Helsinki Design Week is in full swing and, as ever, the city is buzzing with creativity and community. This year, two highlights in particular are especially worth paying attention to: an open-air exhibition that celebrates the nation’s brief but brilliant summer, and a pop-up restaurant where Nordic craft meets seasonal cuisine.
‘10 Days of Summer’
The 10 Days of Summer exhibition at Helsinki Design Week is a playful nod to Finland’s fleeting but intense warm season. Running from 10 to 12 September on the leafy grounds of the city’s Kaisaniemi Botanic Garden, the group show highlights the ingenuity of a new wave of Finnish designers while testing their creations in the open air. The line-up spans both emerging names and more established figures, including Aino Michelsen, Samuli Helavuo, Studio Tolvanen and Antrei Hartikainen. Their contributions range from modular seating and tables to lamps, textiles and even a furniture-scale greenhouse.
On show is a grill by Salla Luhtasela of Studio Kaksikko that doubles as a sculptural centrepiece, while birdhouses and other pieces hint at a playful approach to garden life. Wood, glass, ceramics and metal are the materials of choice, all selected with durability in mind. “Outdoor furniture shouldn’t be trapped indoors on a podium,” says designer and organiser Ville Auvinen. “Here, people can test it in a real environment.” For visitors, the exhibition is more than just a chance to admire clever seating systems or finely crafted grills. It’s also an opportunity to acquaint themselves with Finland’s new flock of designers, who are emerging confidently from the long shadows of figures such as Alvar and Aino Aalto, Paavo Tynell and Eero Aarnio – proving that the nation’s design legacy is alive, evolving and rooted firmly in the present.
Visit ‘10 Days of Summer’ during Helsinki Design Week at Kaisaniemenranta 2.
Kuurna pop-up restaurant
Located in the heart of Helsinki, Suomital is a commercial building that dates to 1911. Over the coming days it’s playing a central role in the city’s design week as its main venue, with the fifth floor serving seasonal, Finnish dishes in a pop-up restaurant. Helmed by the team behind Kuurna, it’s a delicious exercise in drinking and dining. Design, of course, is served up too, with guests able to test out chairs, tables, cutlery and crockery by Finnish Design Shop and Danish manufacturer Hay.
“Both companies share a passion for spreading the message of Nordic design – and where better to do so than around a shared meal in beautiful architectural surroundings,” explains Noora Tirkkonen, managing director of Finnish Design Shop. “Hay’s playful style fits perfectly with the pop-up’s festive yet relaxed nature. We are also excited to provide some visual delight by setting the table with the new La Pittura collection by artist Emma Kohlmann.” Bookings are now open for lunch and dinner reservations until 13 September. For those who don’t find a seat, the bar area is available to walk-ins ready to toast to good design.
Book for dinner at the Kuurna pop-up restaurant here.
1.
Breakfast at restaurant le Square Trousseau
This classic restaurant at the corner of the square near Marché d’Aligre in the 12th arrondissement is run by a genial pair called Mickael and Laurence. Order a ficelle with salted butter and strawberry jam with your coffee.You’ll see the same people returning here every day, reading their newspapers and nattering with their neighbours.
2.
Swim at Piscine Pontoise
This elegant art deco swimming pool in the Quartier Latin always makes a splash. The team has retained the original two storeys of individual changing cabins overlooking the pool. These are accessible only with a key provided by an attendant; don’t expect swipe cards or digital passcodes.
3.
Stock up at the Rue du Nil
For your groceries, head to the four Terroirs d’Avenir shops on this 2nd arrondissement street, offering high-quality, mostly organic fare.
4.
Have something made to measure
Sharp tailoring is always a good idea if you want to fit in with Paris’s well-dressed denizens. High-end tailor Charvet in the Place Vendôme remains the essential choice for classic gents in search of made-to-measure shirts. Meanwhile, Husbands is the place to go for an impeccable suit.
5.
A glass of wine at Le Select
A favourite haunt of authors, poets and politicians, Le Select brasserie on Boulevard du Montparnasse is a Paris institution.
