Eyestylist

New found friends in a historic location

1st June 2013 I have got to know Carmen Cox of Monocle in Rome over the last three years although we have never met! We have similar interests in unique eyewear and we have come across each other many times through social media networks. For this reason, I was curious about the store where she works with owner Gabriele Vergerio.

Monocle is located in the heart of Rome on Via Campo Marzio near several prestigious boutiques and lots of other interesting shops. “We are surrounded by art galleys, handmade perfume stores, and alternative clothing brands, Carmen explains. “This is an area of Rome for Italians and tourists, looking for particular items to show their individuality.”

Monocle was opened on April 1, 2010 by Vergerio after 20 years working in a traditional family optical store, next to the Pantheon. “I created the new shop with the idea of giving people exclusive high quality design – eyewear, but also a full range of accessories including jewellery, hats, and readers,” he explains. “We have a minimal interior, perfumed with incense and completely white and uncluttered.”

“Today we sell only very high quality labels, and no industrial brands at all,” he explains. “Our selection includes styles by Ron Arad, Hoffman, Matsuda, Chrome Hearts, Kuboraum, Rolf Spectacles, Thierry Lasry, vue dc, Cutler & Gross, Brioni, Masunaga, Hapter, Rick Owens, and Lunor…and we are working on our own label to be ready for 2014. We also sell handmade silver jewellery by Manuel Bozzi and the stainless steel ‘butterfly’ pince-nez by Hoet.”

“Recommending glasses is more than choosing a shape for a face so we try to find a design that goes well with a person’s personality and style reflecting the way they want to be perceived,” comments Carmen. ” This summer we are expecting to do well with the round models and oversized frames. We are very excited with the new collection from Kuboraum which has been a great success for us. It is a label we like a lot and it resembles us…. a continuing evolution.”  www.monocle.it CN

Monocle Eyeglasses gallery/Eyewear/Accessories, Via di Campo Marzio 13, 00186, Roma, Italy