Introduction:
District Vision was started in 2016 in New York by Tom Daly and Max Vallot. Initially focused on developing best-in-class running sunglasses, the brand has expanded the range of eyewear as well as adding apparel and even a footwear collaboration to the mix.
We had the chance to find out from Max and Tom about the thinking behind the brand, what District Vision stands for and what they hope the future holds.
LtW: Where is the brand based?
District Vision: New York City
LtW: Can you give us a short history of the brand.
DV: We started District Vision in 2016 from our apartment in New York. Our goal has always been to explore the intersection of running and mindfulness, a natural convergence of our respective backgrounds.
LtW: What is your personal relationship with running now and how has running played a part in your life, going all the way back to your childhood?
DV: Running is such a primal form of movement, that’s where the beauty lies. It has always been a way for us to connect to each other, a way to connect to nature and ultimately a way to discover ourselves.
LtW: What were the key motives for you creating a running brand?
DV: Inspire people to approach running as a form of self discovery and make the best possible tools for mindful athletes.
LtW: What have been the biggest challenges for you building your brand?
DV: Building a team mindfully and conscientiously has arguably been the single biggest challenge.
LtW: What do you consider to have been your biggest successes?
DV: We feel we have succeeded in making the world of running take meditation and mental training more seriously.
LtW: Whether inside or outside of running, who do you admire and why?
DV: We are inspired by the new wave of public intellectuals, like Sam Harris and Yuval Noah Harrari, that challenge conventional wisdom and make us think in different ways.
LtW: What do you hope that people will think, when they consider your brand?
DV: That we are genuine and authentic, always doing our best to speak from the heart and making tools we truly believe in.
LtW: If your brand was a runner, what type of personality would they have
DV: Mindful.
LtW: What is different about your brand from other running brands?
DV: We have a true purpose and we are fully self-financed.
LtW: What plans do you have coming up for your brand?
DV: More initiatives to emphasise the mental dimension of sports and make the best gear to empower mindful athletes, including collaborations with Maurten and Tracksmith among others.
LtW: Is there anything else we should know about District Vision?
DV: The number one thing everyone should invest in is discovering the mind, everything else will fall into place by itself.
Find out more about District Vision on their website. And you can follow the brand on Instagram @districtvision