Founded in a Berlin apartment in 1996 when the city was newly reunited and driven by raw creative energy, ic! berlin eyewear celebrates its 30th anniversary this year.
Over three decades, this innovative eyewear brand from Marcolin has become known for defying the norms—designing, creatively engineering, and manufacturing ultra-light and flexible frames from cold-rolled stainless-steel. Its hallmark screwless hinge has become an iconic trademark.
“For 30 years, ic! berlin has stood for uncompromising design, engineering and innovative premium eyewear made in Berlin,” says Davide Lunghi, ic! Berlin general manager. “This anniversary honors our proud heritage and sets the stage for a new chapter of global growth, brand storytelling and modern, technical eyewear.”
The 30th Anniversary Collection
To celebrate its 30th anniversary, ic! berlin launched a special capsule collection that bridges heritage and innovation, pairing iconic stainless-steel designs with new technical interpretations. This special eyewear edition revolves around a brand’s iconic chrome color treatment: natural treatments enhance the quality of polished steel without coatings or artifices.
This technique is enhanced by a trendy, new color in the capsule collection— Transformative Teal, a shade that blends blue and dark green and “expresses change and redirection.” All styles available in the Transformative Teal color also feature photochromiclensesin the same shade.
The collection includes four classic stainless-steel frames celebrating the ic! berlin heritage:
LEIF (IC5332)
This optical frame has strong lines and sturdy rims—with 10 mm temples that maximize the iconic and distinctive construction of screwless clip hinges. LEIF is the technical and aesthetic evolution of a study focusing on the silhouettes of several frames that have been updated with the Transformative Teal color on the temple tips.
WANDA (IC5333)
This elegant stainless-steel frame features a round front that plays with different thicknesses and shapes to create a bold-yet-feminine design. The charm of this style also emerges through the new color finish on the tips.
OLI THE 2ND (IC0213)
A reinterpretation of one of the distinctive ic! berlin sunglasses, updated with the Transformative Teal color for the acetate temple tips and lenses. The new pairings of metal stainless-steel with photochromic lenses highlight the sporty soul of this frame.
PINA (IC0215)
The Pina sunglasses have a round frame front with a thin metal detail that forms a sort of “eyebrow,” accentuated by the temple tips tint that matches the lenses.
These styles above are joined in the collection by two innovative models with next-level stainless steel design:
SODIUM (IC5352)
A rectangular stainless-steel front with double thickness defines a sophisticated silhouette, while the temples introduce a refined contrast with acetate tips in Transformative Teal, the collection’s signature color. The construction is completed by ic! berlin’s unmistakable screwless hinge, delivering lightweight performance, durability, and comfort.
XENON (IC0226)
This new style emphasizes minimalism and material quality. The hybrid frame combines a rectangular stainless-steel front with flat profiles and a recognizable design with elegant temples featuring acetate tips in Transformative Teal, paired with photochromic lenses.
‘I See Berlin’
The advertising campaign celebrating the 30th anniversary of ic! berlin—”I See Berlin—is a tribute to the independent, uncompromising and vibrant essence of Berlin, a city that has always shaped the brand DNA.
The campaign presents a curious, bold and unconventional vision of the German capital through some of its contemporary protagonists: talented artists with different backgrounds, cultures, and eclectic attitudes that define the city’s identity and extend its influence.
Berlin-based photographer and visual storyteller Tarek Mawad, who has a meaningful passion for human portraits, photographed the ‘I See Berlin’ campaign. Leif Podhajsky worked alongside Mawad to explore the experimental and underground spirit of the city through a campaign digital animation.
The campaign’s models include:
- Sven Marquardt, a photographer and legendary club icon, whose photographs and influence defined Berlin nightlife for decades
- Dalad Kambhu, a Thai-American chef awarded a Michelin star, whose cuisine combines innovation and authenticity
- Nina Pohl, an artist whose conceptual and visual work animates the Berlin art scene
- Nunguja Kisalya, a Berlin-raised but London-based DJ and fixture of the German capital’s club scene, reshaping club sonics into immersive, textured landscapes for audiences around the world
- Thilo Reich, an interdisciplinary architect and artist who transforms everyday urban materials into sculptural works that reveal hidden structures and cultural traces
- Youngchan Moon, a South Korean dancer who fuses classical and contemporary movement in expressive digital performances.