IN CONVERSATION WITH PATRICK DEMPSEY

Patrick Dempsey: I’ve been wearing Porsche Design glasses for many years before becoming an ambassador, because I like their quality and history. Going back to the beginning of Porsche Design’s whole concept, it was the interchangeable lenses in those early frames that became so iconic. My involvement with the brand as a racer naturally led to this collaboration. And then I had the opportunity to create the glasses that I’m actually wearing now, inspired by the racing, which is all about weight, durability, and function. That’s where it started. It was really fun to do something different and to be able to work on the creative side with Porsche Design.

PD: The first time I was just as an ambassador, modeling their sunglasses and optics. Over time it was like “Well, I really would love to be able to design as well”. And so, we co-designed the second collection, which was really exciting.

PD: Tremendously. First of all, the quality of the lenses, the vision drive is really important. But also, when you’re wearing glasses with your helmet, you want something that’s lightweight and durable. So, that was the point of view in which we came into the design. We needed to make sure they have a good vision, that they are lightweight and cool looking. What I like about the gold lenses is that we’ve got the carbon fiber here (e.d. shows Glasses P’8754 in color gold from the Patrick Dempsey Ltd. Edition that he is wearing) and the titanium, then the gold and the yellow lenses that highlight it. And I can’t see anything, so it’s a nice little fashion statement. And even with the gray ones I experiment with the blue lenses as well.

PD: I love it. It’s another creative process and I liked working on the structure. I love architecture and glasses are about that in many ways. They share many principles. And then there’s the collaboration aspect. The thing that I take away from Porsche and that they do so beautifully, is their understanding of how important teamwork is. Everybody has a role, a voice, and we all have the same goals and objectives, we have a timeline and certain things that we have to say, to focus on. It’s nice to be able to meet those challenges and to do something new. And then when you put something out there, it’s a reflection of yourself, and you like to hear the feedback. People say, “I like your glasses, where’d you get them, who made them?”. And you can say “Here you can have mine”, which is fun.

PD: That they’re done well, lightweight, durable, and elegant. I’m very happy with all of those things. And how people are using them. That’s the most important thing.

PD: I try to just be classic and timeless. I like things that are handmade. I think you can feel that, in quality. And then also something that’s technically advanced. A lot of the clothing, when you go into the showroom, is really interesting. It’s interesting what they’re doing in the experimentation with that. It’s all of those things combined. Also, I want something that’s going to be in my closet for not just one season, but for many seasons, and that gets better with age. I look for an iconic design that’s timeless, but gets modern, too. It’s about valuing iconic designs with an enduring appeal.

PD: Well, at this point I have to use reading glasses. When you’re on set, if you have a pair of very heavy frames, it will leave indentations, making them impractical. You can’t walk around with a monocle or something like that. So, the practicality, the lightness of the frame, is crucial. And the size, as well. Getting the right size for your face is important.

PD: Lightweight. Modern. Classic.

PD: New challenges. When you get that little feeling like “I don’t know if I can do this, I’m a little nervous”. That’s what you look for. And that’s harder to find. And then not being too comfortable. You got to be a little uncomfortable.

PD: I think there’s just something that I like innately from it. So, the connection with Porsche and Porsche Design, racing, motorsport, the lifestyle. I mean, they’re even doing skis now, and I love to ski. All of that sort of fits in and supports the lifestyle that I like to live.

PD: I loved it. It was amazing because I was in Italy. I was in Modena, at the end of summer and into fall. So, I had great food, great cycling, really beautiful people. Because it’s so agricultural, it reminded me a lot of the town I grew up in. And then I’m working on a Michael Mann movie. It took place in 1957, so it’s a period film, and to recreate all of that romance… It was just a special experience where I brought both passions together through cinema and car racing. And being allowed to do all the driving myself, to be with the stunt drivers, to be a part of that was very special.

PD: The people. I love the warmth, the food, the history. Certainly the land. The cities are nice up to a point. I like to be in the countryside. I think it’s just the diversity of the landscape from the north to the central part and then the South. I need to explore the South a little bit more. I’m very comfortable in the North, as I like the mountains, and all of that. I’ve always felt at home there and have been embraced and it feels comfortable. I spend a lot of time in Italy and in Europe. And I’d like to have a foundation over there at some point, or a home.

PD: The first one I was really aware of was David Lean, I think. I lived in a rural area. You didn’t get a chance to go to the cinema very much. And I remember right before a holiday break in the cafeteria, they showed “Great Expectations”. And I remember that story so well that it just transported from where I was in my small town in Maine to going through that experience. And I think that was a profound thing. I’ve always loved David Lean’s movies. And then working with Michael Mann was a dream come true. He’s a real genius when it comes to his research and his passion for detail, his understanding visually as well as emotionally, and the editing. I learned a lot there.

PD: I like “Round Midnight”. That’s probably my favorite movie.

That’s a really hard one. It was great to play Taruffi because he was an extraordinary driver and he survived. Schumacher of course… Each generation has a driver that I personally like, so it’s hard to pick anyone.

PD: Never forget where you come from.

PD: I think the thing that I’m the most passionate about is really the work that we’re doing at the Dempsey Center, where we help people who’ve been impacted by cancer. We don’t treat disease. We treat the person holistically with wraparound care – the children, whoever is being impacted, through nutrition, through counseling, through yoga, mindfulness, wigs, you name it. Whatever that person needs, we try to support them. And to me, this has been the greatest thing that’s come out of any kind of things. To be able to do something like that has a strong, strong positive impact. And we do a lot of this work in Maine, the town I grew up in and now we’re also servicing other countries as well as other states. That’s what I’m focusing on. And then reading a lot, trying to find the next project, something that I want to feel passionate about and have to go do.