Beginning as an idea in 1996, two friends showed ic! berlin founder Ralph Andrel prototypes of their innovative glasses that had no screws or glue holding the frame together. Ralph saw huge potential and decided to build a company around the design and so, in 1997 the trio began crafting sheet metal frames out of a tiny apartment in Berlin-Mitte and ic berlin was born! Today ic! berlin Glasses are Berlin-based within its own Produktion Haus. ic! Berlin proudly maintains their eyewear is 100% manufactured in Germany with over a hundred artisan designers and engineers working as part of the ic! berlin team.

ic berlin glasses are handcrafted with extreme care, these screwless sheet metal glasses combine great functional design with modern edgy urban fashion. Each pair of ic! berlin glasses are strong, lightweight and unique reflecting many of the cultural values of its home city. Frame models are named after parts of the city – from the hipster ‘Am Friedrichshain’ to the beautiful airport-turned-park ‘Treptower Park,’. Ralph is a true renaissance man with superb design skills and is not afraid to push the boundaries when promoting his unique brand. He claims to “make glasses for everybody who doesn’t want to be like everybody else”.

#PRETLOVES ic! berlin Glasses

As a brand that carries Berlin not only in its name – but has the city deeply ingrained in its DNA – the story of ic! berlin is the story of Berlin.

But it is not a story about heritage or origin.
(Berlin is really not about these things.)

Anyone can belong here.
It is a story about attitude.
About not letting anyone define who you are – but yourself.

This freedom to be who you want to be, who you can be, to say what you think and to express your true and inner self, is reflected in each ic! berlin frame:

Handcrafted eyewear, that is less about showing style, but more about expressing your attitude.

Founded in 1996, ic! berlin makes the very finest, hand-made eyewear for people who dare to see the world through their own eyes.

Headquartered in Berlin, Germany, with a signature flagship store in Berlin, our more than 180 craftsmen, engineers, and technicians design, build, and market our original eyewear designs across 60 countries worldwide.

In spite of our global footprint, they still craft each of their eyewear pieces by hand in a state-of-the-art manufactory in Berlin. Their creations are worn by the world’s curious, creative individuals. They’re people who see and think with their own eyes–from entrepreneurs, architects, and musicians to artists, political leaders, and scientists.

Seeing things from new perspectives is embedded in the company’s DNA. They combine the original, no-screw hinge with stainless steel, titanium, synthetic, and natural materials. The result is robust, lightweight eyewear design. It helped helped consistently earn awards at the world’s top optical trade and design fairs, including the coveted SILMO D’Or.