Annual meetings of The World Economic Forum (WEF) have never been cheap but this year’s edition seems to have blown its own budget. From footing the bill for US president Donald Trump’s security to hosting 3,000 participants and more than 60 heads of state, the gathering appears to be working hard to mitigate doubts about its relevance, bolstered by the new in-person presence of USA House.
I arrived at a familiar landscape in Davos but to an unmistakable change in scale compared to WEFs gone by. It looks as though this year’s event has melted any concerns about whether Davos has lost its thrill.
The 2025 edition was relatively empty by comparison; everyone was talking about whether it was the end of the WEF’s annual meetings. But the change in leadership at WEF has brought back an entrepreneurial and commercial feel to Davos, in addition to the hosting of high-level geopolitical conversations between leaders. This sets the tone for the next 12 months and no doubt many discussions will continue in February at the Munich Security Conference.
Security for the summit has come at a reportedly whooping cost of CHF41m (€44.2m), with some 5,000 soldiers being deployed to secure the perimeter in and around Davos while the air force established a no-fly zone with a radius of 25 nautical miles, inclusive of Swiss, Austrian, Liechtensteinian and Italian territory. This is, of course, all to secure the arrival of Trump and his 300-strong delegation, including five members of his cabinet, several members of his family and staff.
It’s also interesting that this comes hand in hand with the first ever official USA House. We have seen smaller iterations of this in the past but they were never sanctioned by the Department of State. This time, USA House is here and in full swing. They have taken over the church on the promenade here in Davos and have a packed programme of panels, discussions and networking receptions.
President Trump is due to speak to delegates on Wednesday afternoon, with several of the houses along the promenade holding watch parties, which are open to the public. One can easily imagine that the reaction of the crowd watching his speech at Ukraine House will be vastly different from that of those at USA House. For the media, the queue to secure a spot in the Congress Center will begin to take shape quite early; last year, when Trump joined via video link, the majority of journalists (including Monocle) ended up watching the address on a big screen outside the main hall.
But Trump’s ability to draw a crowd is not something to be snubbed. His presence at WEF is one of the main reasons why there is such a big contingent of business executives – about 850 chairpersons and chief executives. The most important deals made at the event this year will be framed against a backdrop of threatening tariffs, leaked private exchanges between leaders, gunboats in Venezuela and his alleged plans to tell European leaders that the US “has to have” Greenland.
On the eve of Trump’s arrival, European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen warned Davos attendees that “nostalgia will not bring back the old order”. Sentimentality aside, it’s clear that this year’s summit is anything but business as usual.
Monocle Radio is on the ground reporting every day on‘The Globalist’, ‘The Briefing’ and ‘The Daily’. You can listen to Monocle Radio live here.
The sun rises at about 10.45 in Nuuk during this time of year. What that really means is that it gets light at 11.30. Since most Greenlanders wake early, this gives them plenty of pre-dawn time to digest the latest biliousness out of Washington. For a people largely defined (at least by the rest of the world) by their lives spent in remote and climactically unforgiving terrain, the glare appears uncomfortable. “There has been anxiety and I’ve had some difficult talks with my partner about what we would do if there is a possible invasion by the US,” says student Hanna-Louisa Petersen, visibly distressed. “But I have been trying to live my life normally.”
Like her compatriots, Petersen’s stoicism is perhaps partly born from that gruelling weather. But this attitude has defined the Greenlandic response to the escalating threats made against their sovereignty by Donald Trump. In this endeavour, they have been led by a tiny government (a 10-member cabinet, behind which sits a 31-member parliament) trying to negotiate with and assuage the ire of the world’s foremost economic and military power. The skill with which they have done this has helped to galvanise national pride. On Tuesday, Greenland’s cool-headed foreign minister, Vivian Motzfeldt, returned to Nuuk airport to a heroine’s welcome. Earlier in the day, the 34-year-old prime minister, Jens-Frederik Nielsen, had given an uncharacteristically grave press conference, during which he said that while a military attack by the US remained unlikely, “it cannot be ruled out”. Mr Nielsen went on to remark that since Greenland is a constituent of the Kingdom of Denmark, it is therefore a member of Nato and any attack on the territory would have “consequences for the whole world”.
It is not just in a military sense that Greenland is re-examining its Danish connection. While the recent crisis has brought Greenlanders together with a common purpose and increased calls for independence from Copenhagen in some quarters, there was also a sense that in some ways the crisis has brought the former colonial power and colony closer together. “External pressure forces you to look at your domestic relationship and deal with the things in that relationship,” says Christian Keldsen, director of the Greenland Business Association, in his Nuuk office. “I think that is definitely what we’re seeing at the moment.”