6.
Stay at Les Suites Cinabre
Above the Cinabre boutique at 14 Cité Bergère are two stylish apartments decked out by Necchi Architecture. At this new hospitality offering from Alexandre Chapellier, Cinabre’s founder, you’ll sleep soundly on a Hästens bed, savour Plaq chocolates and refresh yourself with Susanne Kaufmann products. You’ll also find a selection of vinyl records and even custom playlists.
7.
Find serenity at a historic chapel on the Rue du Bac
A popular pilgrimage site for those seeking solace, the Chapelle Notre- Dame de la Médaille Miraculeuse on the Rue du Bac is renowned for the apparitions of the Virgin Mary to Catherine Labouré in 1830. This beautiful church is also a perfect spot for anyone wanting to rest their feet after checking out Le Bon Marché’s fada exhibition nearby.
8.
Book a cinq à sept at the Hôtel Paradiso
Reserve a cosy suite at his hotel- cum-cinema a stone’s throw from the Place de la Nation, where you” “can watch films that are currently being screened in theatres, rather than just the usual Netflix fare. This Parisian original offers an excellent way to unwind if the weather doesn’t hold. Even the room directory is written as a screenplay.”
9.
Fill your tote at Miyam
This shop on the Rue Beaubourg revolutionises the supermarket with short supply chains and plentiful veggie options, and by limiting waste.
10.
Find lost treasure at the Marché Puce de Vanves
Every weekend some 400 vendors flog their wares at the Vanves flea market near Parc Montsouris on avenues Marc Sangnier and Georges Lafenestre. Unlike at the Saint-Ouen market, the stalls here are outdoors. This authentic market attracts those with an eye for vintage furniture, coins, porcelain, silverware and jewellery.
11.
Head to the Musée Bourdelle
After a two-year renovation, the Musée Bourdelle reopened in 2023. In addition to Antoine Bourdelle’s monumental sculptures such as “Hercules the Archer” and “The Dying Centaur”, you can now see studios filled with tools, unfinished works and his personal effects. End your visit at Le Rhodia café, designed by Studio Freudenthal.
Read next: Monocle’s complete City Guide to Paris
Illustrations: Mathieu De Muizon
In last December’s issue of Monocle we ran a story about a Catalan tradition: the building of castells, or human towers. We sent our writer Julia Webster Ayuso to the city of Tarragona to attend a vast gathering of castellers, who were participating in a biannual competition in which groups of up to 300 people erect these crazy, gravity-defying towers. She was joined on her mission by photographer Julia Sellmann and together they delivered a story that really hit the mark. Because this was not just about acrobatics or Catalonian pride; these towers were a vibrant, universal, living example of what happens when we support each other, have each other’s backs.
It was a story that sat with me and continued to make me think about what happens when the strongest take the most weight, when we elevate the young. So when it was confirmed that the Monocle Quality of Life Conference would be in Barcelona, I had a rare clever idea – let’s ask a group of castellers to come to the conference and show off their skills. Hannah, who runs all of our events, somehow went with the commission and contacted Julia, who in turn set off to find our conference’s climactic moment.
That’s why, last week, as the conference day was concluding at the Palau de la Música Catalana in Barcelona, we ran a short film that we had made about this tradition. Even watching this began to catch my emotions. And then, as a surprise – it wasn’t listed in the programme, not even all our staff knew what was about to happen – the back doors of the auditorium opened and in marched 70 castellers, members of the Castellers de la Vila de Gràcia, beautifully attired in white trousers and blue shirts, with red sashes around their waists. The crowd stood and turned.
Now it just so happens that 70 castellers are a lot of people but, in the small space that we had kept clear at the front of the stage, they assembled and began to build the first tower, initially in silence, then to the rhythm of their musicians – the changing beat allowing those on the ground floor and in the centre, unable to see, to know what stage the tower had progressed. The group then made a second tower, atop of which clambered a young girl who unfurled a flag emblazoned with our Quality of Life symbol and the words, “Thank you! Gràcies!”. By the end of the day, when the presenters were assembling to take a Monocle equivalent of the final curtain, I looked over at Rob and Sophie to see tears on cheeks. I peered out across the roaring audience and saw person after person wiping away their tears too. Me? Almost sobbing.
