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    Cartoon Collection, an original kids’ range by Etnia Barcelona

    Catalan brand Etnia Barcelona is renowned for its love of art, a passion that it expresses through designs and campaigns that constantly push back creative boundaries. This approach has led to unexpected adult collections such as MISCELÁNEA, paying tribute to Japan, and DREAM with its fantasy inspirations or more recently the hypnotic UNDERWATER. And its children’s ranges share exactly the same universe and values. The latest, christened Cartoon Collection, immerses children in the wonderful world of comics.

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    With Etnia Barcelona, you should always expect the unexpected. Why? Because its love of art and colour means original, trendy designs and its elaborate campaigns never fail to surprise. If you don’t believe us, just look at the images for the UNDERWATER collection. Prepare to be immersed in a surrealist world inspired by the mysteries of underwater life! The brand is writing its story by partnering with legendary figures from the art world and for its latest kids’ collection, it really let loose. The universe it created looks like it has been pulled straight out of a comic book or cartoon.

    Yellow eyeglasses with a modern wavy design with technical details on the temple.

    © Cartoon collection by Etnia Barcelona

    Vibrant blue optical frame with creatively cut borders and specs printed on the temple. etnia barcelona cartoon collection

    © Cartoon collection by Etnia Barcelona

    Pink children's glasses, playful style and wavy contours, with markings on the temples. Cartoon collection of etnia barcelona

    © Cartoon collection by Etnia Barcelona

    A unique design process

    For the Cartoon Collection, the Spanish brand decided to explore other art forms. Rather than going down the traditional route of models and photos to showcase the frames, it chose drawings featuring cute little characters. This was the work of illustrator Tiago Majuelos raised and based in bustling Barcelona, the city that inspires his voluntarily regressive designs.
    For his partnership with Etnia Barcelona, he imagined glasses that take on human and animal attributes. The frames come to life and come alive in a shimmering setting where they can walk in a park, play basketball or even ride a skateboard. A unique highlight that also makes you want to concentrate and discover the specificities of all the pairs.

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    © Collection Cartoon / Etnia Barcelona

    An explosion of colour

    When you think of Etnia Barcelona, you immediately think colour. Bright, vibrant shades are very much part of the brand’s identity, whether for adult or children’s eyewear. The Cartoon Collection is made up of six frames in a variety of colourways, with cool English onomatopoeias for names. What’s that you ask? Words that imitate a sound. And here, they are pulled from comic strips or the words of the famous Serge Gainsbourg and Brigitte Bardot song Comic-Strip. BAAAANG!, BOOOOM! and POOOW! flaunt gradated tones that start light and grow darker. Then you have KA-BOOOOM!, KA-POOOOW! and BA-BAAAANG!, bolder styles with a scalloped or serrated cut along the top of the frames. These unique shapes attracted the attention of the jury at Silmo eyewear show last September with BA-BAAAANG! walking away with the Silmo d’Or Paris 2023 for the most innovative and creative design in the “Kids” category.

    Etnia Barcelona wanted to give little ones the chance to express their personality and be creative. To be themselves and tell their own story! The unique colours and shapes of the Cartoon Collection frames invite kids to find their own style and share it with the world.

    Discover the collection here.

    Written by Charlotte Médot
    Rewritten in english by Joy McCain