ic! berlin brillen
GmbH
(; ) is a type of Juridical person, legal entity in German-speaking countries. It is equivalent to a (Sàrl) in the Romandy, French-speaking region of Switzerland and to a (Sagl) in the Ticino, Italian-speaking region of Switzerland.
It is a ...
is a German eyewear company based in
Berlin
Berlin ( ; ) is the Capital of Germany, capital and largest city of Germany, by both area and List of cities in Germany by population, population. With 3.7 million inhabitants, it has the List of cities in the European Union by population withi ...
. Founded in 1996 by Ralph Anderl, it produces eyewear from 0.5 mm thick stainless
spring steel
Spring steel is a name given to a wide range of steels used in the manufacture of different products, including swords, saw blades, springs and many more. These steels are generally low-alloy manganese, medium-carbon steel or high-carbon stee ...
sheet metal
Sheet metal is metal formed into thin, flat pieces, usually by an industrial process.
Thicknesses can vary significantly; extremely thin sheets are considered foil (metal), foil or Metal leaf, leaf, and pieces thicker than 6 mm (0.25 ...
using a hinge design that avoids the use of any screws, welds, or glue in the construction of their frames.
In November 2023, it was announced that Marcolin had completed the acquisition of ic! berlin.
History
In 1996, Ralph Anderl joined Philipp Haffmans and Harald Gottschling to help market their idea for screwless sheet metal eyewear in Berlin. Unable to sell the idea, the trio founded HGA Gesellschaft to produce and market eyewear under the brand ic! brille. The first frame to be produced was ‘Jack’, weighing 20 grams, with an initial run of 50 pieces.
ic! brille became ic! berlin in late 1997. Starting in a small apartment with a shop front in Max-Beer-Straße in Berlin-Mitte, ic! berlin moved to the nearby Backfabrik in 2005. While Haffmans and Gottschling focused on design and production, Anderl would take control of finance, organization and distribution. In 2003, the trio split, with Anderl remaining at ic! berlin as the sole Managing Director. That same year, Harald Gottschling and Philipp Haffmans embarked on a new venture. Joining forces with Daniel Haffmans and Moritz Krüger, they founded
MYKITA
MYKITA GmbH is a high-end eyewear design manufacturer based in Berlin, Germany, known internationally for its handcrafted eyeglasses and sunglasses.
Company
The company was founded by Harald Gottschling, Daniel Haffmans, Philipp Haffmans and Mor ...
, another eyewear brand.
Under Anderl, ic! berlin has expanded into fashion, launching a line of jeans and collaborating with other designers and fashion labels such as Kix,
A Bathing Ape
, also known as BAPE, is a Japanese fashion brand founded by Nigo (Tomoaki Nagao) in Ura-Harajuku in 1993. , Luisa Hecking and Superfine. In 2013, German artist and entertainer Friedrich Lichtenstein took up residency at ic! berlin as an
ornamental hermit.
In November 2017, Ralph Anderl sold a majority stake in ic! berlin to the German investment company Premium Equity Partners.
Today, ic! berlin has over 180 craftsmen, engineers, and technicians who design, build, and market the company's original eyewear designs across 60 countries in Europe, North America, and Asia. The company's Flagship Store is located at Münzstraße 5 – 10178 Berlin, Germany.
Awards
* 2008 Golden Silmo Eyewear Award, France/Paris
* 2008 Eyewear of the Year 2009/IOFT, Tokyo/Japan
* 2009 Eyewear of the Year 2010/IOFT, Tokyo/Japan
* 2010 Eyewear of the Year 2011/IOFT,
Tokyo/Japan
References
External links
* {{Official website, https://www.ic-berlin.com/
Eyewear companies of Germany
Companies based in Berlin
Eyewear brands of Germany
2023 mergers and acquisitions