Danish subsidies make up one-third of Greenland’s GDP and Copenhagen administers the country’s judicial system (the Danish Supreme Court remains its highest court of appeal) as well as the territory’s foreign, defence and monetary affairs, while ensuring its people enjoy a European-style welfare state. Still, while gripes over its influence have continued to build – even after the 2009 Self-Government Act granted Greenland near full control over its domestic affairs – the relatively benign nature of Danish rule has been thrown into sharper relief over the past few weeks.
A poll conducted by Verian Group in 2025 found that 56 per cent of Greenlanders would vote for full independence from Denmark were a “referendum to be held today”, but on the ground in Nuuk, many of those who Monocle spoke to seemed to favour a pause on such aspirations. “In my opinion, the independence talk should wait a little,” says Petersen. “I would feel safer to stay with Denmark.” Others, however, such as retiree Tungutaq Larsen, were unequivocal about what lies ahead for Greenland: “In the future, when we are independent, we will have the ability to forge our own way.”
Alexis Self is Monocle’s foreign editor, who is reporting all week from Greenland. Listen to Tuesday’s ‘The Monocle Daily’ broadcast, live from Nuuk.
Things are getting icy in Davos. Despite only touching down at the World Economic Forum (WEF) later this morning, US president Donald Trump has been dominating discussions along the Promenade all week. Shortly before departing Washington, private texts between Trump, Norway’s prime minister and France’s president went public. Soon afterward, the US president published an AI-generated photo of himself seated before Europe’s leaders with a map showing the US flag over Greenland, Canada and Venezuela. Most of those leaders will be at the conference – Norway’s Jonas Gahr Støre announced that he would attend after the messages were revealed. It’s safe to say that the president is in for a frosty reception.
Alongside the US president comes a 300-strong entourage composed of cabinet officials, advisors, business partners and family members, all hoping to spread the gospel of American patriotism to business tycoons, political leaders and WEF veterans. Team USA’s international outing comes as the country’s 250th anniversary celebrations begin to ramp up, so its chosen command centre in Switzerland had to befit the occasion. USA House has set up shop at Davos’s English Church, poignantly renamed “The Sanctuary” for the duration of WEF. While it’s not the first time that the church has been used during the summit, it’s impossible not to note the irony behind the choice of venue – a place built for shelter, comfort and guidance will now house a nation that’s threatening allies, disrupting the status quo and generally relishing the chaos that it causes.
Inside the church, a packed programme of talks and discussions focuses on faith and leadership. Outside, the façade is adorned with banners that read “Freedom 250”. It’s a manifestation of the White House’s America First policy, a holier-than-thou attempt at asserting global dominance. Perhaps if a delegation from George Washington’s administration came to Davos 250 years ago, the politicking would look similarly pious.
It’s not news that Trump is a president who knows how to appeal to conservative Christians, a core part of his support within the Republican party. He has established faith-based entities and launched a programme urging Americans to pray for their country. And who can forget that group of faith leaders praying around him while he sat at the Resolute desk? But divine messaging on the global stage, in such a secular setting, is a surprise.
When I stopped by a session on faith and leadership that started at 07.15 local time, the queue to get in went around the building. A panel of speakers discussed the role that faith has played in both their personal lives and how it can help to foster unity. “People came to the US because of freedom of religion,” says Keith Krach, the CEO of Freedom 250, who Trump appointed to lead the organisation in charge of anniversary celebrations. “You can see in history that Abraham Lincoln led on his faith, that 9/11 brought people together because of their faith. And when we look back at this anniversary year and the next 250 years, faith is going to play even a bigger role.” Nobody had the heart to tell Krach that people are losing faith with the US more than ever. Among the pews in the 19th-century church, lit in shades of red and blue, you had to wonder whether a Catholic confessional would have been more appropriate.
Carlota Rebelo is Monocle’s senior foreign correspondent. For our live coverage from Davos, tune in to ‘The Briefing’ on Monocle Radio.
As the fashion capital of the world, Paris has always had a healthy supply of skilled tailors and cobblers. Preserving these businesses is a citywide effort: local authorities offer them lower rents and last autumn the government also introduced new legislation to incentivise Parisians to visit their local workshops more frequently. Since 2023, people have been able to claim back up to €25 of the cost of mending clothes and shoes in workshops that have joined a repair bonus scheme run by eco-organisation Refashion.
All this is a reflection of the city’s commitment to preserving its craft traditions and many Parisians’ desire to keep the fast-fashion cycle that has plagued the industry at arm’s length. Here, Monocle meets some of Paris’s experts, both new and well-established, who can bring your clothes back to life.
1.
