While most luxury eyewear brands treat their creations as mere “fashion accessories,” DITA operates in a realm of its own—approaching frame-making through the precise logic of micro-engineering, the rigorous mastery of Japanese craftsmanship, and an extraordinary investment of time and dedication. It is an unyielding commitment to structure, material, and detail that commands pure reverence, elevating the brand to a stature uniquely its own.
Recently, DITA has been actively expanding its Asian footprint, embarking on a tour across major regional hubs. Upon their arrival in Hong Kong, V.MAGAZINE had the exclusive opportunity to sit down with the brand’s core leadership: Owner Micky Dhillon, Design Director Michael Castillo, and Chief Operating Officer Cody Cho. Through this in-depth conversation, we immerse ourselves in the brand’s core across multiple dimensions—spanning DITA’s direct strategy, the engineering aesthetics embedded in their design details, and their long-term vision for defining high-end eyewear.
▲ Cody Cho, Chief Operating Officer (left) ; Michael Castillo, Design Director (right)
V.MAGAZINE: Mr. Dhillon, since DITA’s founding in 1995, you have been involved with the company as one of its initial investors. What has driven your unwavering dedication to this brand throughout the years?
Micky Dhillon: It’s interesting. I met these two young men 30 years ago when they were installing Christmas lights on my house. I’ve always had a mentor program where I help young men, and since we were close in age, only a three- or four-year difference. I told them, “You can always come back and talk to me.” I provided them with capital to help build the brand and stayed involved to support them. In 2011, I decided to take over operations because they were experiencing financial difficulties. That is why I remain fully committed.
I believe DITA has the best people in the world. People make companies, owners don’t. I make it a point to participate in every interview, from retail to warehouse staff, to offer my perspective. Great people make great companies, and we have an incredible global team.
V.MAGAZINE: Over the past year, as DITA shifted from a distribution model to direct operations, what strategic and operational actions were taken for this reactivation?
Micky Dhillon: DITA operates directly worldwide now. The first step I took was to evaluate our distributor network and humbly scale back about 60% of those doors, some of which we may reopen later. When building a company, you must progress steadily. Rapid expansion is not my primary objective.
We focus on client feedback, ensuring our customer service and in-store experience meet our standards while developing products tailored specifically to each territory. You cannot produce the best frames in the world without providing equal support and service. Every detail matters, including how the brand is represented.
Cody Cho: It is essential to start from the direct operation perspective. We are reinvesting in our retail partners to effectively communicate the brand, especially in markets where we do not operate direct flagships. That investment includes improved logistics and inventory planning. For instance, our Pacific Modern Collection is engineered specifically for Asian consumers. This required upfront investment in raw materials, inventory, and planning so our partners have the right product for their market.
What succeeds in Hong Kong differs from what succeeds in the U.S. or Europe. From a design standpoint, we create collections tailored to specific demographics. Unlike competitors who simply adjust a nose pad on existing frames, we design with superior comfort in mind, lightweight structures, adjusted temple fits, and tailored frame proportions. While custom tooling and manufacturing are expensive, we view this long-term investment as essential. We are here to grow this market properly, without taking shortcuts.
V.MAGAZINE: How are you selecting retail partners in Asia, and how do you ensure long-term mutual success?
Cody Cho: That is a priority as DITA transitions to direct operations. We have discontinued partnerships with doors that did not align with our philosophy. Our goal now is to slow down, evaluate carefully, and collaborate exclusively with premier retail partners who invest in brand education and effectively communicate DITA’s core identity. It is a meticulous process, but a necessary one.
Ten strong retail partners can elevate a brand’s presence, whereas a single misaligned partner can cause substantial brand erosion through improper representation. Every partnership we form must align with our long-term vision. To support them, we invest heavily in marketing, supply chain infrastructure, and product development to ensure their profitability. When our retail partners succeed, we succeed.
V.MAGAZINE: How do you approach marketing DITA in the Asian region?
Cody Cho: We recognize that the Asian market is heavily driven by talent, influencers, and celebrity engagement. Consequently, we are allocating significant resources toward strategic partnerships and collaborations with relevant talent. Consumers want to wear what they see on individuals they admire.
In the United States, organic celebrity adoption has been a key pillar for us. As I gain deeper insight into the key figures within the US market, we are directing our focus towards these figures accordingly.
V.MAGAZINE: Michael, you have designed some of DITA’s most iconic silhouettes—including the Grandmaster, Mach, Flight, and Statesman—some of which have remained market staples for over two decades. What defines a true design classic, and looking at the FW26 collection, which style do you anticipate becoming the next icon?
