Health-apparel founder had a tough road to inspiration
Dorian Ayres wanted to be an architect.
But after overcoming health challenges, taking a yoga class and developing an interest in homeotherapy, the 26-year old Newport Beach resident founded DYLN Inspired, which sells apparel designed to improve circulation and decrease muscle fatigue.
It was a road to self-recovery that would lead Ayres to take his health into his own hands.
*
They were returning from Mammoth Mountain.
Eight years ago, Ayres, the grandson of Ayres hotel chain Chairman Don Ayres Jr., was driving with younger brother Dylan and a family friend when the accident happened.
Dylan was sleeping in the back seat when the Ford Expedition drifted off the road. Ayres swerved several times, causing the SUV to roll over. He and the friend were wearing seat belts, but Dylan was not. The 15-year-old Newport Harbor High freshman died at the scene.
“After losing my brother Dylan, I didn’t sleep for years,” Ayres said.
When facing health challenges after the accident, Ayres instinctively went the Western route of seeking medicine. But he didn’t start getting better until he signed up for his first yoga class while studying global business at the University of San Diego.
“It really helped me,” he said of the initial class.
In his second semester, though, the pain developed. He decided to return home to focus on himself. There, he reached out to doctors, chiropractors and homeopaths to find a cure.
But none of the medical professionals offered an alternative to pharmaceuticals.
“I was really frustrated with my situation because I was on heavy medications,” Ayres said. “But what helped me was getting off those medications.”
He turned to yoga and acupuncture to understand his body and found a passion for fitness. He transferred to USC, studying real estate and hospitality, and after graduating in 2011, was presented with two opportunities.
Either he could pursue the hospitality business or he could follow his holistic lifestyle and develop a fabric that could keep a body energized throughout the day.
“Having the opportunity to develop the fabric and me being passionate about yoga came together,” Ayres said. “It wasn’t even a decision. The driving factor was combining health and wellness in products.”
Months after his graduation, Ayres took his first trip to Asia and began formulating the project to develop activewear with business partner David Walker, who has a background in holistic health.
After two years of research and development, the company created the VitaPearl fabric.
The biophotonic nano-technology within the fabric and yarns emits far-infrared, a specific wavelength that is said to increase micro-circulation and muscle oxygenation.
Ayres said the fabric also generates negative ions, which are known to increase well-being and mental clarity.
Pearl powder is also added to the fabric. In traditional Chinese medicine, crushed pearls are an anti-inflammatory and detoxifying agent. They’re widely used for skin care, particularly sensitive skin and fading acne scars.
Chinese women have been known to consume a morning drink of pearl powder in hot water to restore skin. Ayres embedded pearl powder in the structure of his fabric to soften the apparel.
“What we found was in the testing of the product,” said Walker, technical director and co-founder of DYLN Inspired, on the company’s website video. “The product increases oxygen into the muscles, and we’re getting a clearing of the lactic acid, a fast recovery of injuries, and it also relaxes the muscles of the body, creating a relaxed state of well-being.”
Kelly Lam of Newport Beach knows the feeling.
The wellness expert and co-founder of Whole Purpose, a company offering wellness consulting, has worn the activewear tops since the company’s founding in 2011.
Lam, who said she has back problems, was interested in the line since the clothing was described as able to break up inflammation.
“I have worn the clothes for an evening, and I kid you not, I felt great,” she said. “It’s a line that’s really interesting on a muscular level.”
She’s by far not the only happy customer. Ayres said a woman told him she slept better after wearing the clothing to bed.
“She had a sleep tracker on, fell asleep wearing the apparel and she scored a 96,” he said, referring to what is considered a high score using a sleep-monitoring device. “She never scored in the 90s before. We’re making husbands happy because their wives are sleeping better.”
Ayres, who began selling the product online, opened his first DYLN Inspired location seven months ago at The OC Mix, in Costa Mesa. He is proud to point to the women’s collection of tanks, sports bras and jackets designed in the company’s signature color, DYLN Blue.
Blue, Ayres said, was Dylan’s favorite color. Shorts, capris and pants come in the same hue.
“It was a family decision to name the store after Dylan, and my family has all been very supportive,” Ayres said.
His next goal is to develop a men’s line and bring his collection into other retail centers.
Currently in the works is a bottle that creates alkaline water. The DYLN Living Water Bottle ($34) is powered by vitabeads to increase the pH of water to restore balance in the body. Ayres said it’s a portable eco-friendly bottle, and customers may pre-order and receive an estimated shipping date in early 2015.
“I wanted to do something on my own and grow a brand,” Ayres said. “Now that I look back, I think I’m doing exactly what I wanted to do. I’m building.”
If You Go
What: DYLN Inspired
Where: The OC Mix, 3313 Hyland Ave., Suite C3, Costa Mesa
When: 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Mondays through Fridays, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturdays and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sundays
Information: (949) 209-9401 or dylninspired.com