Veja General Store
After successfully launching repair services in Bordeaux, Berlin, Madrid, New York and London, trainer brand Veja recently added an outpost in Paris, the city where it was founded by Sebastien Kopp and François Ghislain Morillon. In line with its commitment to minimising fashion-industry waste, the label is now offering its customers the possibility to come into its new Rue de Marseille shop and have any trainers repaired (no matter the brand) instead of buying new ones.
Billed as a trainer repair “temple”, Veja General Store is home to cobblers who are trained in the specific techniques required to mend trainers, as well as a tailor who can give a new lease of life to clothing. There’s also a selection of high-quality products to encourage customers to keep their favourite shoes in mint condition, from laces, brushes and shoe creams to polishes. This one-stop shop ensures a smooth retail experience.
11 Rue de Marseille, 75010 Paris
2.
Superstich MFG
After developing an interest in denim as a teenager, Arthur Leclercq set out in search of rare sewing machines, which he salvaged from defunct factories across the city that operated between the 192os and 197os, a period considered to be a golden age for denim.
One of the biggest highlights during his treasure hunt was getting his hands on a Singer 47w70, a vintage machine for repairing and reweaving denim, which can make any restitching almost invisible. “Every single machine you see here has been taken apart and put back together again,” says Leclercq, as he shows Monocle around Superstitch, his Left Bank shop on Rue Racine.
Superstitch started five years ago by offering to mend even the rarest vintage denim. Leclercq’s expertise has since led him to start creating his own designs, mostly oversized jackets and trousers inspired by 197os Levi’s designs and made with high-quality Japanese fabrics. He also stocks a special washing powder and denim detergent, ensuring that you can extend the lifecycle of your jeans.
13 Rue Racine, 75006
3.
L’Atelier d’Antoine
The profession of cordonnier (cobbler) is still alive and well in Paris, and L’Atelier d’Antoine is a case in point. Nantes-born Antoine Rondeau’s passion for footwear has made him one of the most sought-after cobblers here. The loyal customers stepping through the door of his bright-yellow shopfront have included many famous Parisians committed to extending the lifespans of their footwear.
After training under a master bootmaker and then honing his craft in Spain and the UK – where he discovered that, unlike shoes, languages were not his forte – Rondeau returned to Paris and worked for renowned footwear labels John Lobb and Berluti.
In 1996 he opened his own shop on Rue de Miromesnil and built a reputation as one of the city’s most skilled cobblers, particularly when it comes to reassembly. Rondeau can take shoes apart and restore them piece by piece.
The bigger the challenge, he says, the better. “I’m quite meticulous, I like everything that involves finishing,” he says. “Precision is something I enjoy and people recognise that.” He also offers free postal delivery – a rare and valuable service that is appreciated by his busy clients.
75 Rue de Miromesnil, 75008
4.
Le Bon Marché Rive Gauche
Le Bon Marché, the historic Left Bank department store, has dedicated much of its third floor to repair services. Here, a team of tailors works on bringing items back to life, from fixing a button to adjusting a suit or dress to fit perfectly. Simple fixes on items bought at Le Bon Marché are free for holders of the shop’s sought-after membership card.
Alongside the repair counter, Parisian shoemaker Malfroid, a specialist in shoe patination and care, offers cobbler services within the men’s fashion deparnnent, working on everything from boots and trainers to leather accessories.
Meanwhile, L’Atelier Horloger takes care of watch repairs of all kinds, from adjusting a metal bracelet to a full restoration. It’s a bold statement from the LVMH-owned retailer, which chose to make the space a home for the city’s craftspeople and encourage its clients to shop more mindfully.
24 Rue de Sevres, 75007
5.
Frais Pressing
Jocelyn Pracca launched his dry cleaning company, Colporteur, in 2014. Demand for clothing care services had been growing exponentially, yet he noticed that family-run businesses in Paris were closing down as their owners retired.
He launched Frais in 2020 to answer Parisians’ demand for repair services. It’s a one-stop shop for clothing care, with laundry services, a dry cleaner, cobbler and alterations services all under the same roof. Customers can bring sheets to be whitened a dress that needs adjusting or shoes in need of a polish. “Our mission is to extend the lifespan of clothes,” says Pracca.
After the success of the first Frais outpost, located on the outskirts of Paris, he opened a second shop near the Canal Saint-Martin, which also stocks its own range of laundry products that are made in France using natural ingredients.
50 Rue de Lancry 75o1o
Read next: Monocle’s Paris City Guide
Attending Donald Trump’s second inauguration was a culture shock. Where had all the liberals gone? On the ground in Washington, a city that has voted Democrat throughout its modern history, it was as though the local population had gone into hiding. That left Trump’s Maga disciples free to dance in the streets, in bars and at galas across the capital unchallenged. One year on, it seems that those liberals have yet to come out of hiding.
