Lessons from building an eyewear brand

By Soojee FordJune 06, 2025

What does it really take to launch an eyewear brand from scratch? After nearly 18 months of product development, brand-building, and a few unexpected curveballs, I’ve pulled together 11 lessons from behind the scenes of Hyesun. From manufacturing delays and bank errors to personal lessons and quiet wins, this is a glimpse at what goes into building a brand that actually fits.

Hyesun is Australia’s first Asian-fit eyewear brand designed for low nose bridges, higher cheekbones, and faces that have been overlooked by standard sizing. If you’ve ever struggled to find sunglasses that sit where they should, you’ll get why this matters.

10 Lessons

1. Check the calendar before you launch
We launched on Kickstarter in April. In Queensland, that means school holidays, public holidays, and an election.
Check the calendar before you commit.

2. Sampling takes time, even if you know what you want
Two rounds of samples. Months in between. Clear direction doesn’t equal fast results.
Build in buffer, everything takes longer than it should.

3. You can’t outsource vision, but you can get help
You still have to hold the clarity, but you don’t have to do it all.
Find good people, and let them do their job.

4. Building in public is valuable, but costly when you’re not selling
We built the brand while still in sampling no finished product, just the idea and the story. It built trust early, which I’m grateful for. But content takes time. And time costs money.
It’s powerful, but hard to bankroll when there’s no revenue yet.

5. I’m slightly number dyslexic. I transferred money to the wrong account.
It wasn’t a small amount—and it still hasn’t been recovered.
Triple check your payment details. Every time.

6. Banks don’t love international transfers
They flagged a legit payment as fraud. It delayed production by a week.
Warn your bank ahead of time and have a backup transfer method.

7. You need a freight forwarder
I thought I could manage the shipping admin myself. I could not.
Some things are worth paying for. This is one of them.

8. Relationships matter
Our factory was a good match from the start. My friend and sourcing partner even visited in person. That made a huge difference.
Work with people you trust, not just people with capacity.

9. Chinese New Year will delay everything
It’s one of the most important holidays of the year—and for good reason. Factories close, freight slows, and business pauses.
If you're manufacturing in Asia, plan around it well in advance.

10. TikTok has its own culture
I’m not fluent, but I’m watching.
It’s not just another channel, it’s its own language.

A quick timeline for context: