Astral Sunglasses: Why We Designed This Model

ARCHIVE 001 — ASTRAL

Why we designed Astral.

Astral was born from a conversation between Fabián and Francisco, founders of ENEMY.

We had been observing the same shift for a while: more aerodynamic silhouettes were no longer just for sports and had begun to occupy a place in fashion. We wanted to create a frame that captured that evolution without feeling overly technical or following a fleeting trend.

That is how Astral was born: unisex sunglasses with clean lines and a modern, aerodynamic silhouette.

It all started with the silhouette

Before choosing materials, we chased proportions.

The frame went through multiple silhouette studies before arriving at the final version. The bridge was made narrower, the front cleaner, and the angle of the temples changed more than once.

Most of those decisions occurred in millimeters, but they were enough to change how the frame looked from every angle.

From paper to prototype

Each Astral begins with a hand-drawn sketch.

When the proportions were defined, the design moved to a wooden prototype. Before cutting the Italian acetate, we needed to see the frame in full size, check the curvature, and understand how it felt in the hand.

Some ideas worked on paper.

Not all of them survived the prototype.

Why Italian acetate?

The material had to live up to the design.

Astral is handcrafted from Italian acetate, chosen for its ability to achieve sharper edges, cleaner transitions, and a deeper polish than other lower-quality plastics.

Each piece is hand-finished before assembly to preserve that precision in every detail.

Nylon lenses

The frame and lenses were designed as a single piece.

Astral uses nylon lenses with UV protection and CE certification, fitted to the final geometry of the frame from the manufacturing process, rather than being adapted afterward.

This allows for maintaining a clean, light, and comfortable wraparound silhouette for daily use.

The final details

The last stage is not about changing the design.

It is about protecting it.

The edges are refined. The premium hinges are aligned. Each frame goes through a final inspection before being completed.

The silhouette is the first thing that catches the eye.

The details are what keep it doing so over time.

Designed by ENEMY

Astral was developed by the ENEMY design team, led by its founders, Fabián and Francisco.

Every decision—from the first sketch to the final polish—had the same goal: to create sunglasses that felt current without relying on fleeting trends.

This is the first chapter of an archive that documents how each ENEMY release is born.

Specifications