Whatever you might think of the US president, you have to admit that he had a prolific year. Most of us spent it catching our breath as he tested the limits of the country, constitution and world order. This has left Maga conservatives in raptures – finally someone is taking on the system – and pro-democratic liberals in a state of shock. “Exhaustion” is a word that I have heard repeatedly of late. This fatigue has meant that opposition to Trump and his policies (save for a few moments of high-profile resistance, such as the election of Zohran Mamdani as New York’s mayor) has been ineffectual. Protests have been sporadic and the Democratic Party voiceless.
But one year into his second term, it’s no longer about the president’s campaign priorities. Trump had a mandate to enact the America-first, pro-manufacturing, small-government, high-deportation and tariff-heavy agenda that he promised voters. But the White House has strayed well beyond these areas – from severely cutting back on legal migration (and even targeting American citizens) to investigating sitting Democratic politicians. Most notably – from Gaza via Venezuela to Iran and now Greenland – Trump has shifted his foreign policy from the sort of isolationism that his Maga base voted for to a new kind of aggressive interventionism (good news for his hawkish secretary of state, Marco Rubio, but less so for his folksy, small-government vice-president, JD Vance).
It’s the lack of domestic resistance that has prompted him to keep testing these limits. What we have seen time and again this year is that Trump respects strength: he’ll keep pushing until opposition is loud and severe enough that he must make a deal. Look at China, which swiftly enacted powerful counter-tariffs that prompted him to negotiate, or the downward stock-market reactions that repeatedly forced him into an about-face turn. And then there was Mark Carney’s vociferously anti-Trump electoral campaign that, paradoxically, has led to him having better relations with Washington than Justin Trudeau did.
Now, it’s Europe’s turn to decide whether it will continue to coddle the US president on Greenland – for example, the talk of mere “differences” peddled by the UK’s prime minister, Keir Starmer – or take a more forceful stand that will cause Trump to take notice and step back from his seemingly imperialist tendencies. After all, his security concerns in the Arctic are valid: if he can be persuaded of Europe’s willingness to do what it takes to defend Greenland, he might yet make a deal that avoids a takeover.
Global leaders are learning that fawning over Trump only gets you so far. If the president comes at you directly, you need to stand up and push back to gain his respect. Several US courts have tried this method, halting National Guard deployments in some cities. But Democratic leaders continue to hope that he will self-destruct or that voters will simply have enough of rising consumer prices, rather than articulating a form of resistance that people can get behind.
This is not a uniquely American problem. Left-wing and centrist politicians across the West are struggling to present a plan that can win back voters from the right. Yet there’s an opportunity for change. Some of Trump’s base has turned against him, most Republicans oppose a military takeover of Greenland and a significant group is souring over the increasingly disturbing raids by Ice agents. The US needs a viable opposition to Trump – one that stands for something, not just against.
Christopher Cermak is Monocle’s senior news editor. For more opinion, analysis and insight, subscribe to Monocle today.
A team from Monocle arrived in Nuuk on the Air Greenland service from Copenhagen on Monday morning. On the basis of our first few hours here, there are no untoward signs of panic (though people might be panicking indoors, where it’s warmer). We’ll be here all week and broadcasting live on Monocle Radio’s daily news shows, The Globalist, The Briefing and The Daily. Listen to Monocle Radio live here. Monocle’s journalists will be speaking to the people who find themselves at the heart of what is possibly the most absurd diplomatic crisis of the postwar era.
My colleague and Monocle’s foreign editor, Alexis Self, tells me, “I don’t think that this will come to the worst-case scenario, which is obviously military conflict between the US and its European Nato allies. But the mood has changed from stunned European sentiment yesterday to a really bullish tone today. Donald Trump makes a lot of noise about the US and Europe but I want to hear from Greenlanders about what they think about all this.”
“London and Paris – and even places that are closer to Trump, such as Rome – are saying that this is wrong. After a year of being pushed around and a year into Trump’s second term, this could be a galvanising moment for Europe.”
However this pans out, it is important not to lose sight of how unnecessary all of this is. Trump’s rationale for his designs upon Greenland is security – specifically, his fear that Greenland is insufficiently secured from Russia or China. The president has scoffed more than once that Denmark’s military commitment to Greenland consists of “two dog sleds”. Leaving aside the fact that those dog sleds are ridden by an elite special forces unit – the Royal Danish Navy’s Sirius Patrol – this is simply incorrect.
Greenland, as part of the Kingdom of Denmark, is protected by Article 5 of the Nato treaty. Under current arrangements, Greenland is every bit as defended as Warsaw, Paris, London or Mar-a-Lago. Russia and China might well, in idle moments, wistfully ponder Greenland’s geographic position and geological resources. But, for the past 80-odd years, those have been unavailable to them, precisely because of the security guarantee that Trump is presently jeopardising.
