Il Salone del Mobile, the world’s biggest furniture fair, is a bellwether of the industry and a showcase for new ideas. As brands gear up for this year’s show, Monocle finds out that the immediate future looks promising.

The people at Bontoni shoes like to take things slowly, producing just eight pairs of shoes a day. Their dedication is helping Montegranaro, Italy’s shoe town, take changes to the global footwear market in its stride.

Specialist scents, made by small artisanal producers, are beginning to make a big splash with retailers and consumers alike, as Monocle discovers on a visit to a Milan trade fair for the niche market.

Milanese architect Claudio Dini was handed a brief to create a residence with a maritime feel, without going overboard on the nautical theme, so that the occupants could feel all at sea in their city dwelling.

It may not grab the headlines like the catwalk shows but Florence’s Pitti Uomo fair is where big deals are made and clothes we might actually wear are previewed. This year the event saw new interest from eastern Europe and…

The biannual Pitti Uomo menswear show is a highlight of the fashion calendar but its host country isn’t the force it used to be. That necessitates an unfamiliar focus on expansion into foreign markets – and Japan is first…