Michael Castillo: That is difficult to predict because when we initially designed those frames, we could not foresee their iconic status. How a design resonates with consumers is unpredictable. If a definitive formula existed, every release would be an instant icon. We approach every design with the intent of creating something enduring.
If we really wanted to hit that one single point, it would be releasing an updated design under one of those names. We have a dedicated cult following fans who will do whatever it takes to get the next DITA frame. If they see any of those names attached to a new design, they will buy it immediately; that is how obsessed they are with the brand. As for all the new releases coming out, as I mentioned, we approach every single one believing it has the potential to become an icon.
For the FW26 collection, I think that the LINEAGE series will be our best seller. It demonstrates the structural complexity our clients expect from DITA while highlighting our manufacturing tolerances and surface finishing.
▲ LINEAGE-68
V.MAGAZINE: What fundamentally defines the intrinsic value of a DITA frame?
Michael Castillo: We place great emphasis on educating consumers about our manufacturing process. The value of a DITA frame does not stem merely from gold plating or complex assembly, it lies in the investment of time.
Our design and production cycles are exceptionally long. Time is the one non-renewable resource; dedicating significant time to precision craft inherently requires substantial investment.
V.MAGAZINE: Among your recent releases, which design presented the greatest technical challenge for your artisans in Japan?
Michael Castillo: The HYPERLUX frame represents the peak of our engineering complexity—from the way the temple folds into the endpiece to the structural execution of the centrepiece.
The manufacturing tolerances are exacting. If you hold the frame up to the light and a single horizontal layer on the temple were off by even half a millimetre, the misalignment would be visible. That detail is just one component out of roughly 40 to 50 individual parts comprising the frame. Every element requires absolute precision.
While absolute perfection is unattainable, we constantly push for it. Frames with stacked horizontal layers demand perfect alignment across every plane, or the entire composition is compromised. We expect styles like this to perform exceptionally well in Hong Kong and Mainland China.
▲ HYPERLUX-1000
V.MAGAZINE: As more premium eyewear brands highlight “Made in Japan” origins, how does DITA differentiate itself in an increasingly crowded market?
Cody Cho: We do not focus heavily on competitors. To put it simply: anyone can fly to Sabae, present an existing frame to a factory, pay the manufacturing fee, and launch a brand. But that does not make someone a designer, nor does it drive innovation. Minor dimensional adjustments do not constitute true design progression.
That is what the eyewear world is doing. When you look at other premium brands, just because a frame is made in Japan does not automatically make it luxury. When these brands say, “Oh, this takes 350 steps and nine months to make,” remember that time alone does not define luxury. Time is merely a byproduct of the manufacturing process. The real question is: what did that time actually achieve? Did it create innovation? Did it push the boundaries of engineering? Did it introduce new features that make the frame better or fit more comfortably? That is where I see the true shift happening.
Our design and engineering team brings over a century of combined experience, pushing factory capabilities beyond traditional limits. When factories initially cite a concept as too complex, we work alongside them to expand their technical boundaries, which ultimately elevates manufacturing standards across the industry.
True luxury relies on distinct product innovation; Micky brings 30 years of specialized luxury eyewear design experience, designing the best-selling DITA franchises, including the MACH, STATEMAN, FLIGHT, and GRANDMASTER series, while mentoring our junior designers and engineers. That dedicated expertise and technical authority are what set DITA apart.
V.MAGAZINE: Experiential retail is a major focus right now. Beyond traditional marketing, how is DITA elevating the retail experience for consumers?
Cody Cho: At times, I actually consider DITA a technology company, not just an eyewear brand. When you look at the INOVATI line, we developed an iPad application that allows clients to design a bespoke frame; we are even the first company capable of setting diamonds into titanium. It is designed with extreme intentionality so that it never looks tacky; true luxury is always about subtle detail.
We are bringing that same experiential customization to iconic styles like the FLIGHT.006. Through the app, clients in our stores can customize the frame colour, orbitals, lenses, and gemstones, creating over 500 combinations, making every pair truly unique.
We are only going to expand upon that. The next phase will launch next year, followed by several releases over the coming years focused on total customization. It will elevate things to a level this industry has never seen before. One day, you will be able to walk into a store and have us build a completely bespoke, one-of-one frame using DITA components and existing styles. That is the beauty of being owned by a single family, if we have a bold idea, we do not have to go through a board or await corporate approvals. We just execute it.
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Looking closely at the sharp, uncompromising lines of the HYPERLUX feels like observing the distilled essence of DITA. Guided by an unyielding commitment to craftsmanship and an independent vision, DITA continues to carve its own path across Asia and the global luxury landscape.