LEVON YETERIAN AND THE BIRTH OF MONOCOQUE
Surrounded by engines and car parts from a young age, my passion for cars seemed almost predestined. With one grandfather in the car parts business and the other running a machining shop, I was immersed in the world of automobiles. It's hard to pinpoint the exact moment my fascination began, but it has always been a constant draw. At the age of 13, during a summer spent at my dad's shop, boredom led me to a transformative project: refurbishing an old Chevrolet V8 engine left behind. Armed with access to brand new parts from one grandfather and the machining expertise of the other, I embarked on this ambitious endeavor. With the guidance of a mechanic, we meticulously disassembled, cleaned, and reassembled the engine. The first time we fired it up, the raw, exhaust-free roar of that V8 was a moment of pure exhilaration, a feeling that remains unforgettable.
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At the same time, I was introduced to the high-octane world of Formula 1, ignited by a friend of my dad's during the intense rivalry between Jacques Villeneuve and Michael Schumacher in 1996. This introduction marked the beginning of an unwavering commitment. My passion for cars, already simmering, began to boil over. I was fascinated not only by the engineering marvels under the hood but also by the sleek, cutting-edge designs that made each car a masterpiece. This dual appreciation for mechanics and aesthetics defined my growing love for cars, blending an innate understanding of engineering with a discerning eye for design.
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As years passed, I found myself immersed in another of my passions: the culinary world. Post-graduation with a business degree from Beirut, Lebanon, I ventured into the food industry. Yet, a part of me always yearned for a connection to the automotive realm. Growing up, I filled countless pages with car sketches, harboring a dream to design vehicles myself. Then, an epiphany struck—to infuse the essence of my favorite cars into as personal an item as sunglasses, a concept familiar in horology but scarcely explored elsewhere. In 2015, armed with initial sketches and a vision, the concept of Monocoque took shape, aiming to bridge my automotive passion with innovative design.
Over the last nine years, I've dedicated myself to crafting the debut collection, starting from ground zero in the eyewear domain. This journey required me to master every aspect of the process: from conceptual design to the intricate steps of production, sanding, and polishing. I innovated a screwless hinge system, conceptualized a distinctive leather case, and honed the art of metal finishing to rival Swiss watch standards. I delved deep into the science of lenses and, through a series of trials and errors, emerged with a product that meets the highest standards of quality. This relentless pursuit of excellence was driven by a commitment to realizing my vision without compromise.
WHY MONOCOQUE?
The name Monocoque is inspired by the revolutionary engineering of race cars, where the chassis and the skin are one—seamlessly unified for strength, beauty, and performance. Just like those iconic machines, our eyewear isn’t simply a frame; it is the very structure and skin of the look, sculpted as a single entity.
Each pair is a testament to precision, where form follows function and design transcends time. Monocoque is more than a name—it’s a philosophy: handcrafted, one-of-a-kind pieces that are built to carry both style and substance with effortless grace.