I am a huge fan of artist James Dietz and apparently, so is the team at Oakley SI. Dietz is well known for the unit and historical prints he has done over the years.
These limited edition sunglasses are pure Dietz. One of the things that James did to make them a cut above, was create custom sketches of relevant small arms which are printed on the temples. These sketches are similar to the drawings he does in the margins of his unit-only versions of his prints. It’s a level of customization few get to enjoy. Additionally, Oakley worked with Dietz to print a copy of the actual artwork that inspired each set of custom eye pro on the storage bag. The effect is awesome.
I asked Oakley’s Military Category Manager, Drew Wallace about how they made this team-up happen. Wallace commented, “The partnership was as simple as picking up the phone and calling James, building trust and sharing common values. He is a truly wonderful guy and a lot of fun to collaborate with. We commissioned him on three custom sketches that tied directly to the paintings, and we felt could translate onto eyewear graphically. Ultimately the collection was designed to bring awareness to Memorial Day and make a collection that felt special and had meaning across the community.” Explaining how satisfying it was, he added, “For me, one of the more special projects I have worked on.”
The new James Dietz collection from Oakley SI consists of three different models. Other than the special artwork, these offer the same level of eye protection as the standard models.
This Dark Grey on Grey model features a custom sketch by James of an M4 and the storage bag is printed with the Dietz painting “I shall defeat them on the field of battle” commemorating OIF. James actually went out to 2/75 at Ft Lewis to paint some of the guys for that work of art.
The temple of this Tan and Grey eye pro features a sketch of a .50 M2 with the storage bag emblazoned with the famous paining, “Task Force Ranger” a depiction of a moment in the Battle of Mogadishu. James personally met with many members of the conflict and did a large dedication ceremony for the unveiling of the painting.
Moss and Grey in color, the Frogskin incorporates the sketch of an M1 Garand with the bpstorage bag emblazoned with the painting “Silencing the guns”, with a D-Day scene. This painting features LT Dick Winters, of Band of Brothersfame, who met with Jim in order to get the details in the paintung right.
This short video gives a great overview of the line.
We hope you enjoy them as much as we do.
Tags: James Dietz, Oakley
That’s a seriously classy collaboration and a very nice set of products. So much so in fact that it finally motivated me to sign up for an OSI account so that I can get a pair of those Frogskins.
I’m just a little bit disappointed that they put the small arms artwork on the inside of the frames rather than the outside – where it would be more visible.
Any idea as to why they did it this way?
I was wondering the same thing too. I’d also be afraid of the artwork eventually rubbing off since it would be constantly exposed to the wearer’s sweat and would naturally rub against the skin. Ideally, they would have made the ear pieces transparent or at translucent with the artwork sitting in the middle where it’s visible on either side but completely protected from the element.