DITA Eyewear
From a spontaneous idea to a luxury eyewear brand
Two guys who’ve known each other since kindergarten woke up one morning with the idea to design women’s sunglasses. Sounds absurd – because it is! Yet that’s precisely how DITA founders John Juniper and Jeff Solorio described it in a 2010 interview with Shades TV. And when you look at their early sketches, it’s entirely believable.
The Birth of DITA in the ’90s – Inspired by vintage eyewear
The friends from Laguna Beach, just south of Los Angeles, were originally photographers and filmmakers in the pro snowboard world. At the time, Los Angeles already boasted eyewear entrepreneurs like Larry Leight with "Oliver Peoples".
DITA Spruce
John and Jeff thought it’d be fun to try glasses design – despite having zero experience. With no eBay or online platforms yet, they scoured countless vintage shops for inspiration.
A Breakthrough Thanks to Jonathan Davis
DITA’s first Eyewear collection
By 1998, they launched their first collection. Who knows what would have become of it if Jonathan Davis, frontman of Korn, hadn’t started wearing DITA’s Double Agent sunglasses? The wrap-style shades had a sporty Oakley vibe. At the peak of his fame (Korn’s Follow the Leader hit No. 1 that year), Davis wore them everywhere – on stage, in TV interviews, at award shows. Sales of the Agent 99 model also skyrocketed.
2002 and the rise of the Flight series
Success allows DITA eyewear to grow
Buoyed by the success of their first collection, John and Jeff optimized their processes and relocated production to Japan in order to improve the quality of their sunglasses. This move proved to be spot on and opened up a whole new world of possibilities for the pair.
In 2002, DITA launched the Flight series. This collection pays homage to the supersonic military aircraft of the 1970s and is also inspired by old vintage sunglasses such as Ray-Ban and American Optical. What is new, however, is the quality of the sunglasses. John and Jeff carefully thought through every detail and used titanium for their frames. The impressive result can be seen here, for example: “Flight 004.” They thus ensure the perfect balance between visionary design and outstanding quality. The diamond-pressed titanium finish is now considered the hallmark of DITA.
Ever since Robert Downey Jr. wore DITA Flight 006 sunglasses in the movie “Ironman” (2008), the status of DITA eyewear has been sealed.
2003
DITA defines Granny Chic with Supa Dupa sunglasses
With eBay around, the founders no longer hunted vintage stores.
Their new mission: reject mainstream trends with oversized acetate frames inspired by Persol’s vintage models. The Italian eyewear brand, which has been around since 1917, was already producing oversized acetate sunglasses for women in the early 1960s.
DITA Narcissus
Inspiration at Persol
Marcello Mastroianni wore the classic Persol 649 Ratti sunglasses in “Divorce Italian Style” (1961), Steve McQueen made the Persol 714 Ratti folding sunglasses his trademark in “The Thomas Crown Affair” (1968), among other films, Bruce Lee wore the Persol Ratti pilot sunglasses 23/91 on the cover of “Golden Movie News” (No. 64, 1977), Don Johnson often investigated in Miami Vice (1984) wearing his black Persol 69218 Ratti men's sunglasses, and Arnold Schwarzenegger made the sporty Persol 58230 Ratti sunglasses legendary in the film “Terminator 2” (1991) while sitting on his motorcycle. DITA created its Supa Dupa sunglasses based on this model. If you search for Persol Ratti models 6606, 6634, or 6636 on eBay, you can see the similarity.
Incidentally, we have not been offering Persol Ratti sunglasses in our vintage range for some time now, as the old acetate has unfortunately become brittle over the decades. This is something John and Jeff were able to draw on in order to optimize their own acetate selection.
Thanks to Jennifer Lopez and other pop stars, Supa Dupa became a massive hit.
2006
DITA comes of age and discovers us as a source of inspiration
In 2006, DITA “comes of age.” At least, that's how DITA Eyewear describes it on its Homepage.
It is the year in which DITA begins producing its own eyeglass frames for the first time in order to make the brand more interesting for optical stores. Eye-catching eyeglass frames in the style of the 1950s are intended to expand the range and further define the DITA corporate identity. Vintage-Sunglasses.de is also founded in the same year. John Juniper is one of the first customers. As John is very reliable and extremely personable, the contact intensifies. John and Chris, the founder of Vintage-Sunglasses.de, often exchange ideas about the best designs and, in particular, the fascinating technical features of old vintage glasses. The exchange becomes so intense that Chris spontaneously stops by John's place on Beverly Boulevard during a visit to LA. Unfortunately, the two narrowly miss each other, as John is working on a project that will mark the definitive breakthrough for DITA Eyewear – the Grandmaster series.
DITA Grandmaster Series
Inspired by ’80s Hip Hop and Cazal
Oversized Grandmaster shades pay tribute to late-’70s/early-’80s New York underground culture – breakdance, graffiti, thick gold chains, bold frames.