One of the castellers, Rafa, came up on stage to talk to Rob and I about this emblematic and emotional Catalan pastime. He explained how his three children had signed up; how they practised with the community twice a week; how people who were not originally from the region had been welcomed in; and why this giver of identity was flourishing.
But why had the building of a human tower had such a powerful effect on a room filled with Monocle readers and listeners, people who between them know so much, have seen so much? My colleague Josh suggested that these men, women and children had somehow demonstrated all of the things we had been debating on stage all day without saying a word – how to make better cities, give people dignity through design, finding new sources of inspiration. And he was right.
Later, at the amazing gala dinner at La Paloma – an old dance hall – I spoke to our delegates about the day, about what they had come to Barcelona for, about their connection to Monocle. And, for a moment, I allowed myself to feel a little proud of what we have created at the heart of our brand. Why? Because in the stories that they told me about the connections they had made through the magazine, through meeting other delegates at events like this one over the years, and in looking around this humming, buzzing, joyful room, I could see that we have made something of our own castell. Our readers care, offer each other and their own communities support, strive to elevate their families, employees and neighbours. They are people who know what’s possible if you work in harmony with like-minded people. How the seemingly impossible can become reality.
Click here to explore the full collection of Andrew’s past columns.
Danish pharmaceutical giant Novo Nordisk announced 9,000 redundancies on Wednesday in response to lowered growth forecasts and a rapidly changing market. The company’s decline has been as swift as it has been surprising – to the Danes, at least.
By late 2023, sales of Novo’s diabetes drug, Ozempic, and its obesity treatment derivative, Wegovy, helped it become Europe’s largest company by market capitalisation. The first shock to what had been a sky-rocketing share price appeared in December 2024 with disappointing trial results of its next-gen obesity drug, Cagrisema. Meanwhile, the company was failing to meet demand, allowing rivals such as US-based Eli Lilly to increase their market shares. Growing online sales of counterfeit drugs compounded the challenges.
In late 2024, I visited Novo to interview Dr Lotte Knudsen, who leads the team whose research resulted in Ozempic. She was deeply impressive but I did sense an odd complacency about Novo’s production bottlenecks, their rivals and those aforementioned counterfeiters. The prevailing attitude seemed to be that “there are plenty of fat people in the world to go round.”
A few months later, at a get-together at an ambassador’s residence here in Copenhagen, I shared my concerns for Novo with a former executive of the company. She grabbed my arm as if she were an escapee from a cult: “Yes, exactly,” she said. “But it’s worse than that.” She described an organisation that was reticent to the point of self-harm when it came to seeking leadership from outside of a small cabal of top-level executives, all of whom were Danish.
On one hand, it seems fair that Danish companies are led by Danes. After all, the Danes’ confident leadership style is sought after in neighbouring Sweden, which is often hamstrung by consensus-driven decision making. But Danish CEOs are a strikingly homogenous bunch: predominantly males in their 50s, they inhabit the same wealthy enclave on the coast north of Copenhagen and even have a de facto uniform: a navy, two-button suit, with no tie. (It’s perhaps a trivial point but their cultural hinterland seems mostly limited to cycling and running.) Mads Nipper, the former CEO of crisis-hit Danish energy company Ørsted, is a classic example. His replacement, Rasmus Errboe, is a mere 46 years old – but he too was promoted from within the company.
Here is the issue, though: Novo Nordisk is a profit-driven company but some of those profits (notably dividends) end up in a philanthropic foundation. Dr Knudsen proclaimed herself “a proud socialist”. Altruism and philanthropy are of course deeply admirable but one sometimes wonders if Danes are hungry or ruthless enough for the global corporate environment.
