THE HOLISTIC FUTURE OF EYEWEAR: DISTRICT VISION
Of all the items strewn across the fashion spectrum, none may be as misunderstood as sunglasses.
Often viewed as a potentially expensive, frivolous accessory with limited potential, sunglasses have an undeservingly bad reputation.
However, regardless of how someone perceives eyewear’s value, its importance in the arena of sports and exercise can not be overstated. Baseball outfielders don’t need jerseys, but lack of proper eye equipment will ultimately lead to broken noses and far too many underserved home runs.
For such a small, simple piece, sunglasses spawned for a colossal lopsided crusade against the largest object humans have ever seen. Our battles with the sun are well documented and deeply felt. From Icarus’ infamous failed flight to annual sunburns, it’s mankind’s oldest nemesis and most important life source. Although a primitive opponent, our tools have evolved, and the next chess move against the red mass has been made.
Enter the challenger: District Vision
Founded in 2016 by Max Vallot and Tom Daly, the label completely dismembers the notion and perceived limitations surrounding performance eyewear.
The brand leaps past the initial duty of blocking agitating rays and seeks to use glasses as an instrumental tool in unlocking something past normal eye protection with a diverse product range, intense product testing and a refreshing brand methodology.
Max Vallot & Tom Daly
Eyewear may be the company’s main strength, but limiting the brand to a single offering is unfair.
With a “holistic vision for training” the glasses serve as an intermediary - yet insanely well-designed - means to an end not commonly explored by the industry in any capacity.
The company utilizes its proprietary lens technology to reduce the strain caused by physical exertion, relax eye muscles and ultimately “help athletes unlock the mind.” As the world’s focus continues to tighten on mental health awareness and positive practices, District Vision occupies an extremely interesting space.
No speck of the eyewear design is remotely close to coincidental - the world’s first therapeutic-grade lens program exists for specific reasons.
Purchasers have a myriad of lens colors to choose from depending on activity and environment. Sports Yellow aids in low-light situations for anyone braving a run at dusk while Black Rose alleviates the strain one experiences from changing light conditions when trail running.
Developed and engineered in Japan - the home of the world’s first titanium frame - District Vision offers an arsenal of frame and lens options for almost any physical pursuit imaginable, accompanied by a slew of sophisticated techy features that read like the spec sheet of some new-age robot.
With no shortage of components like titanium-infused nylon, shatterproof polycarbonate, anti-reflective coatings and hypoallergenic nose pads, the glasses look as though they’ve been catapulted from some futuristic track.
Although the brand’s main aim may appear exclusive to eyewear, District Vision naturally evolved into an all-encompassing company focused on providing people with tools and resources for improving their mental and physical well-being.
Countless brands dish out products with alleged benefits, but few reinvest in educating consumers in an attempt to better them. District Vision sees a problem in production without information, and the company’s actions beyond its products are inarguably intriguing. The brand lives what it sells.
Its Mindful Athlete Program debuted in 2016 with the goal of working with mindfulness leaders to explore the relationship between movement and meditation. Welcoming all willing participants, the program continues with new courses, retreats and experiments.
If that’s not compelling enough, the brand was an instrumental part in republishing Dr. Mike Spino’s notorious running manual exploring conscious athleticism, Beyond Jogging: The Innerspaces of Running.
The brand recently released its 16-part Mindful Athlete course, to support mental wellbeing as people around the world deal with social distancing and self-isolation. With the goal to “unite science and eastern philosophy to study a holistic approach to protecting and releasing the eye muscle to enhance physical performance,” the brand’s actions mimic its mission - which is an exciting relief in 2020.
With the goal to “unite science and eastern philosophy, to study a holistic approach to protecting and releasing the eye muscle, to enhance physical performance,” the brand’s actions mimic its mission - which is an exciting relief in 2020.
As District Vision’s product umbrella expands, curious individuals can now purchase additional items that assist in one’s mindfulness journey like yoga blocks, Tibetan healing bowls (currently sold out) and incense.
To some this may all sound a bit hippie-ish. Therapeutic lenses? Meditation toolkits? Cognitive potential? But, to dismiss the brand would just be a nieve back turn likely based on unrelated typecasts that immediately dismiss a deserving closer look.
(If you wish to have your face dominated by two-pound Oakleys or relive your high school glory days with 10-year-old Ray-Bans because exploring other possibilities seems too exhausting, you can exit the page now.)
Upon initial inspection, District Vision may appear exclusive to intense athletes, the spiritually awakened or in-the-know fashionistas, but that disposition could not land further from the truth. It’s a brand focused on opening the door to potentially foreign concepts that could have immeasurably positive impacts on anyone with a brain and body.