Run D.M.C. stands as the perfect example. The legendary hip-hop group from Queens famously wore massive Cazal frames with their Adidas sneakers. These thick Cazal glasses became such coveted status symbols that people were even robbed for them. The DITA Grandmaster series draws clear inspiration from these iconic Cazal designs. If you place a Cazal 163 next to a Cazal 623, you come close to the shape of the DITA Grandmaster One.
Still, it would be unfair to label the DITA Grandmaster sunglasses as mere Cazal reproduction because John and Jeff managed to add their own signature touch. The result is a unique reinterpretation of 1980s hip-hop culture, exemplified by models like the Grandmaster 2.
Once again, the two founders succeeded in captivating top-tier celebrities with their eyewear designs. Basketball superstar LeBron James and R&B icon Usher were frequently seen wearing DITA Grandmaster models at high-profile events. Both helped catapult DITA into a new league – just as Jonathan Davis had done a decade earlier.
2012
Dynamic Men’s Sunglasses from the DITA Mach Series
Although John and Jeff originally set out to design women’s sunglasses, about 15 years later their brand had become especially known for bold men’s sunglasses – likely thanks to the high-profile male celebrities who wore DITA.
Of course, Jennifer Lopez, Beyoncé, Rihanna, and many other famous women also wore the luxury sunglasses from Hollywood. But it is primarily men with a sporty, luxury-driven lifestyle who became DITA’s core audience. These men appreciate not only standout design but also exceptional quality – and they can afford both.
In 2012, John and Jeff launched the Mach series. These masculine DITA sunglasses were inspired by motorsports, their vehicle design, and the advanced technology behind them. Precision, performance, and the fusion of form and function became the defining traits of the collection.
Rapper and actor Snoop Dogg was one of the first to wear the DITA Mach One, a design reminiscent of the sporty look of the Cazal 902 Targa. The follow-up model, the Mach Two, was later worn by none other than Lewis Hamilton. There’s arguably no one who better embodies the world of high-speed racing and the associated lifestyle of design, luxury, and jet-set culture than the multiple Formula 1 world champion.
When Dwayne Johnson was seen wearing the DITA Mach Six, the Mach series was firmly cemented as the go-to sunglasses line for cool, masculine, and successful men.
Vintage frames with a touch of stardust
Worn by cultural icons of their time
The DITA success story, in a nutshell: John and Jeff took inspiration from vintage eyewear and elevated it into iconic designs embraced by global stars.
Of course, that’s a simplified version – because the effort behind DITA Eyewear’s success has been anything but small. Still, we’d like to illustrate the concept with another example: the DITA frames worn by David Beckham. The style icon was seen in both the DITA Grand Reserve and the DITA Statesman. Both are classic combination frames – “combination” referring to the use of two materials, typically a metal base with an acetate top rim. A perfect example: DITA Statesman sunglasses – available in our shop.
DITA STATESMAN THREE
Looking at vintage eyewear from Metzler or Rodenstock from the 1960s, one will often find this combination-frame design.
DITA used that foundation, added refined details, adjusted proportions, optimized manufacturing, and improved comfort. In doing so, they transformed utilitarian optical frames into modern designer eyewear. It was also the enthusiasm of high-profile eyewear wearers that propelled DITA Eyewear to success. We deeply respect John and Jeff’s achievements and are proud to have played a small role in their story.
From a two-man show to a luxury powerhouse
Behind the success story of John Juniper and Jeff Solorio lies hard work, and a tremendous financial risk.
To bring their vision to life, the two founders needed strong partners across all areas of the business. The financial demands involved in developing and producing high-end sunglasses were, of course, immense. John and Jeff found that partner in the Dillon family, who today are the sole owners of DITA.
Micky Dillon, who had held a leadership role at DITA since 2011, is now the CEO of DITA Eyewear. Under his leadership, DITA has grown into the DITA Eyewear Group, with a bold ambition: to establish the brand as the “world’s leading luxury eyewear manufacturer.”
As part of that strategy, the DITA collection was expanded to include the ultra-premium Epiluxury series and licenses for prestigious eyewear brands like Thom Browne and Christian Roth were acquired.
The founders continue their journey
John and Jeff took a brief break, then dove into designing luxury sunglasses again.
At first, the two were commissioned by Balmain to design a sunglasses collection. What made this collaboration unique was the task of integrating the accessories directly into the fashion house’s overall collections. In other words, sunglasses that complemented Balmain’s full looks: shoes, bags, and apparel.
Following the success of this partnership with the French luxury label, John Juniper and Jeff Solorio returned to a brand focused exclusively on eyewear: AKONI Eyewear. This time, the longtime friends weren’t inspired by vintage frames, but by high-end watches, pens, and lighters.
It will be fascinating to see what we might write in 20 years about the impact John & Jeff had on AKONI’s design language. Judging by the Latin roots of the two brand names – DITA meaning “I enrich” and AKONI meaning “priceless, worthy of admiration” – the collaboration seems almost destined.
And who knows – maybe AKONI will soon become part of our vintage sunglasses collection, too.
