Jacob, left, and Josh Montoya are the owners and founders of Phateez shades. The Rockford natives and Jefferson High School graduates officially launched the brand at the start of 2023. (Photo by Kevin Haas/Rock River Current)
By Kevin Haas
Rock River Current
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ROCKFORD — Brothers Josh and Jacob Montoya may not have literally broken the mold when they launched their sunglasses company, but they did force a new one to be made.

Manufacturers initially told the Rockford natives that the signature crossbar look of Phateez shades wasn’t possible. But the Montoyas kept pushing until they got the design they wanted — one that didn’t look like the interchangeable array of online sunglasses brands on the market.

“They’re all pretty much the same mold, branded with different brands,” Josh Montoya said. “We created a proprietary, customized mold that’s unique to us, that doesn’t look like anybody else.”

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The wide-frame glasses are made with category 3, UV 400 polarized optics and stand out for the X frame that creates a pyramid portion of the lens above the silicon nose piece.

“We just wanted to do something different that stood out from everyone else,” Jacob Montoya said. “We wanted to do something that was high-quality and functionality. We want it to be an all-day wear.”

The Montoyas, who are both Jefferson High School graduates, officially launched their brand in January after developing it for nearly two years. They have three models for sale online now, and they’re working to launch six more. This summer you could start to see the glasses at pop-up markets and local shops as they look to expand from being a direct-to-customers business to being sold in retail shops everywhere.

“We want to be anywhere and everywhere sunglasses are available, and that’s our goal for this summer and into the future,” Josh Montoya said.

Phateez has three models now and is working on launching six more. The sunglasses company was launched by a pair of brothers from Rockford. (Photo by Kevin Haas/Rock River Current)

Josh, the older of the two brothers at age 45, specializes in handling the business aspects of Phateez. Jacob, 41, is the primary artist, designing the look of the eyewear and the logo and box that they come in.

Jacob Montoya said he drew inspiration from the late Macho Man Randy Savage, who was one of pro wrestling’s biggest stars and known for his flamboyant costumes and vibrant shades. The WWE Hall-of-Famer, for what it’s worth, also has a Rockford connection: His former girlfriend and valet was Stephanie Bellars, a Rockford native who went by Gorgeous George.

“We grew up watching wrestling, and Macho Man was the guy,” Jacob Montoya said. “I just wanted something vibrant and fun, like party glasses almost.”

“It just kind of came naturally. I’ve never seen a pair of sunglasses like that.”

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Jacob Montoya, whose full-time job as in mechanical maintenance at the Byron Nuclear Plant, and Josh Montoya, who works in the beverage industry for an energy drink company, said they also leaned on their kids for blunt feedback as they worked on the design.

“It’s good to have your kids for transparent, candid feedback,” Josh said. “They tell you how they really feel, good and bad.”

The crown that is part of the company’s logo has four points meant to signify the brothers and their wives. That logo is incorporated into a colorful design on the box that includes a graffiti-style rendering of a baby in fluorescent colors.

The box itself, with its magnetic clasp and cloth carrying case, is intended to be part of the experience of buying Phateez. The Montoyas wanted a box that signaled a quality product.

“When you get an Apple product, you open it up and it’s an experience,” Jacob said. “That’s what we wanted to do, give the consumer the experience of opening a quality product that tells them these are legit, these are high-end.”

Where to buy | Phateez

The Phateez Royalty X Series product photo. (Image provided by Phateez)

Online: phateez.net

Cost/discount: The Royalty X Series sells for $109 and is on sale now for $89. You can enter code “ROCK25” at checkout through the end of April for a 25% discount and free shipping.

On social: facebook.com/babyMonte69; instagram.com/phateez69; twitter.com/Phateez1


This article is by Kevin Haas. Email him at khaas@rockrivercurrent.com or follow him on Twitter at @KevinMHaas or Instagram @thekevinhaas.

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