Independence
The Vintage Collection Look Book by Etnia Barcelona
A Tribute to Independent Culture
Because we believe in culture and counter-culture. Because we believe in reinventing classics. Because we want to go further and find all of those who venture beyond the beaten track. Because we’re fascinated by tribes. Their free spirit, their colors, and their ability to be themselves without following anyone else.
The Vintage Collection
Etnia Barcelona presents a brand new collection featuring six models of sunglasses and eight models of optical glasses, combining original acetates from the 70’s – recovered from the Mazzucheli factories – and then injected with our own colorful DNA.
The iconic frames are reinterpreted with our ethnic identity in mind to create our own signature look, Vintage Indie. Etnia Barcelona’s Vintage collection blends classic styles with the spirit of the brand and always with exquisite attention to every detail. The collection consists of fifteen acetate colors, drawing upon the history of the glasses for the base of the frame. Dark colors such as brown, crystal and honey are combined to imitate tortoise shells – known as “Havana”, “Tortoise” or “Carey”. These dark colors are mixed with the acetates that the Etnia Barcelona design team has created for the inner parts of the frames. A dozen ethnic color schemes created based on stripes, herring bones and horn textures can be glimpsed peeking out from the interior of the frame.
The metal earpiece, designed using laser-etched Modernist motifs can be seen inside the acetate and is the core that structures the frame. In the Vintage collection, we’ve applied mineral lenses also created in the 70’s era by the Barberini Factory in Italy. The collection includes seventeen lens types that offer maximum protection for the eyes. The new Etnia Barcelona Vintage collection is a tribute to independent culture. Malasaña, Kreuzberg, Williamsburg, Shoreditch, Mission District… Each model takes its name from a historic neighbourhood in a major global city, known for the cultural movements that started there and defined each of them.
For the campaign, the Etnia Barcelona team travelled to these neighbourhoods in search of the faces and histories to help tell the story of the collection. The result, naturalistic images of people linked to the culture, fashion, music and art. People who breathe the histories that are still alive in each of these neighbourhoods. With this collection, Etnia Barcelona reaffirms its experience in the study of and blends it with vintage style to create a perfect collection that combines quality and fashion.
The Vintage Acetates from the 70s
Acetate is a material that comes from cotton. It is manufactured artisanally in a factory in Italy (Ma-zzu). For over 50 years, quality glasses have been produced in this material, making it possible to obtain such colorful structures.
In the Vintage collection, we’ve introduced 15 acetate colors for the base of the frame, frame front, and temples. The colors selected are part of the history of glasses and have achieved the status of “classics” in the optical industry.
Their creation dates back to 1970 and are essentially dark colors made from a range of brown, glass and honey tones. These acetates are the result of imitating the shells of tortoises. Internationally these colors are known as “Havana”, “Tortoise” or “Carey”.
The Etnia Barcelona Color Acetates
Etnia Barcelona wanted to combine the classic appearance with the spirit of the brand. The Vintage collection was designed to create a personal connection with the wearer. This connection is created using the acetates Etnia Barcelona has designed to dress up the interior parts of the temples.
The collection carries our ethnic identity on the interior parts of the frames. We’ve designed a dozen ethnic color schemes based on herringbones, stripes and horn patterns. The lamination created by Etnia Barcelona gives you a glimpse of the interior color of the frame on the temple tip.
Top Quality Vintage Lenses
Etnia Barcelona continues to opt for top-quality lenses for an unparalleled vision experience. The Vintage collection uses mineral lenses also created in the seventies, always from Barberini. We’ve selected 17 lens types that fit in with the “vintage” aesthetic while also providing maximum protection for the eyes thanks to their special properties.
HD, photochromic, polarised and anti-reflective lenses make up the range that the Etnia Barcelona design team has selected for the Vintage collection. We know that the eye is 200 times more sensitive than the skin, and that’s why Etnia Barcelona uses the best glass in the world for its sunglasses.
Metal
Core Rods
Our Vintage collection pays incredible attention to details. The metal rods of the temples are decorated with Modernist motifs, created by the brand’s design team. This detailing was created using a laser-cutter to achieve high precision etchings. The metal rod is visible inside the acetate and it’s the core that structures the frame and connects to the hinge that joins the frame front to the temple.
Vintage-inspired
shapes reworked
We have reinvented shapes from vintage trends and styles to create a whole collection
that mix the spirit of the brand with the old school style.
Iconic
Neighbourhoods
Malasaña – Madrid, Shoreditch – London, Kreuzberg – Berlin, Mission District – S.F.
Williamsburg & Montauk – New York, Fitzroy – Melbourne, Florentin – Tel Aviv
The Vintage collection was inspired by cultural movements, intellectuals and everything that ventures off the beaten track – creating independent culture.
That’s why we chose the hotspots of culture and creativity to name the models in this collection. It’s a tribute to these neighbourhoods and its people.
The Vintage Collection Look Book
Sophia is a photographer based in Kreuzberg
Ella Jazz is a D.J. living in Malasaña
Butch is a retired man from Montauk
Promise is a fashion blogger based in Shoreditch
Carl is an art student from Williamsburg
Martha is a blogger from Mission District
Katia is a stylist from Shoreditch
Edu is a barber working in Malasaña
Katie is a fashion designer based in Williamsburg
Jack & Jason are musicians & skaters based in Montauk
David is a musician from Williamsburg
Manu is a painter working in Malasaña
Bree is a surfer in Montauk
Cyril is a restaurant owner in Montauk
John is a hairdresser based in Shoreditch
Kenya is a journalist at Mission District
A Tribute to Independence features the Street Photography by Aaron Smith, a Kansas-born photographer currently based in California, deeply influenced by other creative outlets such as Skate and Music reflecting a unique lifestyle and fashion portraiture. Along with Etnia Barcelona, Aaron, with assistance by Daniel Kim travelled through American and European cities to find the people who embodied the character and spirit of each city’s iconic neighbourhood.
