Maison Bonnet x Monique Younes

Monique Younes
In a relationship with three pairs

Who are you?
Bonjour! My name is Monique Younes and I’m a journalist.

How are you doing?
Oh wow! Beyond, beyond, beyond well!

How long have you been part of the family?
In 2009 I contacted Christian Bonnet because I was working on a series of reports on excellent craftsmen, and he is one. I called his workshop, he answered, he came to Paris, we met, I did my report on him. And, when they opened the boutique I ran there and got my first pair which was green! This one.

Who led you to maison bonnet?
Well, I think it was Pierre Berger who told me about Christian Bonnet. Because Yves Saint Laurent and himself had a lot of pairs from Maison Bonnet. He adored his glasses and he’s the one who told me they were the best.

What is the maison bonnet spirit?
I think it is quite simply a spirit of excellence. First, by the materials, especially this increasingly rare and magical tortoise shell; then there is Steven who talks and talks and talks and talks and explains, and tells who wore these spectacles, why they are fantastic, how they’re going to transform the features and so on. And it’s marvellous to listen to those stories.

Did they change your life in any way?
I know they are beautiful. I know that they transform me and… that changes me, of course that changes me. I face life differently, with more self-confidence.

Who’s your favorite bespectacled genius?
…I still think it is Onassis. He was a genius in my opinion. He was a genius for life, a business genius, a love genius, a genius for women, a genius for la dolce vita, there were all these geniuses within him.

Who doesn’t wear maison bonnet glasses but should?
François Hollande, when he was president I thought he should have bespoke glasses made. It is not a great luxury; it is just that we feel good, that it is not too loose here, that it fits the face. It’s just looking good. I think.

What’s your best maison bonnet memory?
I think it is the conversations with Christian. He is extraordinary. When he takes a pair in his hand there is magic, he holds it, he bends an arm and instantly… He has reached the ultimate in know-how, and that’s really marvellous.

A message for them?
Yes, so, can you give me a discount on tortoise shell frames? ;-)