The glasses may be an extended reach for some, but a meditation blanket reads far more approachable and seems like a charming entry into a field everyone could benefit from.
Photos by Jake Bonin
Upon inspection, an ethos that seems to have been decided decades ago allowed a path for District Vision to launch a direct assault towards the notion that sunglasses serve no greater purpose beyond the obvious. Manipulating eyewear into a meditative tool, the wellness gurus established a new standard for accessories in a decisive victory against a category most deemed finite.
Time to find out more.
We had the pleasure of chatting with one of the founders, Tom Daly and exploring the ethos behind the brand.
The emphasis on positive mental health practices has undoubtedly risen across the globe in recent years. With a brand focused on mental/physical well-being, how does it feel to be contributing beneficial products in this environment?
“We really look at the toolkit as creating different access points for people. What’s right is different for all of us. We really believe in that idea of having physical touchpoints and experiences where it creates these moments and conduits for different people to interact with. District Vision as a conduit and as an organism has evolved greatly in the last five years, and it’s great to have people approaching things in different ways.”
Was the mental aspect always at the forefront of the eyewear development from the beginning or did that focus merge into the product at a later time?
“It was very subconsciously implemented from the beginning. That was our belief, that sport would benefit from this toolkit and way of thinking. When you think of eyewear, it’s weight, durability, comfort and all of these aspects that make an object much more integrated into your life. You have a design philosophy that’s driven by this belief set, and it’s also in the product. It’s exciting to weave the two together. I would say that takes time, and that's been something we’ve really been honing in eyewear, apparel and footwear over the last five years.”
Countless businesses just create products, but few put the effort in to really teach and educate consumers. Why is District Vision so committed to providing resources that guide people to a higher state of mental and physical well-being?
“When you start to interweave your personal belief set into the work that you do, you go a bit further. Hopefully it has more meaning that people feel. For us, that was the case with meditation and running. Once you go through the system yourself and understand what a practice can do for you, whether that’s meditation or running, climbing, skiing - you generally want to share that gift after a while. You start that journey of sharing and facilitating other people’s approach into it. We tried to figure out how we could be of greater service to our friends and the community as much as possible.”
District Vision often talks with notable figures in the running and conscious athletic community like Michael Murphy and Mike Spino. Can you describe the brand’s role in continuing their research and ideas and introducing them to a generation that may not have known about the work otherwise?
“Whenever you go on a journey in a specific subject area, you research historical findings, and you pay respects to what those ideas represented and you try to build on top of them. We didn't want to hide this concept that we were inspired and building off ideas that already existed and there's no better way than to connect directly with those people, and we’ve been really lucky to do that. With Michael Murphy, Mike Spino and trail runners like Rickey Gates - blending those worlds is interesting to us. Hopefully, someone can build on our ideas.”
District Vision is an extremely inviting company that wants everybody to improve their mental and physical state. Can you describe how it feels knowing people are using your products as a gateway to self-improvement?
“There's definitely a symbiotic relationship between us and our customers and a back and forth that feels quite natural for us. It really lives and dies in many senses by that dialogue and how much we can invest and build in that. Because, these people are really making a difference in their respective communities, and it’s really inspiring. We’re just beginning to see the seeds of that right now, and whatever we can do to support that really proliferates a message that’s of a greater good.”
Your products have received critical acclaim from a variety of publications ranging from Vogue to Wired. That’s a pretty distinct leap that most product-based brands don’t make. How does it feel to have District Vision’s products admired by so many different types of media outlets?
“It’s very humbling, and it’s really interesting to see how these different publications relate to the project. We learn as much as everyone else in terms of what those aspects are, and that informs how we evolve in the future. It’s super fun to see.”
District Vision has taken part in some beautiful collaborations including Salomon, Reigning Champ, Satisfy Running and Mr. André. How does District Vision choose who to work with, and what is the end goal with these collaborations?
“I think we are really working with our friends.That’s been a beautiful thing - when you have a project that brings the team back together again. It has been a natural process of evolution. We try a lot of the time to do - especially with the performance products - technical collaborations so we are adding value to the practice of running. So, that’s super inspiring to try and to do a value-added tech product. Obviously, on the Reigning Champ stuff and the new collaborations that are coming out this year, they’re really built off this lifestyle choice. It’s fun to work with friends, and it’s fun to bring it full circle. It has been really rewarding to see who those different people are and what they feel is important in this domain.”
About The Author
Max Theriot is a writer currently based out of New Orleans, Louisiana. From sandals to seafood, he wants to know about it if it’s good.
