When Jeneé Naylor launched her eyewear brand 12PM Studios in July, the brand quickly became one of the hottest on the luxury accessories market. Within two weeks, the brand had pulled in $400,000 in sales, with three styles completely sold out almost instantly. Her first-year projection? A cool $2 million. What’s perhaps most impressive is that Naylor was able to accomplish all of it without paid ads or PR blitzes, but she did have the trust and loyalty of a community she’s cultivated for more than a decade.
For Naylor, known for her high-low luxe style (her original IG handle was @highlowluxxe) and deeply engaged social media following (527,000 strong), launching her own eyewear line was almost a natural calling.
“Eyewear was kind of almost too obvious,” she tells me. “I’ve always leaned heavily into sunglasses. My community was already coming to me for recommendations and reviews. And I started to notice the luxury eyewear landscape was shifting. Prices were creeping into the $500, $700, even $1,000 range, and I thought, it doesn’t have to be this way.”
At 12PM, It’s Always the Perfect Time
The inspiration behind 12PM Studios is as intentional as its designs. “At 12 p.m., the world feels in perfect balance,” reads the brand’s mission statement. “The sun is at its peak, casting a light that’s neither harsh nor fading—it’s steady, clear, and intentional.”
Built on the belief that true luxury isn’t about excess or exclusivity, 12PM Studios is about thoughtful design and meaning in every detail. Starting with eyewear, the lifestyle brand is designed to empower, inspire, and elevate everyday moments. Every frame blends timeless quality with modern sophistication to create pieces that feel personal, attainable, and deeply connected to the wearer.
Frames range from $125 to $145—priced to feel attainable but packaged to deliver a high-end experience. “I want you to feel valued the moment you receive your order,” Naylor says. “From the box, to the case, to the glasses themselves, it should feel like you got more than your money’s worth.”
Even the names of the frames are personal. Styles like NYC, London, and Milan pay homage to the cities that shaped her creative vision. “Travel is when I’ve found my style,” she says. “The cities are inspiration, but they’ve also become a way to engage the community—people love suggesting new ones.”
From Target to the Runway
Before the front row seats at Fashion Week and brand collaborations, Naylor was running retail floors. She spent eight years as a store director at Target, preceded by management roles at Aldo and a top-selling stint at Nordstrom. That retail foundation shaped her as a founder.
“I thrive off having a plan and executing it,” she says. “I always say, ‘I don’t have time to waste.’ That comes with making sure I have the right people around me, the right resources, I do my due diligence, then having a plan and standing on the business of that plan. I kind of built that platform of trust.”
The Power of Partnership
Part of that success comes from the person she shares both her life and business with—her husband, Joshua Prieto. Already her longtime photographer and CFO of her creator business, Prieto became a natural collaborator for 12PM Studios.
“It was important to me that the brand be unisex,” Naylor says. “Josh brings a different perspective—everything from the packaging to the case design, he can tell me how it lands for a man. We’ve worked out the kinks of collaborating over the years, so now it’s just a natural alignment. He’s equally excited about the brand, equally stylish, and just as invested in making it a success.”
When asked who she’d most love to see in her frames, Naylor lights up. “Solange, for sure. She embodies that effortless confidence and everyday luxury our brand is all about,” she says. On the men’s side, she names Colman Domingo as a perfect fit for the brand’s timeless yet relaxed energy. And if she could put a pair on an icon from the past? “Aaliyah—she was my ultimate cool girl inspiration.”
Black Business, Bold Vision
Launching during National Black Business Month carries special weight for Naylor. “I feel like I’ve joined this super special, exclusive club,” she says. “Black founders are the sauce, the magic, the inspiration. We’re the mood. We shape the culture.”
Her advice for supporting Black-owned luxury brands goes beyond shopping: “Share. Tell people about your experience. When someone who isn’t a creator goes out of their way to post because they’re so impressed—that’s the real story.”
The brand will debut a new style during New York Fashion Week in September, celebrated with an intimate dinner. But right now, Naylor is savoring another full-circle moment—selling her frames at Nordstrom, the same retailer where she once worked.
“I can’t believe this is my life,” she says. “You can literally do anything, because I just keep thinking of stuff—and now we’re here.”
Catch 12PM Studios This Weekend At Their NYC Pop-Up:
When: Friday, Aug. 15–Sunday, Aug. 17
• Friday & Saturday: 10 a.m.–6 p.m.
• Sunday: 11 a.m.–5 p.m.
Where: Nordstrom NYC Flagship, 225 West 57th Street, New York, NY
Why: Celebrate National Black Business Month, meet Jeneé Naylor, and shop the sold-out styles in person.
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