com

By Staff

What inspired you to become an entrepreneur?

I had been working with brands like Nike and adidas for about 15 years, I always knew I wanted to find my own thing but I wanted it to be based on something that I was passionate about. My stepfather has a successful business in Chicago and I have seen some small business that wasn’t successful so I had been waiting and thinking about what I wanted to create for some time.  Once I decide to back to get my MBA from the University of Oregon, I just started creating my business plan on eyewear because it was a concept that has always been in the back of my mind. 

Tell us about your company and product.

Alexandros is an eyewear business that focuses on creating “Premium Magnum” optical eyewear for minorities that need larger frames.  We currently have 23 colors to choose from. Alexandros comes from my grandfather’s last name Alexander, which is a strong Greek last name. My frames hand made with Italian material in Athans, Greece. I wanted everything to have a story and be connected. The letter A has a leaf with 6 petals, each petal represents my mother, her brother and sister, and me, all of my grandfather’s children as I like to say it. 

How did Covid-19 impact your business?

CV19 has impacted my business in a major way. With stores closing and trade show ending, I found myself with a ton of inventory on all of my frames. Investing money in trade shows that didn’t return for over 2 years later. The eyewear business is driven by trade events and meeting with retail partners face to face. I made some small adjustments by meeting with people online, offering to ship samples for free along with doing live web shows to continue to get my brand in front of consumers and retailers’ faces. 

What kind of experience can someone expect when engaging your company?

It’s a premium experience, I communicate with every customer and product invoices and tracking numbers within the first 48 hours of order. 

The frames come in a premium white box with Alexandros branding, inside the box you have an eyewear case and cleaning bag.  Product cards are included, so consumers can see the full line of frames. 

What does success look like for you?

GROWTH-  being in nationwide and global partnerships with retail accounts and larger partners. We also want to grow our assortment by maintaining our key classic styles, but offering new colors and expanding with new styles in both optical and sun frames. Improving our operations, and online experience by updating our social, and website and again growing our online DTC business. Partnership with is great, having a partner allows me to focus on creating products and building a brand, while my partner is growing the sales/marketing through retail and DTC spaces. 

Marcus Smith-Alexandros Eyewear, CEO & Founder

Where would you like to see your business in the next five years?

It depends on what the next year brings me. I have done everything on my own at this point. No partner, no investment backing, etc. This brand could be the leading men’s eyewear brand across the US and the globe. There is such an opportunity to speak to my target consumer. Just think if I could sell frames in NYC, LA, Chicago, London, and Africa. Until then I will continue to make pivots, meet people and do things that move the business to be the number one Premium Magnum brand in the world. Will that take 5 years or 10 years, I’m ready for that journey. 

Social Media

Alexandroseyewear@gmail.com 

Web: Alexandroseyewear.com

IG & Facebook: Alexandroseyewear_

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