When attempting to divine what animates the bees in the presidential bonnet, it is crucial not to overthink things. Within the past 24 hours, Trump has informed Norway’s prime minister, Jonas Gahr Støre, that this is pretty much all about the Norwegian Nobel Committee’s decision to award its 2025 Peace Prize to some less deserving candidate. “Considering your Country decided not to give me the Nobel Peace Prize for having stopped 8 Wars PLUS, I no longer feel an obligation to think purely of Peace,” he wrote in a letter.
Norway’s government doesn’t award the Nobel Peace Prize, Greenland is not part of Norway and Trump hasn’t stopped eight wars. But in a world ordered by facts, logic and basic common sense, Nuuk wouldn’t become the most important dateline on Earth.
Why do global powers want Greenland?
Location
This makes more sense if you look at the globe from the top down. Greenland is a bulwark and, as its ice melts, an increasingly important shipping route.
Minerals
Greenland’s mineral wealth, though considerable, is presently more theoretical than practical: getting at what’s there might not be worth the hassle and expense. This might also change if more of the island thaws.
Space
The one remaining US facility on Greenland, at Pituffik, is actually a Space Force base: it boasts not only space surveillance equipment but also missile-warning sensors.
Peer through the January smog that currently carpets the streets of Milan and you will spot dapper men in wool suits and leather gloves making their way about the city for the autumn/winter 2026 edition of Milan’s menswear fashion week, which concludes on Tuesday 20 January.
With a lean show schedule (Gucci, Bottega Veneta and Fendi have been notable absences), the talk has inevitably turned to whether holding separate fashion weeks for menswear and womenswear still makes sense when resources could be optimised by combining them – as is already the case in London and New York. Low, single-digit sales continues to have an effect on the industry, despite a headline-grabbing 2025 marked by the debut of numerous creative directors, as well as some reshuffling of executive roles.
But this is Milan, a city where fashion-week attendees are hard to discern from Italian bankers on their afternoon cigarette-and-espresso breaks. Immaculate menswear is not a biannual celebration here – it’s a year-round way of life.
Luxury fashion house Zegna kicked off proceedings with a family-wardrobe-inspired runway on Friday afternoon. On Monday, we saw Giorgio Armani’s first-ever collection that was designed free of direct input from the brand’s founder since his death last September. Beyond the catwalk, the showrooms of Italian family-owned businesses – Lardini, Santoni, Canali – have offered lessons in how a reliable Rolodex of makers and factories is the key to endurance, not social-media driven marketing.
Elsewhere, American designer Ralph Lauren brought some excitement to the lineup by returning to Milan for the first time in 20 years with a Western-inflected collection that we have come to expect from the brand. British houses Dunhill and Paul Smith both presented their take on typical English tailoring on Saturday. The former opted for a dapper collection of Lord Snowdon-inspired tailoring while the latter invited his new design director, Sam Cotton, to dig into the label’s archive from the 1970s to the 1990s to reimagine double-breasted jackets, belted trousers and Fair Isle knitwear made from alpaca wool. “It made me look at my collection with fresh eyes,” Paul Smith tells Monocle backstage after his salon-style presentation in his Milan showroom.
The 10 best in show
Zegna
The Italian luxury fashion house’s artistic director Alessandro Sartori describes his collection as a “generational passing of the baton” – a fitting remark considering the recent announcement that Zegna can now call itself a fourth-generation family-owned business after brothers Edoardo and Angelo Zegna were named co-CEOs in late 2025. Presented in Palazzo del Ghiaccio, models walked beside a large-scale installation of a closet containing pieces from the Zegna family archive. While Sartori evolves his visual language, leaning into long silhouettes, high collars and intricate layering, the focus on Italian fabrics remains a constant, from suede overshirts and felt-lined rain hats to tweed coats with woven-leather buttons.
Umit Benan
In his Via Bigli showroom, Milan-based Turkish designer Umit Benan is emerging as a name to know on the menswear circuit, thanks to his fuss-free and joyful approach to dressing that revolves around a sense of ease rather than manicured precision. This season, Benan’s focus is on a mosaic-like approach to dressing, achieved through tonal coherence, clean silhouettes and high-quality materials such as shearling, silk linings and nappa leather. It’s a welcome expansion to the designer’s portfolio – one that also includes bespoke tailoring – that is aimed to appeal at city-dwellers looking to seamlessly transition their wardrobes from the weekday commute to weekend mountain getaways.
umitbenan.com
Setchu
Japanese designer Satoshi Kuwata expressed surprise at how many people were in attendance at his show, held in his new Milan offices. The LVMH Prize-winner is establishing a loyal following for his brand, Setchu, by virtue of his story-telling abilities through unexpected details. Case in point is his latest collection, inspired by a fishing trip to Greenland. “I planned to visit a long time ago,” he says while styling models wearing quilted pieces informed by Arctic conditions. And, in what is perhaps the most unexpected accessory of the season so far, Kuwata designed a fishing rod to accompany his clients on their next angling mission.