In May of this year, Novo’s board sacked its own identikit Danish CEO, Lars Fruergaard Jørgensen, without having a replacement lined up. Interviewed on Danish television on the day of his firing, he seemed in shock but assured the interviewer that he would handle his defenestration like “a professional” (odd that needed saying). Jørgensen maintained his belief that the US authorities would crack down on counterfeit products. To me this seemed somewhat delusional, given the same US authorities were hurling tariffs at the world, threatening Danish interests in Greenland and then cancelled Ørsted’s crucial Rhode Island wind-farm project, which resulted in the state-owned energy company’s share price plummeting to a record low.
Last month, Novo Nordisk finally appointed Jørgensen’s replacement – Mike Doustdar, an Austrian-Iranian company vice-president, is the first non-Dane to run Novo since it was founded in 1923. I notice that he sometimes wears a tie. Perhaps things are looking up.
Michael Booth is Monocle’s Copenhagen correspondent. For more opinion, analysis and insight, subscribe to Monocle today. To read Booth’s interview with the quiet scientist behind Ozempic, click here.
Nordic design events are engaged in a battle for supremacy. Where the Stockholm Furniture Fair is struggling to attract attendees to the Swedish capital every February, the sunny offerings of Copenhagen’s 3 Days of Design and Helsinki Design Week are going from strength to strength. More than 150,000 people are expected to attend the latter, which is currently in full swing and runs until 14 September. Talks, exhibitions and product launches are taking place in venues across Helsinki, with an emphasis on materiality, functionality and design’s role in society. The event’s headline exhibition, Designing Happiness, examines how design fosters wellbeing – an apt theme for a nation that has been declared the world’s happiest for the past eight years.
The programme is broad but there’s a sense of intimacy. Leading studios have opened their doors, offering glimpses of the lives of Helsinki’s designers. Finnish textile brand Johanna Gullichsen has transformed its city-centre showroom into a sound installation, while Artek is launching a collaboration with Marimekko. The Design Diplomacy showcase, a Helsinki Design Week favourite, will again invite the public into ambassadors’ residences. Habitare, the region’s largest interiors fair, begins today and provides a rare opportunity to buy furniture directly from the trade-hall floor.
But what truly sets Helsinki Design Week apart is that it’s family run. Founded 20 years ago by Kari Korkman, who still serves as its CEO, the festival is now a multigenerational effort: his daughters, Anni and Iris, are its programme director and its community manager respectively. It’s often assumed that the city organises the event but the Korkmans are responsible for shaping its vision and ensuring continuity. The family is more willing to take risks than a public body and design brands no doubt prefer dealing with a nimble company over a bureaucratic city committee. The long-term stewardship also ensures a consistency that rotating civil servants would struggle to provide. The benefits of such a model are clear and, as Designing Happiness curator Anniina Koivu says, “There’s always someone on the line and there’s a genuine sense of community.”
The Korkmans downplay their private role – their company, Luovi Productions, is rarely mentioned. But the remarkable reality is that one of Finland’s most visible showcases runs largely without state backing. The sums allocated by the City of Helsinki and the Finnish government are on a par with amounts given to a small regional sports meet – hardly befitting an international cultural flagship seeking to rival the likes of Copenhagen and stay ahead of Stockholm. The city, however, has steadily cut its contribution. If Helsinki wants to be taken seriously as a design capital, it cannot outsource its cultural reputation to a single family. A stronger commitment is needed – not just words but meaningful investment.
Petri Burtsoff is Monocle’s Helsinki correspondent.
Taiwan is racing to fortify itself against the possibility of conflict with China. Fighter jets roar across the divide, new weapons deals are signed and the defence budget keeps on climbing – but Taiwan just doesn’t have the manpower.
This week, satellite imagery showed large-scale developments of airports and ports for amphibious vehicles on Chinese islands in the East China Sea. It’s believed that these could be used to launch an invasion of Taiwan, which US officials warn Beijing would be ready for as soon as 2027. But on the ground in Taipei, armed forces remain significantly under-manned: active units are only about 80 per cent staffed. Meanwhile, the island’s draft-age population has fallen from about 138,000 in 2017 to 118,000 in 2022 – a decline that could pose even greater challenges by the end of the decade.
