Who cares about seasons, anyway? Etnia Barcelona and FC Barcelona have teamed up to release a limited-edition collection of eye-catching (and -protecting) sunglasses in time for winter. The eyewear brand, founded in 2001 by Barcelona native David Pellicer, has become known over the years for its funky and colorful designs, and counts celebrities such as Brad Pitt, Beyoncé, Jay Z, and Dua Lipa as fans. The brand’s collection with FC Barcelona, or Barça for short, comes at a time of football fever — with the endlessly controversial World Cup now well underway, teams, players, and sponsors alike are understandably keen to maintain (some would say bring back) the sport’s reputation as a communal force for good. One thing is for sure: the collection certainly delivers plenty of joy.
Inspired by Barcelona’s glorious Mediterranean air, and the rich diversity of art and culture the city has to offer, the collection features seven new styles for consumers to enjoy. Six of the pieces come in colors that recall Barça’s greatest moments. The club’s first Champion’s League title win in Wembley in 1992, its 6-1 victory in the 2006 final against Paris-Saint Germain, its epic win against Manchester United at the 2009 final in Rome, which it repeated in 2011 at Wembley, its title win against Juventus in Berlin in 2015, and the Barça Womens’ team championship win against Chelsea in Gothenburg in 2021. The collection’s star piece, though, has to be the 1899 Gold (named after FC Barcelona’s founding year). The limited edition style includes a deconstructed version of the Barça crest, on a black Mazzucchelli natural acetate frame, with a mineral lens and gold details. If you manage to get your hands on a piece from the collection, you’ll receive the shades in specially designed recyclable packaging featuring gold stamped Fedrigoni paper, and containing a limited edition postcard, personalized cleaning cloth, and glasses case in black or brown vegan leather.
To accompany the collection’s launch, the brand premiered a campaign entitled “Anatomy, a match between art and sport”, shot by Catalan photographer Biel Capllonch, which aims to convey the epic spectacle of sport through a distinctly artistic lens. Etnia also worked with Dutch painter Pascal Möhlmann, well known for tributes to Flemish painter Van Dyck and his work with Virgil Abloh, to create additional campaign imagery.
The collection is available in select FC Barcelona stores, in Etnia stores, and online now.
