Ic! berlin: 30 Years Of Engineering And Creativity

In a city newly reunited and animated by strong creative energy and a desire to experiment, ic! berlin was born in a Berlin apartment thanks to the eclectic Ralph Anderl — designer, singer, photographer and musician — together with two friends. It was 1996, and from the very beginning the brand captured public attention with its ultra‑light and flexible frames that challenged conventions and introduced a new paradigm in the eyewear world. They quickly became the object of desire for a generation of young creatives: lively, curious and nomadic personalities drawn to these unconventional, ultra‑light and minimalist frames in cold‑rolled stainless steel, united by the iconic screwless hinge — a unique solution in terms of lightness, durability and comfort.

To celebrate this important milestone, ic! berlin — one of Marcolin’s house brands since 2023 — presents a special capsule collection that reinterprets its famous minimalist lines in six frames created for the occasion. Four of them are more classic stainless‑steel styles that celebrate the brand’s heritage: LEIF, WANDA, OLI THE 2ND and PINA. Two are more innovative: SODIUM and XENON. Enhancing the collection is the shade selected by the Worth Global Style Network as Color of the Year: Transformative Teal, an intense blue‑green that embodies both nature and technology, calmness and vibrant energy. The same tone is echoed in the photochromic lenses which, adapting to sunlight variations, play with the same nuance as the frame.

Completing the celebrations for ic! berlin’s 30th anniversary is a dedicated campaign: “I see Berlin”. It is a communication project that pays homage to the independent essence and creative energy of Berlin, the city that is part of the brand’s DNA, through some of its contemporary protagonists: nightlife photographer Sven Marquardt, Thai‑American Michelin‑starred chef Dalad Kambhu, conceptual artist Nina Pohl, DJ Nunguja Kisalya — London‑based today but raised in Berlin — architect and artist Thilo Reich, and South Korean dancer Youngchan Moon, who blends classical and contemporary elements in his movement.
Through their perspective, the creative identity of Berlin takes shape, and ic! berlin eyewear becomes the literal and symbolic lens capable of capturing the city’s most vibrant energies.