laesetchu.com
The Stone Island Prototype Research Series 09
For its latest foray into material innovation and experimentation with manufacturing processes that have yet to be industrialised, Italian brand Stone Island is looking to knitwear. The result is a limited run of 100 chenille jumpers, each rendered in a different colour. These are made from an air-blown laminated knit – a technique that bonds a coating onto a fabric to make it waterproof. On show until 19 January at Via Tortona 31, the garments will then be available for purchase at select Stone Island shops.
stoneisland.com
Prada
“How do you talk about the world now and about fashion at the same time? Putting the two things together at this moment is uncomfortable,” says Miuccia Prada backstage after the Italian house’s show at the Fondazione Prada. “We don’t have the answers but we can be strong with a creative vision,” added her co-creative director Raf Simons. “We should not sit here frozen.” A sense of anarchy could be felt throughout the show, with models marching down the runway with hands in their pockets, oversized cuffs dangling. Trench coats and sou’wester-style rain hats implied the role that fashion can play in weathering a storm.
Church’s
British shoe brand Church’s staged an imaginary orchestra in Milan’s Palazzo Barozzi to unveil its latest collection. By placing flutes and violins in dialogue with the Prada-owned label’s monkstraps, Oxfords and boots, the show emphasised the art of creative exploration and the meticulous discipline that underline both the act of composing music and the craft of shoemaking. A notable addition to Church’s range includes shoulder-season sandals that come in a waxed suede or three different wool varieties – Herringbone tweed, tartan and knickerbocker. But it’s hard to look past the cornerstones of the brand’s offerings, from sleek Chelsea boots to elegant Oxfords.
church-footwear.com
Santoni
This season, family-owned Italian shoe brand Santoni looked to its home territory of Le Marche, specifically when dawn begins to illuminate its winter landscape. The collection, titled Aurora, features the house’s signature Velatura hand-colouring technique, a process in which pigment is applied to the leather shoes in multiple layers. The result is a distinctively Santoni look, with silhouettes enhanced by chromatic variations. A new development for the brand comes in the shape of soles with a technical tread component that can be twisted and snapped into place for extra grip on early morning walks through a frosty Italian forest.
santonishoes.com
Armani
A new chapter begins for Armani. At its Brera headquarters, the quintessentially Milanese house showed its first collection without the direct input of its eponymous founder, who died last September. On a brightly lit runway, described by the brand as a return to the late 1980s, models were dressed in mostly monochromatic suits in the house’s signature palette of silver grey. There was also plenty of snow-ready outerwear, a nod to Armani’s role in dressing team Italia for the upcoming Milano-Cortina Winter Olympics.
The show ended with eveningwear, with plush midnight-blue velvet jackets and crisp shirting. While succession plans remain under wraps (rumours suggest that French designer Hedi Slimane is poised to come on board as creative director), Giorgio Armani’s partner in business and life, Leo Dell’Orco (pictured), is leading the team and providing a sense of continuity for one of Italy’s most beloved brands.
armani.com
Brioni
Roman house Brioni is putting the focus on its eight decades of artisanal heritage following the departure of the brand’s Austrian creative director, Norbert Stumpfl, last December. Its autumn/winter ready-to-wear 2026 collection is a reaffirming of house codes, from functional knitwear intended to be layered under reversible coats to more traditional eveningwear such as deep-red velvet smoking jackets and tuxedoes. Owned by French luxury conglomerate Kering since 2011, Brioni has also undergone a change in management with CEO Federico Arrigoni coming on board in May. While the house regroups, what remains certain is Brioni’s deep-rooted connection to Italian savoir-faire.
brioni.com
Canali
Cashmere knitwear, voluminous trench coats and shearling bombers – Canali’s vision of menswear for the upcoming winter evokes the wardrobe of a modern-day Milanese gentleman on his commute to the skyscrapers of Porta Nuova or a weekend escape to the woods of Lombardy. It’s an uncomplicated approach that has established a loyal following for the family-owned business since it was founded in 1934.
After a year of growing the brand’s global footprint with new retail outposts in South Korea and the US, Canali is now putting the emphasis on functionality (think four-pocket jackets, ultra-light merino layers and denim) – a strategy that will appeal to a cross-generational market.
canali.com
Maduro who? It has been a little over (checks calendar) two weeks since Donald Trump’s raid on Venezuela and yet you would be forgiven for struggling to remember the full details of the US’s abduction of that country’s president. South America is old news; today it’s all about the Arctic. Over the weekend, the US president announced (Truth Socialed?) a new round of 10 per cent tariffs (potentially rising to 25 per cent) against eight European countries (France, Germany, the UK, the Netherlands, Denmark, Norway, Sweden and Finland) until they change their minds about supporting his designs on Greenland.
