About Durant Sessions

 

 

Our Story
“Distraction is my medicine.”

 
Eric Dickstein often trips over his words when jumping from anecdotes about his hairstyling days in Los Angeles as a kid, to his failed music career, and disciplining his creative process at Oliver Peoples. These are just a few of the distractions that have saved him from the darker, and occasionally destructive, caverns of his mind. Since his introduction to the optical world through a friend and founder of Oliver Peoples, Doré Chodorow, Eric Dickstein was instilled with an irrational sense of direction - to be in the forefront of eyewear and everything related to it.

 

After 10 years of wandering around the world, Dr. Lili found herself back in Vancouver again. As a young optometrist, she was looking for something different, a place that celebrates personality and humanity. While Dr. Lili loves the science behind optometry, it does not readily personify what Dr. Lili embodies - creativity, humility and the ability to connect and tell stories. Dr. Lili thrives in the interface where science and defiance meet, challenging conventional optometry. Serendipity brought Dr. Lili to Durant Sessions as she wandered into Gastown in Vancouver. Dr. Lili knew this is where her version of optometry can happen.

 

After finding each other in 2016, Eric and Dr. Lili realized that whatever they had in their head is no longer just an idea. They recognize many gaps in the world that they operate in. They believe that they can deconstruct and rebuild a path they believe is more appropriate for modern times while staying true to themselves.

 
Durant Sessions

Durant Sessions’ name is inspired from a series of recording sessions Dickstein did with Dennis Leight, one of the co-founders of Oliver Peoples. These moments took place In Dennis’ home on Durant Drive. Durant Sessions honours handcrafted eyewear that seeks to educate as much as it adorns. We celebrate the balance between science and art, converging the two worlds together. 

Our optometrists, opticians and stylists welcome you to the Durant Sessions’ experience.