To plug the gap, Taipei has restored year-long conscription, raised the monthly allowance for volunteers and leaned heavily on advertising to court a sceptical generation. City buses and metro stations now carry glossy posters styled after video games and action films – the Ministry of National Defense’s (MND) attempt to make service look less dutiful and more aspirational.
Major General Fu Cheng-jung, who oversees recruitment and training at the MND, says that’s by design. “We want to follow the pulse of society,” he explains. “If we want to attract young people, the posters need to resonate with their world.” Beyond the visuals, Fu stresses that military service offers training, dignity and post-service support. “We want service to be meaningful. Soldiers gain skills, education and when they leave the state helps with employment and transition,” he says.
But experts say that such measures barely scratch the surface. “Many Taiwanese people associate the military with antiquated, rigid bureaucracy,” says William Yang, a senior Northeast Asia analyst at the International Crisis Group, who sees the shortfall as less of a marketing issue and more about mindset. “There’s a saying that men only become professional soldiers when they don’t have anything else to do,” he adds. That perception lingers, even as the military loosens rules on height restrictions or tattoos and organises events to showcase day-to-day life in uniform.
Low pay has long compounded the problem. Grassroots soldiers earn far less than their peers in the private sector and only this June did lawmakers agree to boost monthly allowances to NT$30,000 (€840), a figure that still leaves the military struggling to compete for skilled recruits.
The larger challenge, though, is cultural.“It has to do with the risk-averse nature of Taiwan in general,” says Yang. This mindset extends beyond recruitment and reflects Taiwan’s broader cross-strait strategy, where de-escalation is consistently preferred over confrontation. In other words, the same instinct that makes Taiwan cautious in diplomacy also discourages young people from enlisting.
Maj Gen Fu points to modest gains: several hundred more soldiers recruited this year than last and a 2.8 per cent rise in re-enlistment. But bigger obstacles remain – shrinking birth rates, morale issues and training bottlenecks. The posters mirror his optimism: “Defend, stand firm” and “Guard with courage”. While the frogmen and Black Hawk helicopters depicted in the posters might catch eyes at a bus stop, they alone won’t fill a barracks. Deterrence will depend on more than slogans; it will require pay that competes, training that produces capable forces and a broader recruiting base that includes women and specialists. Against a formidable neighbour and with a long-term ally in the US that can no longer be fully relied upon – Taiwan must override its reflex to de-escalate.
Clarissa Wei is a US journalist based in Taiwan. For more opinion, analysis and insight, subscribe to Monocle today.
Read next: Could these recruitment campaigns succeed in enlisting the generation that won’t fight?
Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group has been synonymous with luxury and exceptional hospitality for more than six decades. What began in 1963 with the opening of its flagship hotel in Hong Kong has grown into a portfolio that now spans 44 hotels, 12 residences, and 26 exclusive homes across 27 countries and territories.
The group has built a reputation for elegance, service and innovation, all while remaining proud of its Asian heritage. Today, as Mandarin Oriental writes its next chapter, the hotel group is led by CEO Laurent Kleitman, who has spent 30 years in senior leadership roles with corporations such as Unilever and LVMH.
Most recently, Kleitman served as president and CEO of Parfums Christian Dior, where he guided the brand’s transformation and global expansion across fragrance, beauty and wellness. Monocle’s Simon Bouvier sat down with Laurent in our Paris studio to discuss where the luxury hospitality industry stands today, Mandarin Oriental’s recent purchase of the Hôtel Lutetia in the French capital, and the group’s starring role in the third season of The White Lotus.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity. Listen to the full conversation on ‘The Entrepreneurs’ from Monocle Radio.
Mandarin Oriental recently purchased Hôtel Lutetia in Paris. Where is the hotel positioned in the luxury hospitality landscape, and how does its heritage fit into the group’s business strategy?
Lutetia is not just a hotel; it’s a part of history. We love this because it means that there are many stories to tell, and that people visit not just for a good stay but to be part of that history.
