It was a pair of Persol frames that first piqued Freddie Elborne’s interest in opticals. ‘My dad had a really old pair,’ says the founder and creative director of the London-based sunglasses brand Monc. ‘When I was young I considered them a real style piece.’
Fast forward to 2016, and Elborne had quit his Cambridge-based job at a design agency – where he worked across retail, packaging and product design – moved to London, and launched Monc. ‘I thought to myself, “are you seriously going to put your all into this, commit, and take a huge risk”’, he says.
Luckily, it was a gamble which paid off. Elborne’s craftsmanship-focused label offers a range of timeless and versatile unisex styles, from the scholastic circular framed ‘London Fields', which also feature extended earpieces, to the aviator-inspired ‘Kreuzberg’, which boasts a sleek metal bridge. ‘The shapes came out of a huge research task I undertook during the year I was designing. They’re inspired by people I met along the way.’
Elborne fused tradition with technology in his quest to find the artisans that would design his frames, searching the hashtag #HandmadeInItaly on Instagram. ‘I emailed 50 related brands,' he says. ‘Five of them came back to me, and one offered to take me to their factory. The next week I flew out to Naples and went to a tiny village with a welcoming family-run workshop.’
As part of his research process Elborne also looked into the accoutrements that come with opticals. As well as UK-produced tanned bovine leather sunglasses pouches and micro-fibre cloths – ‘hard cases are great on holiday, but often too big for your everyday bag’ – each frame comes with a practical pocket-size tightening screwdriver. ‘I didn’t want to leave any stone unturned when I launched the designs,’ he says. ‘Our maintenance kit ensures users can keep everything safe, tight and fitting well.’ Now that’s a brand mantra worth setting your sights on.
Left, ’Kreuzberg’ model blueprint. Right, ’London Fields’ model blueprint
The Monc eyewear slip leather case can be embossed with the wearer’s initials
INFORMATION
For more information, visit the Monc website
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