Buying Guide, Style Guides

Anna-Karin Karlsson acetate sunglasses: the coloured frames, made in Italy and Japan

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Buying Guide, Style Guides

Anna-Karin Karlsson acetate sunglasses: the coloured frames, made in Italy and Japan

Posted by author-avatar

Acetate is where the colour in the Anna-Karin Karlsson range lives: the jade and turquoise panthers, the emerald and purple White Moons, the pearl and caramel Strawberry Moons, the leopard and honey tortoise La Vie en Rose, and the shell-carved Shade of Shelly and Sirens in green, purple and peach. Cellulose acetate takes colour in depth and polishes by hand, and the house cuts it in Italy and, on the titanium-and-acetate frames, in Japan. 51 colourways at Coveti from $1,450 to $3,960.

Key facts

  • 51 acetate colourways at Coveti, $1,450 to $3,960
  • Italian acetate on gold-plated steel: White Moon (nine colourways), Strawberry Moon (five), Lucky Love (two), Beaming Sky Solid, Rose et le Rêve (eight), Rose et la Roue (five), Shade of Shelly (three), Shade of Sirens (three); made in Italy
  • Acetate and Japanese titanium: La Vie en Rose (nine colourways), Logo Dude (six), Too Handsome Sun (four), Lion 2.0 and Lioness 2.0; made in Japan
  • Weights from 41 g (Too Handsome) to 86 g (Shade of Shelly, carved from a thick slab)
  • The only frames in the range with tortoiseshell, leopard, pearl and translucent finishes

The everyday acetates

White Moon is a square in gold-plated steel with a thin acetate rim, from the Into the Night collection, in nine colourways; Strawberry Moon an oversized acetate square with gold claw corners; Lucky Love the narrowest frame in the house at 130 mm; Too Handsome a rectangle with gold corner plates; Logo Dude the squared aviator with the monogram bridge. These are the frames to wear with denim.

The statement acetates

La Vie en Rose, a three-dimensionally curved oversized round with art-deco shell details, in nine colourways including Leopard and Honey Tortoise; the two panthers; the Lion and Lioness with the gold lion; and the Shade of Shelly and Shade of Sirens, carved from a slab so thick the Shelly weighs 86 g, each with its matching shell case.

Colour

Acetate is coloured through, so the Jade, Turquoise, Emerald, Purple, Red and Summer Green are saturated, the Caramel, Tobacco and Fudge warm and translucent, the Pearl iridescent, the tortoises patterned. The colour guides sort every colourway.

Care

Acetate can be adjusted by an optician with heat and polished if it dulls; keep it out of a hot car, which warps it, and away from perfume and sunscreen, which oxidise the gold hardware.

The frames

1. Strawberry Moon Sunglasses in Black, $1,450

An oversized square in polished acetate, each corner tipped with a 24K gold-plated claw. 138.7 mm across the front and 55 g, a medium fit that suits most faces. Made in Italy.

2. White Moon Sunglasses in Emerald, $1,600

A square frame in 24K gold-plated stainless steel with a thin acetate rim, designed for the Into the Night collection to be worn from daylight into the small hours. 149 mm across the front and 51 g, a wide fit that suits medium to broad faces. Made in Italy.

3. Shade of Shelly Sunglasses in Black, $2,090

An oversized square carved from a thick slab of acetate into a rippled shell, polished by hand and sold with its matching shell case. 151.7 mm across the front and 76 g, a wide fit that suits medium to broad faces. Made in Italy.

4. Shade of Sirens Sunglasses in Green, $2,090

A round frame carved from thick acetate into a rippled shell, polished by hand and sold with its matching shell case. 145.4 mm across the front and 65 g, a medium fit that suits most faces. Made in Italy.

5. La Vie en Rose Sunglasses in Black, $2,130

An oversized, three-dimensionally curved acetate front with art-deco shell details and 24K gold-plated titanium temples. 149.2 mm across the front and 53 g, a wide fit that suits medium to broad faces. Made in Japan.

6. Too Handsome Sun Sunglasses in Amber Tortoise, $2,150

A rectangular frame in acetate and Japanese titanium with gold-plated corner plates and the logo engraved at the temple. 134.4 mm across the front and 41 g, a narrow fit, best on petite and small faces. Made in Japan.

7. Beaming Sky Sunglasses in Black Crystal, $2,190

The Beaming Sky square in solid pearl acetate instead of crystal, on 24K gold-plated stainless steel temples. 139 mm across the front and 69 g, a medium fit that suits most faces. Made in Italy.

8. Logo Dude Sunglasses in Black, $2,340

A squared aviator in acetate and Japanese titanium with the AKK monogram cut into the bridge, from the Into the Night collection. 149 mm across the front and 45 g, a wide fit that suits medium to broad faces. Made in Japan.

9. The Claw & the Moon Sunglasses in Rose Gold, $2,360

A round rimmed frame in Japanese titanium with the claw temples, the fuller-rimmed sister of the Nest Round. 141.8 mm across the front and 46 g, a medium fit that suits most faces. Made in Japan.

