Childhood friends create limited-edition sunglass collective and a BW signed Gretsch drum-kit auction
Two innovators in music and eyewear design have teamed up on a limited edition sunglasses collection to raise money for the homeless.
Friends since they were two, Eric Dickstein of Vancouver-based Dutil Eyewear and American drummer Brad Wilk have collaborated on two fronts, the sunglass and by auctioning off a Brad Wilk signed Gretsch drum kit donated by DW drums. Both projects raise money for PATH—a California nonprofit dedicated to finding permanent housing for those in need.
“I’ve known Eric my entire life and we’ve always been fans of each other,” says Wilk, a powerhouse timekeeper who’s played with some of the most influential rock bands in American history, including Rage Against the Machine and Audioslave. “We’ve always wanted to work on a project together to give back to the community.”
“We share a passion for music and that’s a big part of the DNA for Dutil eyewear,” says Dickstein. “There are a lot of parallels in our work: drummers keep the rhythm and there’s a certain rhythm to concise eyewear too.”
The story goes back to their childhood in Southern California’s San Fernando Valley—the ‘burbs made famous by Tom Petty’s “Free Falling”. Brad and Eric shared the love of music. Dickstein vividly remembers jumping around the house to MTV.
Wilk went on to play on multiplatinum records and appeared on the stages of the planet’s biggest music festivals. Meanwhile, Dickstein’s creative path started with Los Angeles’ premium eyewear brand Oliver Peoples. He made the leap into designing eyewear in 2017 with his own Dutil—a micro brand that has collaborated with other creatives from Vancouver artist Andy Dixon to British actor Samuel Barnett.
Now Dickstein and Wilk, who have remained friends into adulthood, are combining skills on sunglasses that are concise, classic, and timeless, with the southern California sensibility that goes back to where they were raised. Wilk has an affinity for the number three, so they decided to make a limited quantity of 33 frames. Designed in Vancouver and crafted by artisans in Sabae, Japan, each pair comes with custom cleaning cloths and a custom case.
The Dutil x Brad Wilk eyewear collection is available at select optical stores around North America.
PATH is ending homelessness for individuals, families, and communities by building affordable housing and providing supportive services throughout California. Since 2013, it has connected more than 8,500 people in over 140 cities to permanent homes.