The founder, Erick Ison
Pronounced eye-sun.
Ison Couture carries a family name that has been on the map since 1866. This is the story of how it traveled from the hills of Kentucky to a frame you can wear.
Isonville, Kentucky, 1866
The name
Long before there was a brand, there was a name on a map. In 1866, a post office in the hills of eastern Kentucky was named for my direct ancestor, Archibald Ison, a settler who came over from Virginia whose parents are from England. The town of Isonville still carries our family name today.
There is a story behind that town, and I will tell it as the brand evolves.
Connersville, Indiana
Where the instinct started
I grew up in Connersville, Indiana, a town of about thirteen thousand people, using my imagination to build anything that was laying around and putting my name on whatever I made. At an early age, I developed a love for customization. From spray painting my bikes, to customizing my shoes with loud colors. I never wanted to be like anyone else. It all came into fruition when I bought my dream car at 18, and completely modified it into the way I wanted, amassing dozens of trophies and plaques. This was my first real creation.
Indiana to Miami, 2021
The leap
By most measures I had a comfortable life in Indiana, with a steady career, a dream car and a house I loved, along with a feeling I could no longer ignore. So I quit my career, sold everything and moved to Miami to eventually discover my passion in media, marketing and branding.
I picked up a camera, started telling other people's stories and helping them build their brands, and along the way I learned how to tell my own.
Miami, 2023 to 2025
The frame
Starting in August 2023, I wore the same pair of Urban Noir square frames every time I walked out the door. People stopped me to ask where they came from, and friends told me they knew it was me from across the room. Those glasses became the most recognizable thing about me.
When it came time to build something of my own, eyewear was the obvious answer. My last name is Ison, pronounced eye-sun, and I design sunglasses. By popular demand, Ison Couture was launched & fifteen pairs were sold in the first week with zero advertising in Late march 2025.
New York City, 2026
A New York brand
In 2026, A year after launching, Ison Couture was featured at Vision Expo, and I was there in the same Urban Noir frames I have worn for more than two years. Customers started coming back for their fifth and sixth pairs, and what began as one pair of glasses grew into several new collections launched.
In September 2026, I moved to New York City and brought the brand with me. Ison Couture is now built and shipped in New York and worn by a community that keeps growing, from Miami to Manhattan and everywhere in between. Watch the Vision Expo coverage.
The journey
From a name on a map to a frame
- 1866Isonville, Kentucky
A post office takes the Ison name.
- Early yearsConnersville, Indiana
Building things and putting a name on them.
- 2021Miami, Florida
Sold everything and moved south to discover media and branding.
- 2023Miami
The Urban Noir becomes a signature.
- 2025Late March
Ison Couture launches.
- 2026NYC
Featured in Vision Expo.
- 2026New York City
The brand moves north with its founder.
- 2026October
Omni Optical, our first round frame, is released.
What comes next
Tap into your vision.
Every pair carries the name, the story and the standard behind it. Thank you for being part of the next chapter.
Erick Ison, Founder