10. Rose et la Roue Sun Sunglasses in Black Crystal, $2,510

A round acetate frame with the crystal-set brass panther prowling along the top of the right lens. 137.8 mm across the front and 53 g, a medium fit that suits most faces. Made in Italy.

11. Rose et le Rêve Sun Sunglasses in Black Crystal, $2,510

An oversized round acetate frame with the house panther, cast in brass and encrusted with cubic zirconia, stretched along the top of the right lens. 136.7 mm across the front and 53 g, a medium fit that suits most faces. Made in Italy.

12. Full Moon Sunglasses in Gold Blush, $2,890

A round titanium frame with a lower rim of hand-set Preciosa crystals, from the No Monkey Business collection inspired by the nineties music scene. 149.5 mm across the front and 37 g, a wide fit that suits medium to broad faces. Made in Japan.

13. Crystal Mirage Sunglasses in White Gold, $2,990

A rectangular frame outlined in hand-set Swarovski crystals on Japanese titanium, the shape Beyoncé, Fergie, Snoop Dogg and Mary J. Blige have all been photographed in. 150 mm across the front and 48 g, a wide fit that suits medium to broad faces. Made in Japan.

14. Magic You 2.0 Sunglasses in Black, $3,120

A round stainless steel frame ringed with tapered baguette cubic zirconia stones, each set by hand. 138.2 mm across the front and 56 g, a medium fit that suits most faces. Made in Italy.

15. Lion 2.0 Sunglasses in Black, $3,960

A square acetate frame under a 24K gold-plated titanium top bar that carries a lion’s head, its eyes set with stones by hand. 162 mm across the front and 70 g, an oversized fit made to sit big on the face. Made in Japan.

16. Lioness 2.0 Sunglasses in Black Gold, $3,960

A cat-eye acetate frame under a 24K gold-plated titanium top bar that carries a lion’s head with stone-set eyes. 159 mm across the front and 68 g, an oversized fit made to sit big on the face. Made in Japan.

17. Crystal Boo Sunglasses in White Gold, $4,020

A square Japanese titanium frame with a Swarovski-set rim and the AKK logo engraved along the outer edge, named for the old French word for beautiful. 140.5 mm across the front and 56 g, a medium fit that suits most faces. Made in Japan.

“The sun lenses are supplied by Carl Zeiss, featuring an azure anti-reflective back coating and the AKK logo discreetly engraved on the left lens,” the house states on its product pages.

Frequently asked questions

Which Anna-Karin Karlsson sunglasses are acetate?

White Moon, Strawberry Moon, Lucky Love, Beaming Sky Solid, the panthers, Shade of Shelly and Sirens (Italian acetate), and La Vie en Rose, Logo Dude, Too Handsome, Lion and Lioness (acetate with Japanese titanium).

Where are the acetate frames made?

The all-acetate and steel frames in Italy; the acetate-and-titanium frames in Japan. The country is stated on every listing.

Which acetate frame has the most colourways?

White Moon and La Vie en Rose, nine each, then Rose et le Rêve with eight.

Is the acetate coloured through?

Yes. Cellulose acetate is coloured in the block, so the shade runs through the frame and polishes back if it dulls.

Which acetate frame is the lightest?

Too Handsome Sun at 41 g and Lucky Love at 43 g. The Shade of Shelly is the heaviest at 76 to 86 g.

Can acetate frames be adjusted?

Yes. An optician adjusts acetate temples with gentle heat, and the titanium temples on the mixed frames hold an adjustment well.

Read next

Green and purple Tortoise and caramel Titanium frames Materials and care

More Anna-Karin Karlsson guides

Every Anna-Karin Karlsson page by Coveti’s fashion editor Gemma Deeks: Is it a luxury brand?, How to style, Brands like Anna-Karin Karlsson, The edit, Who is Anna-Karin Karlsson?, History timeline, Price guide, Where to buy, Sale, Review, Real vs fake and dupes, Materials and care, Glossary, Who wears it, vs Schiaparelli, Size and fit guide, Prescription lenses, Face shape guide, New arrivals 2026, Men’s sunglasses, The Claw family, The panther frames, Crystal frames, Lion and Lioness, Diamond and limited editions, Cat-eye, Round, Aviators and pilots, Oversized, Rimless, Titanium, Gold, Black, Tortoise and caramel, Pink and red, Green and purple.

Sources and method

Checked on 19 September 2026 by Gemma Deeks, fashion editor at Coveti. Product facts, the materials, stones, plating, lens supplier, dimensions, weights and country of manufacture, are the brand’s own product-page text; counts, prices and price ranges are Coveti’s live catalogue on that date and move with stock; the designer’s biography and the wearers come from the brand’s own pages and the press articles listed below, each read on the date above. Where a claim could not be checked against one of these it was left out, and where the fitting room is giving its own advice the page says so.

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About Gemma Deeks

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