Young Jumoke’s Fibs: A Childhood Tale That Sparked a Collection

I grew up in a family where, at a certain point, everyone was prescribed a pair of optical eyewear—but my turn never came. Every visit to the optician ended with the excitement of picking out your desired frames for your prescription.

I waited to go on that same journey, just like the ones before me, but it just wasn’t happening.

The Glasses Club

Coincidentally, that was also the reality at school. People would return from weekend breaks sporting new pairs of glasses. At this point, I got very desperate. I remember a friend who was on the same quest as me came back with a pair—not prescribed, but with clear lenses. That was good enough to fool everyone into believing she had joined the newly formed "glasses wearers" club. I looked on with so much envy. She was kind enough to lend them to me for the weekend.

I was raised by a strict mother who frowned at the idea of bringing other people’s belongings home. I took a big risk—if I had been caught, I would’ve definitely been whooped.

The Great Glasses Act

My young but adventurous mind came up with a plan. I would start by complaining of soreness in my eyes, then move on to claims of blurry vision if that didn’t get my parents' attention. I cried about not being able to see the blackboard at school. And it worked. My poor mother was so frightened by the constant complaints of pain, early morning blurry vision, and my inability to see the board.

I was quite the actor—I’d wake up pretending to feel my way out of my room. Oh my!!! My mother was worried sick, but my father kept his cool. He believed I was simply due for a pair, just like the others had been.

Unfortunately, my older sister knew I was up to no good. She consistently set traps to catch me in my lie—and I fell into most of them. But my mum wasn’t having it. She scolded my sister for making fun of her younger sibling and not being supportive.

Busted at the Optician's

After weeks of planning, pretending, and hiding my weekend eyewear, I finally got my turn to sit in the optician’s chair. I remember the day vividly—I wore a white dress and had my eyes on the pink princess frames I’d spotted on a previous visit.

You guessed it—I was caught in my lie. The exact words of the doctor were: “Her eyes are perfect. She should be moved to the front of the class for a better view of the board.” I won’t go into detail about the journey home, but let’s just say it felt like an eternity.

In the absence of prescription glasses, my love for sunglasses grew. After all, they didn’t have to be optical to be worn. To this day, I’m an avid wearer of fashionable sunnies. I also managed to escape being called a nerd—back then, glasses wearers were seen as just that.

From Fib to Fashion

While a pair of sunglasses can feel stylish and bold, optical glasses were seen as uptight and nerdy. To give opticals a fun edge—and fashion sunnies an extra sparkle—Jumoke Lagos has designed a range of fun, colourful eyewear chains. This is a new category in our jewellery offerings.

The mission of this collection is simple: to remind the wearer to be a child again—colourful, playful, and full of wonder. Being a child is worth holding onto. Let’s laugh louder, and maybe even dance in the rain… because life is better when it’s saturated with laughter.

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Let your glasses tell a story too. Shop the new Jumoke Lagos Eyewear Chains—because life is better when it’s bold, bright, and full of joy.

With lots of love and precious stones,

Jumoke Lagos