By: Lindsay Garbacik By: Lindsay Garbacik | March 10, 2022 | Style & Beauty,
Calling all One Directioners! Zayn Malik is teaming up with Arnette for a second drop of sustainably made and vintage-inspired sunglasses.
‘Retro-town’, the second drop of the Zayn x Arnette sunglass collaboration comes out today, hot off the trails of its bold fall debut. Inspired by 90s nostalgia and classic video games, the range offers a colorful and old-school vibe in its release of four gender neutral styles. Keeping sustainability in mind, the shades are made using a mix of bio-acetates and bio-lenses.
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The range champions its sustainable practices in both its sunglasses and their packaging. Each sunglass comes with a pouch made of 78 percent recycled polyamide and 25 percent recycled ABS stoppers (used to cinch the pouch). The case also includes a microfiber cloth made of 78 percent recycled polyamide, according to the brand’s website.
“It’s important for all of us to be mindful of the environment,” Malik tells Vogue in an October, 2021 article.
Each style is named after characters from graphic novels and cult movies. The most colorful option, ‘Agent Z’, features a chunky bio-acetate frame with shades of green, purple and blue bordering dark lenses. They are futuristic and easy to throw on with a number of colorful ensembles. Each shade in the collection also includes a small red ‘Z’ logo to mark the collaboration with the former One Direction member.
“I’ve always been into gaming, so I was very interested in putting those design elements and aesthetics into this collection drop with Arnette. I like the look of the Daken, it’s a mix of modern with an old-school vibe,” says Malik.
The ‘Daken’, named after the Marvel Comics character by the same name, is the boldest in the range with colorful mirrored shades set in a chunky transparent bio-acetate frame. Edgy with colors of the classic neon lights of an arcade, the shades are both bold and unique.
Malik’s first collection with Arnette, ‘Utopia’, dropped October 6, 2021 and offered customers a journey through an “alternative utopia” with the collection of edgy and futuristic shades. Each style was named after an iconic retro car, like ‘Gullwing’ in reference to the Mercedes-Benz vehicle, and ‘Drophead’ in reference to the Rolls-Royce Phantom Drophead Coupe.
“Retro-town” by Zayn x Arnette launches March 10 and starts at $99 on Arnette.com.
Photography by: Courtesy of Arnette