Oakley Part 1

Runsy

elie

part 02

part 01

Multidisciplinary Artist

brings us to her favorite spots while wearing her

Oakley HSTN Sunglasses

The Chicago native connects creativity & running as she trains for her

first marathon.

Esperanza Rosas

Global eyewear brand Oakley takes pride in always being at the intersection of sport and culture. Its latest models, the BXTR and HSTN, perfectly echo this sentiment – they were imagined by Oakley designers and friends of the brand who believe,

As such, athletes can be musicians and designers can maintain a passion for recreational sports. It’s all about the exploration of self and going beyond people’s preconceived perceptions of you.

“people are more than just one thing.”

Esperanza Rosas, also known as Runsy, is a multidisciplinary artist whose works are inspired by her Mexican-American heritage, pop culture and the subcultures within her hometown of Chicago. Some of her works are defined by the influences of sports – references to Michael Jordan, the Chicago Bulls and the Chicago White Sox have appeared in her designs, alluding to the team pride that exists within her and her community. Alternatively, Runsy has taken an interest beyond her artistic endeavors. She’s now developed a passion for running. This in turn has evolved into a personal challenge she looks to overcome – running the Chicago Marathon, the first full marathon she’ll participate in.

Balancing work and run life has had its challenges, but it hasn’t been without its benefits both creatively and athletically either. Runsy is proud to have gone from struggling to finish two-mile runs to getting herself to complete 13-mile half marathons. “I started running two years ago and I was just running two miles, then I was invited to do a half marathon,” Runsy said. “It was a scary thought to put your body through running 13 miles. But it was about allocating a lot of energy to different things to be able to train. This really taught me that I did have the time and the patience. I just had to learn what worked for me.”

However, – the day of the Chicago Marathon – hasn’t been easy.

the road to October 8

Seeing and experiencing Chicago’s different neighborhoods while improving pace times has essentially given her more creative empowerment. Chicago is one the U.S.’s most scenic cities, as well as having some of the most diverse communities that call the Windy City home. Inspiration here is boundless and Runsy is enlightened by the people and the landscapes she interacts with on her runs. “It’s such a beautiful city with so much culture,” the young artist says of Chicago. “I want to feel the fact that I'm literally one with the city and that's what I feel when I'm running through the forest or the South Side and I'm checking out different spots. I'm like damn! I grew up here and every year and I realize there's more beauty in the everyday things that I didn't necessarily appreciate before.”

In talking to Runsy, the pride she has for Chicago is what propels her to be fearless, both as an artist and an athlete. She points to certain places in the city that give her current existence meaning – her studio, Steelworkers Park and Rello Gallery, the place where Runsy currently exhibits her works. With her Oakley HSTNs we ran with Runsy to each of these spots as she explained what each place means to her and how they all currently fit together in her art and training.

she lets for work come to her during her runs.

inspiration

Artistically,

“It’s a very meditative practice,” she says. With piles of illustrations on the floor and table, and past works she’s done hung up on the wall, Runsy feels her studio is more than just a place for creating, it’s also a safe space for the people she invites through. “It’s just a safe space,” Runsy says. “Where if I invite you, it’s where we can have a good conversation while sharing a cup of tea. That’s what I love about here. It feels like a meditative practice and the beauty is to invite people and share. Show people that this is where the work is created. This is my little lab.”

It’s a beautiful waterside park which is an actual property of an abandoned steel mill. It was then transformed into a scenic park in 2002. City-goers praise it for its historic feel, cleanliness and peacefulness. Runsy takes the time to get her runs around Steelworkers park. “The water around it is so calm,” she explains. “Everytime I go, there’s not too many people and it’s usually only one or two people that you see. I’ve never seen it packed before and it’s just a hidden gem with peacefulness there. There’s beauty in solitude here and it’s a quiet space where you can just see the city and everything from that point.”

is the space where she

unleashes her creativity.

Runsy’s studio

in Chicago’s South Side, is one of the

city’s hidden gems.

Steelworkers park

CMA is a nonprofit organization and arts center that “serves as a gathering place for members of the community to come together and be inspired by the power of art.” Cherry Mountain Arts currently houses Runsy’s new exhibition “Plata o Plomo'' which is on display until June 26. “It's my first solo show in the city and I think that Rello Gallery is just a community hub as well,” Runsy says. “It's nice to have friends you can spitball ideas with. We're all we got, and I think that's really what that exemplifies my life at this point. We don't need validation from external sources. All we need is to have ideas and to have friends. Let's make it happen. We find out how to make it happen and just showcase our work. And I think we have a like-minded mentality right there, and I have full respect for Cherry Mountain Arts.”

The sport of running also galvanizes the city with hobbyists, run clubs and full-out marathon runners. Here, Runsy is truly at the intersection of sport and culture, she creates and exhibits her works at galleries while also training for the Chicago Marathon. It all relates back to Oakley’s notion of, “people are more than just one thing.” Runsy truly represents this and her passions for art and running have given balance to her life. “There's really an art to everything that you practice,” Runsy explains. “There is a way to get your drawings better. There's a way to do everything so that you can safely do it. And so you could do it at your own pace, you just have to start. I think that once you start and figure out your full potential, that will be the most fulfilling thing in your life.”

is owned by Runsy’s friend a fine artist, gallerist and founder/owner of Cherry Mountain Arts.

Rello Jones,

Rello Gallery

Chicago is full of , especially with the likes of Runsy and her creative community contributing to the

city’s artistic pulse.

creative energy

Runsy is wearing the which is priced at $152.00 USD and can be purchased through .

Oakley’s website

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Runsy

elie

part 02

part 01

“ I started running two years ago,”

“ I just had to learn what worked for me.”

“ it was about allocating a lot of energy to different things to be able to train.”

“ I want to feel the fact that I'm literally one with the city,”

“ It’s such a beautiful city with so much culture,”

“ I realize there's more beauty in the everyday things that I didn't necessarily appreciate before.”

“This is my little lab.”

“It feels like a meditative practice and the beauty is to invite people and share.”

“It’s a very meditative practice,”

“It’s just a safe space,”

“Chapo,” 2023

city’s hidden gems

“There’s beauty in solitude here and it’s a quiet space where you can just see the city and everything from that point.”

“it’s just a hidden gem with peacefulness there.”

“The water around it is so calm,”

Plata o Plomo

“It's my first solo show in the city.”

“serves as a gathering place for members of the community to come together and be inspired by the power of art.”

“Lesson #1,” 2023

“We're all we got, and I think that's really what that exemplifies my life at this point.”

“people are more than just one thing.”

“There's really an art to everything that you practice,”

Prizm™ Lens

Size: M (131mm)

LIGHT TRANSMISSION: 17% LIGHT CONDITIONS: BRIGHT LIGHT CONTRAST: INCREASED BASE LENS COLOR: BRONZE INFORMATION NOTICE: 3

A. Lens Height 47.9 mm B. Frame Width 131.3 mm C. Arm Length 140 mm D. Lens Width 52 mm E. Bridge Width 21 mm

Oakley HSTN