Lutetia – named after the Roman settlement that would eventually become Paris – and its 115-year history is, in fact, relatively short for hospitality. It was started by the Boucicaut family, who also founded Le Bon Marché. They built a hotel in front of the department store to host not only clients but also suppliers coming from neighbouring provinces. From its inception, Lutetia was founded on the idea of creating an experience – something that the hospitality and luxury industries still focus on today.
We are also opening our second hotel in Dubai in just a few weeks, and it is housed in one of the city’s most sustainable high-rise towers. Seeing that we also operate in older properties around the world, such as the Ritz in Madrid, Lutetia in Paris and the Oriental in Bangkok, it’s exciting to continue innovating with new builds. Having these properties in our portfolio is stimulating not only for our team but also for our clients.
With Mandarin Oriental being featured in The White Lotus, how do you see pop-culture partnerships and media visibility influencing the way luxury hotels attract new audiences and maintain cultural relevance?
It’s an interesting and complex topic. We were thrilled to be featured in the third season of The White Lotus – it is an entertaining programme with great storytelling. While large luxury brands play a role in pop culture, the Mandarin Oriental is by no means a mass brand.
We interact with popular culture in various ways, such as displaying art in our properties or through collaborations with artists – sometimes even designing projects with them. In Rivera Maya, Mexico, for instance, we are developing a project with Mexican sculptor Bosco Sodi to integrate art in a meaningful way across the property. This also reflects a broader trend: people travel to connect with culture and community.
We also create our own content. Our original film, Inside the Dream, showcases the behind-the-scenes of Mandarin Oriental across three destinations, and more projects will follow in the coming months. Future series will highlight our facilities, their history and how they blend with the community and environment. This approach delivers the essence of the location, which is ultimately why people travel.
You’ve spoken about moving wellness beyond spas and into holistic experiences, including cuisine, sleep rituals and design. Where do you see the biggest growth opportunities in this trend for luxury hospitality?
There is a lot of crossover between luxury goods and hospitality but I believe delivering experiences rather than physical products is where the industry is heading. After a certain point, buying another handbag or cosmetic item becomes less exciting – but people will always invest in experiences: taking time off, reconnecting with family, exploring destinations and enjoying culinary experiences. Guests spend anywhere from a single meal to several weeks with us, and we are entrusted with their most precious time. This creates countless touchpoints that demand exceptional attention.
Wellbeing is now a key trend. Guests want more than a massage; they want holistic care. Over the years, we’ve developed techniques around relaxation, energy management and sleep. In fact, in the 1990s we launched the first hotel spa in Bangkok, pioneering the idea of wellness in hospitality in the region.
Today, wellbeing extends beyond the spa. We focus on every element of the guest experience: nutrition, room amenities and bedtime rituals. We curate beverages, music, room setup and overall environment to support restoration. This approach is just one example of how we innovate across our portfolio, and it reflects the growth potential for luxury hospitality as experiences define the future of the industry.
How much does today’s uncertain geopolitical context, such as fluctuating tariffs, weigh on your business decisions, and how do you balance short-term challenges with long-term planning?
Humans have always had the desire to travel, to discover, to engage and to relate. I believe that travelling is the most important activity, and that our appetite for discovering the world and the people in it will not fade anytime soon.
We haven’t seen a negative shift in the way our clients are travelling this year compared to last year. To the contrary, we are seeing growth. With many new destinations still needing to be discovered, I’m optimistic about the evolution of the hospitality industry and the future of Mandarin Oriental. There is a lot of work to do but I’m certain that we’ll double the size of the company in the next 10 years – and we’ll be here for the decades to come.
Listen to the full conversation with Kleitman on The Entrepreneurs below, on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.
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Supaluck Umpujh is chairwoman of The Mall Group, a company she joined in 1982. Under her supervision, the Thai retail operator founded by her father, Supachai Umpujh, has opened world-leading shopping malls such as Emporium, the country’s first world-class luxury-retail complex. She is now chairwoman of The Mall Group, The Emporium Group and Siam Paragon Retail Co Ltd and continues to believe that great experiences, place-making and thinking outside the box are key to running a successful business.