Cue a global poring over of the 1951 Greenland defence agreement between Denmark and the US to find out what exactly those designs might look like. In this regard, I speak from experience – I too was buffing up on my Greenlandic history. As you read this sentence, depending on where you are in the world, I am either in Nuuk or on an Air Greenland A332 over the North Sea. All week, I and two of my colleagues, Andrew Mueller and Lily Austin, will be reporting from Greenland, speaking to the Danish territory’s leaders, business owners and ordinary residents to find out what Trump’s threats might mean for the world’s largest island and its people.
Before we hear their views, we must ask the question about what the US president’s calculus is when it comes to Greenland. In one way, this is easier than it might be with any previous holder of his office. Trump appears to conduct all of his negotiating in public and often via social media. Since the 1951 agreement puts no barriers on Washington increasing its military presence on the territory – and it is highly likely that Copenhagen (or Nuuk) would kowtow to any American efforts to be granted favourable extraction rights of the supposed treasure trove of oil, gas and rare earth minerals buried beneath its frozen scape – it must be that Trump wants nothing short of annexation. Indeed, he has essentially said as much.
At the moment, the leaders of those aforementioned European nations are taking a stand, somewhat shakily, against Trump’s calls, while Greenland’s prime minister, Jens-Frederik Nielsen, continues to insist that, were they given such a binary choice, his people would choose rule from Copenhagen over Washington. The view from the ground, however, seems to show majority support for an eventual move towards full Greenlandic independence. A small contingent of troops from European countries including France, Germany, Sweden, Norway, Finland, the Netherlands and the UK arrived in Nuuk last week, though the numbers are hardly enough to fill a commercial flight, let alone defend a vast landmass against the world’s most powerful military.
Would it ever come to that? Probably not. Europe seems not to have the strength to even engage in a war of words with Trump, let alone actual combat, and its dispatching of soldiers is merely a gesture meant to satisfy Washington’s claims that it requires Greenland to counter the Chinese and Russian threat in the Arctic. And yet, the European move seems to have provoked Trump more than it has assuaged his apparent concerns. Could it even cause him to do the unthinkable? A US invasion of Greenland, constituting as it would an attack by one Nato member on another, would spell the end of the world’s largest military alliance, and would surely be a gift to America’s rivals. Even if Europe caves in before then, the humiliation that it has endured might have damaged Nato beyond repair. In two weeks, we could well all be looking back on the furore around the Nicolás Maduro kidnapping as a moment of quaint serenity.
Alexis Self is Monocle’s foreign editor. For more opinion, analysis and insight, subscribe to Monocle today.
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I spoke too soon. It was all going beautifully last Saturday afternoon as Swiss flight LX160 to Tokyo Narita prepared to push back from the gate. If you caught last week’s column, I laid out the plan for mom’s first visit to Japan in more than a decade and, to safeguard against a dodgy in-flight satellite connection, I decided to hit send on this column before the doors closed. Soon afterward, the captain came out of the cockpit to introduce himself and run through the flight details. It was going to be about 13 hours to Narita, the conditions would be generally smooth and he was hoping to push back shortly. I pulled out the newspapers, clinked glasses with mom across the aisle and watched the snow blowing gently outside.
About 15 minutes later, the captain announced that there was a queue for de-icing and it was hard to determine when we’d get away. I watched as narrow and widebody aircraft rolled into position to be blasted with hot chemicals and reckoned that we’d be airborne in 30 minutes or so. It would be a tiny delay into Tokyo but wouldn’t impact lunch plans and all would run to schedule. How wrong I was. While snow continued to gently flutter around the fuselage, an hour became two, then three and after four hours of champagne we finally turned onto the take-off runway and headed east to Japan. Lunch at Shiseido Parlour had to be rescheduled to Wednesday but it did mean that we discovered an outstanding new burger joint in Hiroo. You’ll likely read more about Teddy Brown in our special Monocle 100 issue in March.
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On Tuesday, we checked into the newly renovated Park Hyatt and I am very, very happy to report that very little has changed. If you’ve been a loyal customer of a hotel across a number of decades, talk of an overhaul of a familiar lobby and regular suite can be a cause for serious concern. Thankfully, Hyatt and the owner (Tokyo Gas) were careful not to upset their loyal base and made only a few gentle adjustments. The beds are a bit higher, the bathrooms have been completely changed (mostly for the better), Alain Ducasse is running one of the kitchens and the New York Grill is as delicious as ever. It would have been a delight to extend the trip into the weekend but the LX161 beckoned on Thursday morning and it was nearly 15 hours for the return journey.
