Ten life lessons from finding the fun in fashion to footing a clean bill of health

Ah, Saturday morning. Looks like we made it – and in some style. As you read this, the 2026 edition of the Monocle Quality of Life Conference is in its final stages, wrapping up with a host of special-access city tours and a farewell breakfast on the rooftop of the Museu Do Design. But yesterday was the biggie – a day of talks, discussions and entertaining interludes – set within the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation, surely one of the most beautiful museums in the world. Throughout the day we heard from pioneers in everything from architecture to foot health, industrial design to fashion, and they all had lessons to impart. Here are 10 of them.

1.
Artist and designer Joana Astolfi was tasked with explaining Portugal in 10 objects (she ended up bringing 20 – we forgave her). And one key theme that became evident as she spoke was that this is a country where soul matters, where taking your time is considered a good thing (“we enjoy being a little late at times”) and where a love of poetry is the norm.

2.
Lisbon is a city where tolerance endures. The city’s mayor, Carlos Moedas, talked us through the urban projects that are helping to transform his city. He also explained how Lisbon is special because of intangible elements – one of which is tolerance. The city has welcomed 200,000 people from around the world and the mayor explained how quickly they feel at home. He also stressed that for this to endure, new arrivals need to participate in the city’s rich cultural life.

3.
The creators of Amble One – a Portuguese electrical vehicle that looks like a souped-up prestige golf cart – revealed that they took orders for more than 3,000 vehicles during the debut model’s first few weeks on sale. Made in Portugal might be reaching beyond clothing, furniture and wine by driving deep into tech but, staying true to its roots, Amble One has a nice cork steering wheel.

4.
How do you fix the shopping mall model? Paul Sirisant – the CEO of a multi-use development called Cloud 11 in Thailand – said his company thinks beyond the ding of cash registers and focuses on delivering cultural value. In his case, this has included providing recording studios and spaces to hang out.

5.
Architect Manuel Aires Mateus explained how design can change your life – and your health. He gave a good example: cutlery, which he designed in the form of a lightweight set that encourages you to eat slower (and perhaps a little less).

6.
Nicolas Gabbard, owner of Parisian tailoring house Husbands, spoke eloquently on the power of making an effort, on why having an image is not superficial. His session encouraged everyone to embrace the joy of getting dressed. “It should be fun,” he insisted. 

7.
Many people dream of changing careers and we happened to have many perfect case studies on stage. One of the best was Pedro Oliveira, who left a successful career in finance to open a jewel of a hotel in Lisbon, Das Amoreiras. He’s a man who cares deeply about design and hospitality but perhaps the key lesson he imparted was that sometimes you have to change course if you want to be truly happy.

8.
We had a great panel on foot health and why walking can fix not only your balance but your mind too. Courtney Conley, the founder of Gait Happens and the author of Walk, shared numerous lessons. Here’s one takeaway: when you take your shoes off, the widest part of your feet should be your toes. If you can’t splay them, you need to think about your toe strength. Oh, and barefoot is best.

9.
António M Feijó, the president of the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation, talked about the challenges of extending the institution’s museum, with the recent addition of a new wing designed by Japanese architect Kengo Kuma. How do you add to a building that people already see as a masterpiece? One of the ways that they triumphed in stitching it all together was through planting. The resident ducks definitely approve.

10.
A final lesson: if you missed the 2026 outing, you need to join us in 2027.

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