THE MONC BLOG

Lens blanks are circular pieces of material left behind after shaping a pair of spectacles on sunglasses, and they contribute to the whopping 80% of material wasted in each production run. Read about how one of the Product Design CSM students we partnered with last year came up with a potential solution.

 

Alice champions craftsmanship in every way: thoughtful design, attention to detail, and a belief that the things we own should be cherished, repaired, and kept for life. Read our blog and get to know Alice.

The right frame should feel like it belongs on your face. Whether you need structure, softness, or a perfectly balanced fit, we’ve broken down how each frame works with different facial features and proportions.

With its complicated lexicon and more numbers than expected, to the untrained eye, an optical prescription can look like a secret code. We've broken down what every element of your glasses prescription means, empowering you with confidence when it comes to your eye health. 

With years of experience under his belt, our store manager Chris possesses the uncanny ability to match a frame to any face perfectly - and ever the natural conversationalist, he’ll always give you his honest opinion and valuable advice. Meet Chris and learn about the niche background that makes him an expert on choosing a frame. 

Eats, visits and innovations kicking off 2025. From Miga, a modern take on Korean traditional dishes, to innovations in 3D printed wood and exhibitions from renowned artists Mickalene Thomas and Noah Davis, take a look at what’s getting us inspired in the first few weeks of January. 

With an abundance of food, gifts, lights, sparkles and excitement, the last thing anyone needs at Christmas is a tonne of rubbish. Sadly, the holiday period is 30% more wasteful than any time of year. So, instead of being a Scrooge, we thought we would share a few ways you can reduce your impact this year.

Last week, we gathered around our purpose built island to explore the Japanese art of Furoshiki. An ancient tradition of wrapping gifts in reusable Tsutsumi cloth that dates back over 1,200 years. Hosted by MONC friend Tomoko, guests left with her book and Tsutsumi cloth.

The 2024 Dezeen Awards celebrated creativity and innovation in architecture, interiors, and design—and we were honoured to be shortlisted for our mycelium packaging alongside such inspiring company. With highlights from Kvadrat, Fernando Laposse studio and Paul Croft, we've done a round up of the winners that caught our eye. 

Every year, billions of demo lenses end up in landfills. These lenses, essential for maintaining spectacle shape and enhancing the customer experience before prescription lenses are fitted, are difficult to recycle due to the varied plastics that are used, and their anti-reflective coatings. So, we've been holding onto ours for something special. Suspended in our window, 1,400 demo lenses form a circle.

As the festive season approaches, we recommend skipping the bustle and chaos of Oxford street and invite you to explore Chiltern Street and the surrounding Marylebone area as the perfect locale for thoughtful and unique gift buying.

Three years ago, we opened our first store on Chiltern street. Over that time, we've won the Dezeen and Draper's awards for our store design and hosted intimate workshops with friends from The Caley Bros, the Botanical Boys and more. Explore all the ways our neighbours, friends and customers have made Chiltern Street our home.