Here, she shares insights from her four decades working in retail, the lessons that stuck with her and why she almost gave up her chance to join the top table of Thai business to become a pharmacist.
Today you run a successful business, though that success was never guaranteed. Tell us about how you started.
I studied pharmacy and thought that I wanted to become a doctor. I had no idea about retail. One day my father asked me to go into business with him. I said, “Are you nuts?” I came from a science background and didn’t want to open a mall. I was a very shy woman back then, the new kid on the block. Now I want to inspire people to believe in themselves and show others that they can achieve their goals, even if they seem impossible.
What did your father teach you after bringing you into the business?
I learned many things from him. Number one, dream big and never give up. Number two, be a leader and not a follower. Number three, some people see opportunities where others see mountains. Four? It’s better to give than to take. Five – this one is essential. If you’re smart and a hard worker, you’ll find money easily but if you lose your reputation, there is no amount of money that can buy it back. This is perhaps the most important thing that my father taught me – and I make sure to remind myself of it on a daily basis.
Can you share a problem that you encountered on your road to success?
I was 23 when I opened my first mall. Now I’m 69 and have a lot more experience. I knew nothing then and – sorry – neither did my father. As such, the escalator was built incorrectly, the parking didn’t feel right and there was no good merchandise. I cried all day and all night after we opened. I had to apologise to the tenants for losing their money. I asked them to give me one more chance.
Did they? How did you react to the initial disappointment?
Yes, they did. The next time when I tried to open a shopping mall, I said to myself, “I just want to create a place that makes people happy.” I had to think outside the box. With few parks or shaded areas in Bangkok, people just wanted to go somewhere air-conditioned. I looked around for inspiration but other malls felt like lifeless boxes. So I decided to build the first retail-and-entertainment complex in Thailand: I fitted it out with an ice-skating rink, a cinema and a waterpark. I did everything that I was told would be impossible. I then opened two more complexes, both of which were very popular. By that time, I had established myself as a successful businesswoman. Fortune magazine even called me the “Iron Butterfly”. But I wanted more; I wanted to get involved with luxury retail. I was jealous of Hong Kong and Singapore.
Fast-forward to today. You must have achieved what you set out to do. What advice do you have for others?
Don’t just think about the numbers; think about what you can do. The money will come later. I talk about my passion and that’s why people believe in me. I also think that every problem, from the 1997 Asian financial crisis to the coronavirus pandemic, presents an opportunity. No matter how big the storm, there’s always a rainbow at the end.
As told to Tyler Brûlé
Read next: Natira Boonsri, Central Group’s CEO, on the Thai retail giant’s future
When it comes to what qualities a political leader should possess, a six-pack is probably pretty far down most people’s lists. However, it seems that brawn is increasingly valued over brains in the US, where several shows of political hyper-masculinity have grabbed the nation’s attention in recent weeks.
Last month, the 65-year-old incumbent mayor of New York, Eric Adams, decided that the best way to demonstrate superiority over his 33-year-old Democratic rival, Zohran Mamdani, was through the bench press. “The weight of the job is too heavy for ‘Mamscrawny’. The only thing he can lift is your taxes,” Adams wrote on X, accompanied by a video of him completing eight bench presses alongside Mamdani struggling to do two. Adams was echoing sneers from the wider conservative movement, which appeared to suggest that Mamdani’s struggle with weights implied some fundamental flaw in his character and, by extension, his politics.
The bench press-off came shortly after another overt show of muscular posturing. US defence secretary, Pete Hegseth, released a video of himself and the 71-year-old health secretary, Robert F Kennedy Jr, doing 50 pull ups and 100 push-ups in less than 10 minutes, their snug T-shirts clinging to toned torsos as they grunted at the pull-up bar. The “Pete and Bobby Challenge” was ostensibly part of an effort to get Americans healthy again. This outpouring of testosterone is to be expected from the current crop of Republicans under Donald Trump, a politician who, on the campaign trail last year, promised to protect women “whether they like it or not”.
