The Vision Behind Who Decides War’s DITA Sunglasses
From denim NFTs with RTFKT to patchwork Nike Air Force 1s, Who Decides War's creative versatility covers everything from IRL and virtual realities. WDW's collaboration is fully grounded in reality, however, with its DITA sunglasses collection only further proving what we already knew — this brand can do it all.
Who Decides War x DITA dips into the luxury eyewear brand's archives to bring back a popular classic, the SUPERFLIGHT sunglasses.
The Who Decides War x DITA SUPERFLIGHT sunnies – which drop April 6 at DITA, SSENSE, and The Webster for $500 to $550 apiece — preserve the model's traditional flight-inspired look with an acetate front frame.
But the collaborative sunglasses also receive a fresh hand-paint job and new design elements like green marble and crackle, a taste of WDW's dye prowess.
The pair have been working together since Who Decides War's SS22 runway show but, by launching an official collab, these DITA sunglasses become another tangible facet of WDW's ever-expanding creative multiverse, playing a small but significant part in espousing the brand's bigger vision.
Who Decides War creative Director Ev Bravado and his creative partner Téla D'Amore broke it all down for us.
What was it like working with DITA?
Téla: It was very easy and fun. We've had a longstanding relationship with the brand, in the office and outside. We really loved seeing how they moved, operated, and created this little world, and we have a little world of our own as well.
So, it was very organic for us to come together and create something that we felt was kind of missing in each other's areas. Filling the pieces was very easy.
Can you walk us through the inspo behind the color choices and design details?
So, the crackle was kind of like an ode to that good crackle nail polish. Everyone had that phase, and we wanted to tap into a little bit of nostalgia while also creating something totally new.
Like an ode to something a little alternative and nostalgic, but also just coming back around to speak to both brand identities.
So, we wanted to use a plastic frame they had already created and that we both loved, which is their aviator style that's very specific to DITA. And we decided to use that one and give it like the Who Decides War very hands-on remix.
How does the DITA collab fit into the Who Decides War SS22 collection?
I think it translates by bringing the collection full-circle, giving personality to some of the pieces that were sent down the runway.
It's one thing to create some good tops and bottoms and all the cut-and-sew that we normally do, but it's something else when you can think a little bit further regarding the presentation and what you really want to say.
Was the DITA collab a one-time thing?
We are definitely open to it. We really love DITA and the way they put things together. I think they just understand what's it like being young creatives coming into a space, wanting to create what you want to create and not be so limited. I think they do a really good job of understanding that, and their allowing us to do that is why it translated so well for everybody.
It was really an open flow of communication during the creative process.
I would love to work with them again. I'm sure Ev wants to work with them again. We are continuing to foster what we have been doing, which is being able to do things in a different kind of context while still being able to exercise our full creative process with a product.
After the DITA collab, what's next for Who Decides War?
Ev: More womenswear is the biggest thing we're focused on now. It's just figuring out how to get into the womenswear market and stay true to our brand's DNA in offering signature pieces to that market.
Even though a lot of our stuff is unisex, we want to do more high couture, thought-out intricate pieces.
Téla: I was also going to say womenswear too. Tapping into womenswear silhouettes is going to be so much fun, so that's next. That's where we're trying to go.
Ev: And music as well!
Téla: Oh yes, music!
What I can say is that there's an overall overarching creative that we're going to start. Together, our end goal has always been to move into becoming a creative [space].
Clothes are the medium for now, but next, we've got a couple of things that are going to be more focused on lending a creative hand and helping others see visions through.
