(PRESS RELEASE) The innovative eyewear brand ic! berlin has completed the transition to its new brand identity with a fresh new logo, Berlin-themed imagery, and a new mobile-first website with industry-leading search and filter capabilities. At this year’s Opti show in Munich (January 10-12), the brand goes from strength to strength with its largest number of releases ever—34 new styles total—including new sheet-metal based Classic Collection frames, all-new Titan (titanium) and buffalo Horn designs, and an exciting new collaborative capsule with Mercedes-Benz. ic! berlin can be found at the Opti show in Hall C1, booth 331.
The New ic! berlin – Now Online at ic-berlin.de
The fourth quarter 2019 saw the introduction of ic! berlin’s new corporate identity, the culmination of which was the launch of the new corporate website at ic-berlin.de in late November. The mobile-optimized site is designed to not only showcase the brand’s new Berlin-centric visual language, but to also make finding the perfect frame easier than ever. This is accomplished via an intricate filter system and simplified organization of the product lines. Coming in Q1 are more features like Click and Collect, which connects customers with opticians in their area, and a recommendation engine.
The Classic Collection – Sheet Metal at Its Finest
At the heart of the Opti releases are 12 new Classic Collection frames. Made completely of sheet metal, there are three new male RX frames on offer (Henning O., Juan P., Lars D.) in classic rectangular shapes with new colorways like Pantone color of the year “Classic Blue” and the olive-colored “Grape Leaf.” Long-time ic! berlin fans will be happy to see the return of a Base 8 frame, the aptly named “i see” – a sporty sun frame available in several colorways including an all-chrome variant with smoky mirrored lenses.
Color continues to be a theme with the female/unisex models Alexandra N., Priscila W., and Sonja M., but the standouts are the His/Her models Wolfener and Factory, a pilot and oversized square shape with gentle retro styling and a pop of color via tinted demo lens colors like Bubble Tea (brown), Lolly Purple (pink), and Pool Fade (blue).
There are three female oversize sun frames: Flanieren, Kiez, and Paletti. Flanieren is an oversized rounded cat-eye frame that builds on the success of ic! berlin’s previous Suprematism capsule using a gap between the lens and frame to create a floating effect. Kiez takes the brand’s expertise in metal bending to new extremes with its two thin metal strips folded forward over the large hexagonal lenses to create a unique “eyebrow” effect while Paletti delivers a bold and stylish pentagon/butterfly shape. Classic Collection sun and prescription frames start at $499.
Introducing Titan – the ic! berlin Titanium Line
Previously sold under the sub-brand “onono,” titanium makes its way into the ic! berlin collection under the all-new “Titan” line – a name which pays homage to not only the material but to the strength of the Greek Gods. Debuting are two bold new sun models, the double bridge T119 and hexagonal T120, which use a unique 3D “Plotic” ring system to add a splash of understated color that coordinates perfectly with the colored lenses. There are four colorways available for each frame.
Also included in the Titan range are four RX frames: T115 (panto), T116 (hexagonal), T117 (square), and T118 (double bridge). All ic! berlin Titan frames are made of premium titanium material sourced from Japan and are known for their exceptional lightness and durability, as well as being hypoallergenic on the skin. Titan sun models start at $569 and prescription from $559.
The Best of the Best: New ic! berlin Horn
Horn as a material is also moving from the “onono – the very few” sub-brand to the ic! berlin collection with newly designed and highly wearable styles made for the modern Gentleman. There is nothing more luxurious than a pair of genuine buffalo horn frames, and these 10 new models are competitively priced starting at just $1,780.
Named after German rivers, which like horn are naturally formed, the new ic! berlin Horn collection comes in mottled black or brown. The designs in this collection appeal to various tastes and include classic rectangular shapes (Alster, Fulda, Neckar, Rhine), square (Saale, Spree) and panto (Moselle, Vils). The larger models Elbe and Havel add an additional splash of color via their tinted demo lenses in Bubble Tea and Pool Fade colorways.
Return of the Mack: Power Law in Marble Acetate
Give the people what they want. That’s the idea of the re-introduction of ic! berlin’s iconic Power Law sun frame in new faux-marble acetate. The combination of metal and marble surfaces is well-known in furniture design, and now ic! berlin brings its top-selling sun frame back with a choice of four striking marble-like styles: white, brown, grey and black. The chunky rough acetate finish gives each frame a bold new look that is sure to keep this style around for years to come. Priced at $529.
One More Thing: ic! berlin x Mercedes-Benz
This year’s Opti show is history in the making as two great German brands from different disciplines get together to push great design forward: Introducing ic! berlin x Mercedes-Benz. More than a simple logo licensing deal that is all too common in eyewear, this capsule represents a true collaboration between ic! berlin and Mercedes-Benz designers: four perfectly shaped sun frames and one exceptional showpiece—all with the DNA of both brands intact.
The star of the show is the MB Shield, a monolens shape taking inspiration from the Mercedes-Benz Style ethos of intelligent and progressive design. With its distinctive metal frame protruding through the lens, the MB Shield creates a sensual purity through a reduced set of materials. The bold design is both functional yet fashionable.
Branded under Mercedes-Benz Classic are three sun shapes: MB01, MB02, and MB03. The male oriented MB01 and MB03 feature lines in the bridge recognizable from the automobiles, while the female MB02 offers the pilot shape in a softer, rounder form. All three models include a newly developed temple using a combination of metal and rubber and are stamped with the Mercedes-Benz star. These three frames are priced from $549 and up.
For the true auto enthusiast is the AMG-branded AMG01 featuring a sportier lens form and signature red or white color accents. In addition to the strip of color, the unique bridge design of this model also sports textured lines made to resemble the bold front grill design language of these high-performance cars. All four of the Mercedes-Benz collection frames come with driving-optimized lenses from Zeiss in a choice of Nightfall (black) or Roadster (brown) tints. The AMG01 prices start from $579.