Our Story

My brother, Van DiBernardo, was more than a fashion designer—he was a visionary. He understood trends, but more, he knew where they would lead. His design career first started at Unisa, then at DKNY, where he designed women’s shoes. Manhattan was his home for 25 years, but it was Italy, France, Spain, and Brazil where he approved factory prototypes and collected inspiration. Life was good.

 

Then everything changed.

 

A diagnosis of Multiple Sclerosis didn’t just end his career —it challenged his identity. He no longer mused on how to create beautiful shoes; his biggest challenge became how to get through a day. The first time I witnessed Van's decline after being exposed to the heat, I knew I had to do something. I could do nothing about the heat, but I could find a way to prevent the heat from compromising Van’s condition. 

 

I remember sourcing his first cooling vest. Designed for industrial workplaces, the cooling vest lacked in form, fit, function – and fashionability. The ice packs melted and soaked his clothes, and the weight of the vest hung from his shoulders. Still, for an hour or two, Van functioned better, both mentally and physically. People stared, but he was too broken to care. I cared. And that’s when it hit me that the perfect solution for maintaining human performance in the heat could only be built by someone who “gets it”. 

 

Someone like Van. 

 

We didn't know it yet, but that was the beginning. Van and I had always been a tag team, so defaulting to the person to make it happen was a given. Once he wore the final prototype, he said something I'll never forget: "Why should I be the only one to have this?"

 

What started as a labor of love became something bigger — something urgent. The heat problem affects millions. It’s a barrier to endurance.  A threat. A performance killer. For the athlete, an invisible opponent. Van had two goals: to design and wear a cooling vest  “that an athlete would wear," and to assure that his design was available to everyone. My goal was a bit more complicated: how to fulfill my brother's dream.

 

So here we are. Oro Sports isn’t just a company. It’s a love story. A legacy. A promise. Every vest we ship carries a little piece of Van’s vision and a whole lot of heart.

 

Wherever there is heat, there is Oro.

A journey in pictures.