COURANT

Featured Note

SERIOUS
SHADE

By Jenny Starr Perez
Photography by Maria Galli

YOANA OBREGÓN AND MAX MÉNDEZ BUILD PALMIERS EYEWEAR WITH AN “UNSERIOUS” SPIRIT AND A PURPOSEFUL APPROACH TO DESIGN AND DETAIL.

In Miami, light is constant. It shapes how people dress, where they go and how they move through the day. For Yoana Obregón and Max Méndez, it also became the foundation for a business.

Their eyewear brand, Palmiers, is framed—pun intended—around a simple but specific idea. Sunglasses should not just block light. They should enhance how people experience it. “The brand ethos is to not take life too seriously,” she says. “To slow down, give yourself a different, warmer perspective.” It is a philosophy she describes as “unserious,” though the execution behind it is anything but.

Palmiers frames are designed with warm-filtered nylon lenses that subtly shift color and tone, creating what Obregón describes as a more cinematic view of everyday life, where glare is reduced, contrast is softened and the light feels more even from morning through evening.

But the brand did not begin with product development. It began with a reset. After building and scaling a high-volume experiential marketing agency, Obregón reached a point where the work no longer felt aligned. “I just wasn’t happy anymore,” she says. “The work wasn’t fulfilling me in the same way.”

At the same time, Méndez was transitioning out of a 15-year career in mechanical engineering and medical innovation, where he focused on turning early-stage concepts into functional products. “I’ve always been in a space where you’re creating something from nothing,” he says.

Instead of immediately starting something new, the couple stepped away. They relocated to Florence for several months, using the time to reassess both professionally and creatively. Obregón studied Italian. Méndez taught himself classical oil painting, spending hours working through techniques and studying Renaissance masters. “We were looking for something that felt more grounded,” Méndez says.

When they returned to Miami, Obregón was still in the process of exiting her business, a transition that stretched over nearly two years. During that time, she began exploring multiple ideas, building out concepts and testing what could translate into a viable company.

The direction became clearer through a series of practical moments. After being advised to try amber lenses to reduce astigmatism-induced glare while driving, Obregón began wearing them consistently. The shift was immediate. “I was wearing them all the time,” she says. “They actually changed how I saw things, literally and objectively.”

On a trip to New York, the response from strangers confirmed there was broader appeal. Throughout a single day, people repeatedly stopped her to ask about the glasses. “We kept hearing the same thing over and over,” Méndez says. “At a certain point, you pay attention to that.”

Back in Miami, Obregón approached the idea the way she had approached previous ventures. She built a full framework around it, testing whether eyewear could support a scalable, long-term business. “It had to check every box,” she says. “Not just creatively, but operationally.”

That process led them to Milan, where they attended the industry’s largest eyewear trade show. Over several days, they met suppliers, manufacturers and designers, mapping out a production strategy in real time. Rather than defaulting to standard materials, they prioritized durability and performance. Palmiers frames use Italian Mazzucchelli acetate, known for its longevity and depth, paired with nylon lenses, which are lighter and more impact-resistant than the industry-standard CR-39 plastic. “We wanted the best materials we could find,” Méndez says. “Then we figured out how to make the rest work around that.”

Cost and manufacturing location were equally considered. Producing entirely in Italy would have pushed the price point beyond what they felt was accessible. Instead, they sourced materials from Italy and partnered with a manufacturer with decades of experience operating in Vietnam. For Obregón, the decision was strategic. “I didn’t want to create something that felt out of reach,” she says.

The brand name came together just before that trip. While picking up pastries, Obregón noticed the shape of a palmier. “It looked like a pair of sunglasses. The Universe could not have handed over a more perfect sign,” she says.

The name also carries broader meaning, referencing both the French pastry and the palm tree, while signaling a sense of familiarity across cultures. That duality became central to the brand’s identity. The first collection focused on two silhouettes, the Pilot and the Driver, both drawn from Obregón’s personal history. Her grandfather, who collected eyewear throughout his life, served as a key reference point, as well as her well-dressed grandmother. “Those shapes were always around me growing up,” she says. “My grandparents were my first fashion influences.”

The brand name came together just before that trip. While picking up pastries, Obregón noticed the shape of a palmier. “It looked like a pair of sunglasses. The Universe could not have handed over a more perfect sign,” she says.

The name also carries broader meaning, referencing both the French pastry and the palm tree, while signaling a sense of familiarity across cultures. That duality became central to the brand’s identity. The first collection focused on two silhouettes, the Pilot and the Driver, both drawn from Obregón’s personal history. Her grandfather, who collected eyewear throughout his life, served as a key reference point, as well as her well-dressed grandmother. “Those shapes were always around me growing up,” she says. “My grandparents were my first fashion influences.”

Rather than introduce a wide range of styles, the couple chose to launch with a tight edit. Each frame is offered in four lens colors — Saffron, Brûlée, Olive and Espresso — designed to evoke different moods, from the warmth of a Miami sunset to a more grounded, neutral tone.

That approach extended to every detail, including packaging. Each pair includes a collapsible case, designed for portability, and a checkerboard cloth with matching pieces, referencing the couple’s habit of playing chess during downtime. “It’s about creating a moment,” Obregón says. “Something that slows you down, even briefly.”

The response was immediate. Within weeks of launching online, the brand received a steady stream of requests for in-person retail. A Miami boutique soon brought the collection in, giving customers the chance to try the frames firsthand. “Once people put them on, they understood it,” Méndez says.

As Palmiers grows, the next phase is already in motion. New styles, including the Collector and the Artist, reflect a shift in both the brand and its founders. “The first styles represent where we started,” Obregón says. “The newer ones represent where we are now.”

The long-term plan remains measured. Expansion will come, but deliberately. “We’re building something that can last,” Méndez says.

In a market often driven by trend cycles, that kind of pacing stands out. So does the premise behind it. Palmiers is not trying to change how people dress. It is focused on something more sweetly intentioned — how they view life.

palmierseyewear.com