Trump set the tone and his cabinet now seems determined to prove their masculine credentials. But it is disappointing to see Democrats jumping on the beefcake bandwagon. With the midterm elections approaching in 2026, when all seats in the House of Representatives and about a third of Senate seats are up for grabs, the party is desperate to reclaim some of the voters that they have lost to Trump. The young male vote is key, with men aged 18 to 29 swinging to Trump by a 12-point shift that helped him win the White House for a second time.
It seems that the Democrats think hitting the gym is one way to these young voters’ hearts. Perhaps it’s forgivable that Colin Allred, US Senate candidate in Texas, would hand out policy prescriptions from his home gym, barbells in the background, as he declared: “I’ve just finished my workout.” He is a former Tennessee Titans linebacker after all. But why did Mamdani feel the need to reveal his biceps? He won the Democratic Party nomination for the mayoral race with a smart campaign packed with policy suggestions that tapped into the genuine concerns of New Yorkers. Democrats should be taking note of his core messaging, not his core strength. But instead we see others, such as Colorado state representative Manny Rutinel, posting videos of himself doing pull ups as he promises to flip a Congress seat.
Perhaps they are trying to shift the perception of liberals being weak or weedy. But that’s hardly the main problem facing the Democratic Party right now. With Trump testing the limits of presidential power, there are countless issues affecting Americans that Democrats could engage with and they need a coherent and serious message to bring to the table. While the manosphere might seem like a good place to be positioning yourself, the posturing comes across as infantile. It would be much more useful if they could turn their attention to more pressing issues than bench presses.
Read next: What Democrats should learn from Mamdani’s personality-led victory.
For the past decade or so, one Israeli red line has seemed inviolate. The country would not strike Hamas officials on Gulf soil, particularly in capitals effectively shielded by US interests. That line crumbled yesterday when the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed a strike on a Hamas meeting in Doha, Qatar.
What once felt improbable now feels like part of a slow recalibration, encouraged in part by the Trump administration’s more permissive attitude towards Israel. At the heart of this is a cold calculation: Israel appears willing to risk straining relations with the Gulf states to press Hamas further into a corner. It also confirms that Benjamin Netanyahu is not interested in mediation. If anything, by hitting Doha, Israel has signalled that it would rather eliminate interlocutors than negotiate with them.
The collateral effect is a fresh layer of insecurity for Qatar. Mediation has long been Doha’s calling card, from Gaza ceasefire talks to Taliban negotiations. But if this role now carries the risk of drawing foreign strikes onto its soil, the incentives might fade quickly. A member of Qatar’s security forces was killed, and the notion that Doha can be struck with impunity is unsettling. Why here and not Abu Dhabi or Dubai? Part of the answer lies in perception; Israel does not view Qatar as a military threat and assumes restraint. Iran, for its part, likely tipped Doha off, tempering any sharp response.
But Qatar’s leadership has responded with fury. Prime minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani described the attack as “state terrorism” and warned that there is a “rogue player” in the region intent on reshaping the Middle East. His words pose a sharper question still: is Netanyahu suggesting that this redrawing of the map extends to the Gulf as well?
Other Gulf states were quick to condemn yesterday’s strikes. The UAE described them as “blatant and cowardly”, while Saudi Arabia branded Israel’s actions as “criminal violations”. For Qatar the dilemma is acute. It can double down on ideology, remain host to Hamas and keep trying to mediate. Or it can follow the UAE’s more pragmatic path: distance itself from Hamas, cultivate discreet friendships with both Israel and Iran, and focus on protecting its own prosperity. Ultimately, this will be a test of how ideological Qatar truly is; whether it clings to its role as patron and mediator or quietly chooses pragmatism in an effort to safeguard its territorial integrity.
Inzamam Rashid is Monocle’s Gulf correspondent. For more on yesterday’s strikes tune in to ‘The Globalist’ on Monocle Radio.
