PRIVATE INTERVIEW
Cody, it's a pleasure to have a chat with you. I've been following DITA for many years, and one of the things that's always struck me is its ability to evolve without losing its identity. Over time, the market, the language of luxury, and even the company's structure have changed, but the brand continues to hold a very strong position in the eyewear universe. When you decided to join DITA, what made you think it was a challenge worth investing in for the long term?
When I joined DITA 16 years ago, what immediately stood out wasn't simply the product – it was the ambition behind it. There was a genuine belief that eyewear deserved to be treated with the same reverence as fine watchmaking or automotive design. That was a mindset I hadn't encountered before.
I also joined at a pivotal moment in the company's history. The original owner who was involved from DITA’s inception had returned to lead the company. What has always impressed me is that he continues to show up every day, working alongside the team and remaining deeply involved in the business. He assembled a new leadership team around a shared vision: to build upon DITA’s foundation by expanding the product offering while telling a richer story around the craftsmanship, engineering, and Japanese manufacturing that had always distinguished the brand.
I was fortunate to be part of that team. We challenged each other to think differently, question convention, and continually raise the bar – not only in design, but in how we communicated the value behind every frame. That environment allowed me to grow alongside the brand and eventually contribute in ways I never imagined when I first joined.
What has kept me invested all these years is that the vision has never changed. The methods have evolved, the market has evolved, and my own role has evolved, but the pursuit has remained the same: to challenge convention and continually raise the standard for our industry.
What are your memories and feelings from your first few months, both professionally and personally, and what surprised you most compared to your previous experiences in marketing, digital, and e-commerce?
To be honest, it was a very humbling experience.
At that point in my life, the only pair of sunglasses I owned were a simple pair of gas station frames. My background was in action sports and streetwear, so stepping into the world of luxury eyewear felt like learning an entirely new language.
Marketing a luxury product – especially something as personal as eyewear—required a completely different mindset. Many of the digital and e-commerce strategies that had worked so well in previous industries simply didn't translate. I had been hired to deliver specific results, and suddenly I found myself going back to the drawing board, questioning everything I thought I knew. It was both humbling and intimidating.
Fortunately, I was surrounded by a team that encouraged experimentation rather than certainty. Instead of expecting all the answers, they challenged us to ask better questions, test new ideas, and rethink many of the assumptions the industry had accepted for years.
Those early failures became some of the most valuable lessons of my career. They taught me to stay curious, stay humble, and never stop questioning my own assumptions.
Looking back, those first few months shaped the way I still approach business today.
You've seen DITA go from a cult brand to a global reality. Was there a specific moment when you realized the brand was becoming something bigger than you initially imagined?
There were certainly milestones along the way, but one that stands out was around 2018 and 2019 when the Flight.006 was worn by Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark in “Avengers: Infinity War” and later “Spider-Man: Far From Home”.
At first, it was pure excitement. Then it quickly turned into a different kind of responsibility as demand for that frame grew beyond anything our team had anticipated.
What stayed with me most, though, it was walking down the street and noticing people wearing it in everyday life. Seeing something our designers, engineers, craftsmen, and team had collectively poured years into become part of someone's personal style was a surreal feeling.
It was also a reminder that while trends come and go, thoughtfully designed products have the ability to create a lasting connection with people.
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