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At about the 12-hour mark of the flight, I peered outside and spotted the east coast of Greenland slipping away as we began crossing toward Norway. What was going on down there? With Nato nations rallying to send observers to the territory, I peered down and wondered what people in remote communities were thinking? Would a change in ownership matter much? Would life carry on as always? Would the US be as generous with subsidies as Denmark? Or was all of this going to blow over by the time I landed in Zürich? On Friday, things became even more absurd with Trump calling for fresh tariffs on nations who didn’t support his claim on Greenland. It was at that moment that I fired off an email to our editor in chief, Andrew Tuck, and suggested that it was time to deploy our own team to gauge the temperature in Nuuk. By the time you read this, Andrew Mueller, Alexis Self and team will be on their way for a week of radio shows and dispatches from Greenland’s capital. If you have any questions that you’d like answered, please send them my way and I will ensure that they’re passed on and hopefully answered on air. You’ll find me at tb@monocle.com.
Enjoying life in ‘The Faster Lane’? Click here to browse all of Tyler’s past columns.
There’s a festival-like atmosphere at Parc des Expositions de Paris-Nord Villepinte, where the furniture and homewares trade fair Maison&Objet is in full swing until Monday. Some 60,000 visitors and 2,300 brands are packing the halls in Paris. That’s a lot to take in, so here are some key observations from Monocle’s team on the ground.
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Arrival experiences matter. Adding to the drama at Parc des Expositions are a host of scalpers selling half-price tickets to the fair (down from €80). Their shouts, combined with the chatter of attendees, added to the sense of anticipation.
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“Our challenge, like that of the sector as a whole, is to defend demanding, high-quality design in the face of fast furniture,” says Tolix co-owner Antoine Bejui. The French heritage furniture brand, which Bejui revived in 2022 with Emmanuel Diemoz, is presenting a tight curation of its best works at the fair – a benchmark for other brands more broadly. “The focus is no longer on multiplying new releases but on strengthening strong, coherent identities capable of standing the test of time and remaining relevant to contemporary uses.”
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Paris-Nord Villepinte can feel a little like an airport at times. Interior designers, architects and developers can often be seen lugging carry-on sized suitcases packed with samples for furnishing any kind of space. There is, as a result, a sense of constant motion.
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There are plenty of art deco references from brands – and across Paris – as the design and artistic style continues to be celebrated after reaching its centenary in 2025. At the exhibition dedicated to the movement at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs, a note that one of its proponents, Eileen Gray, composed spaces rather than designing them feels like good advice for anyone seeking to curate a particular atmosphere in their own home.
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There’s an ongoing blurring between art and design, as exemplified by Giopato & Coombes, an Italian brand known for its sculptural lighting. It blends traditional Venetian craftsmanship with modern technology and art research. “We see the continued development of the art segment as a key area of cultural exploration and growth,” says Cristiana Giopato, who established the brand with Christopher Coombes. “Here, design can operate beyond function and production, engaging more deeply with research, expression and narrative.”
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French silverware specialist Christofle is presenting a new collection, Malmaison Riviera, that is defined by soft, sun-washed yellow hues. It successfully translates a feeling – the summer spirit of the sunny Mediterranean – through colour rather than imagery, no easy feat.
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Indoor-outdoor boundaries will continue to blur in coming years – at least according to Ethimo CEO Gian Paolo Migliaccio. “The continuity between indoor and outdoor spaces is now an integral part of contemporary living,” he says, referencing the Italian brand’s new collection, defined by robust materials. “In 2026, the priority is to strengthen this dialogue through collections that place the relationship with nature at their core, balancing aesthetics and function, and embracing a design approach that goes beyond trends.”
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Big names can play a significant part in unearthing unheralded talent. Case in point is legendary French designer Pierre Yovanovitch, who has played an active role in the revival of Ecart, a French furniture house known for reissuing works from the early 20th century. The brand, which had been dormant until its relaunch this week under Yovanovitch’s guidance, has reissued 10 pieces by Paul László that were originally produced for interior projects.
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Give the people what they want. That’s the message from the president of French furniture firm Fermob. “A priority for us is simply to make products that people keep and use for a long time,” says Bernard Reybier. “That means designing pieces that are solid, easy to repair and well thought out from the start.”
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“Engage your core.” It’s not a command that you expect to hear at a trade fair. But, at the stand of Cesena-based Technogym, trainers have been hired to instruct curious passersby to test out its new equipment, including a Pilates machine – a reminder to bring your grippy socks to Maison&Objet’s September 2026 edition.
Nic Monisse is Monocle’s design editor. For more of his insights, click here.
