MONC JOURNEY

CRAFT in SÖDERMALM: Indigo & Denim

June 10, 2017

For our first collection for Spring Summer 2017, we took inspiration from creative districts from around Europe, where local designers and artisans are returning to the use of high quality materials, traditional techniques and unique processes to make products that last. We travelled from London to Stockholm to learn more about a neighbourhood that’s getting noticed for its flawless design culture – Södermalm.

Winter Months & Into 2017

January 31, 2017

As a British Sunglasses brand the Winter Months can be a bit scarce of sunny days...but a little down-time from the lack of Sun gives us an excuse to gather our thoughts, reflect on the months after our launch in August and the development of the brand going forward. We thought we'd highlight some of our favourite moments of 2016 and give an insight into our ambitions and journey going into 2017.

Discoveries in Gràcia

October 16, 2016

Revealing our journey was a natural beginning for Monc, as we wanted to show how each of our products are designed, sourced and crafted to bring items that are truly genuine. For us, this is the most exciting part of a complex and intricate design process, which is tailored by our distinct design values. Each value builds the lifestyle of what we believe in as designers, and is reflected in every product that we create.

Online in August

August 25, 2016

In the build up to our launch we've been through intense designing, searching and testing so we could find the best craftsmen who help us in our vision to create truly artisanal and traditionally made frames. After finding the perfect match through long and agonising searching, each element of the MoNC experience followed down this same path.

How We Designed The Range

July 14, 2016

At Monc we go through a rigorous creative process when designing anything, and naturally we applied the same approach when deciding on each look.We’ve aimed to pair classic vintage styles with modern design thinking to build a selection of frames that are inspired by real creatives, and which suit the variety of face shapes around the world.

The MONC Values

May 23, 2016

The most thrilling part of the design process is not just a finished item at the end of the recycled development and testing process; it’s the experiences leading up to that. It’s what has inspired each element of the design, how concepts have formed through learning and experience. This is why MONC started - we have always wanted to create products that have a transparent and true story, with the hope that the things we design and make express a unique identity, that people are proud to be part of.

Exploring Naples - Handmade in Italy

April 13, 2016

Over the last 18 months I have been searching for a milestone that I set myself at the beginning of this journey - to create a durable and fashionable product out of the best materials, innovative components, and made by the best people for the job. Naturally as a small studio, the costs for us were a big factor in the beginning. There is no question that we're all trying to save a quick penny here and there. But as I thought more and more about the quality vs. price conundrum I learnt (what may seem blindly obvious to most of us) that quality comes at a price. I realised I had to listen to what I've learnt as a designer from the very beginning; It takes trial and error, investigation, and rounds of development to make the best products for anyone to use or wear.

Final Prototyping

March 17, 2016

On this St. Patrick's Day I'm going to agree with the Guinness catchphrase "Good things take time" - We have been experimenting with a few different factories around the world to test out our in house designs. For me, the most important thing in the process is that the vision of the product designed in the studio, has to always be reflected through the manufacture and finishing processes. It took us a few months to envisage the six frames for our final line up, so you can understand why our passion in the ideation has to echo through to the artisans that finally make our designs real.

The Tortoiseshell Effect

March 09, 2016

Earlier in our journey we spoke about the time it's taken to source the best materials and how all factors that go into a product define what the product stands for. The source of our Italian acetate and the 'Tortoiseshell Effect' are what the MONC design values are built on.

The Trade

March 08, 2016

Over the 18 months of research that I've done into the industry, it's products and people, the forefront of my learning has been from visiting trade shows and exhibitions. At each event brands display their products for the current and upcoming seasons. It lets buyers, sellers, press and other brands see what (your brand believes) is on trend or will make an impact for the eyes of the market and their customers.

Design Process: Revealing your MONCs

February 29, 2016

Similar to the wrapping that masks a Christmas present, the packaging around an item brings an element of mystery to a product and contents. Even if know what's inside - there's a big difference between seeing something on a screen or through a window and actually holding it in your hands.

Looking Through the Lens

February 24, 2016

A huge factor of the eyewear you choose comes from the element that you will be interacting the most with - the lenses. How dark? Polarised? Flat? Colour gradient? Reflective? These are a few of the factors that come into play when you're making your choice of eyewear. That's why we are going through testing and analysis of hundreds of lenses, and comparing each colour choice of our Italian acetate to finalise a list top list of frame and lens combinations.

OUR JOURNEY

CRAFT in SÖDERMALM: Indigo & Denim

Winter Months & Into 2017

Discoveries in Gràcia

Online in August

How We Designed The Range

The MONC Values

Exploring Naples - Handmade in Italy

Final Prototyping

The Tortoiseshell Effect

The Trade

Design Process: Revealing your MONCs

Looking Through the Lens

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