Collectable design is on the rise. While there’s no hard-and-fast definition of the term, it can encompass everything from bespoke contemporary pieces and limited-edition creations to rare, out-of-production works from mid-century masters. For proof of the sector’s growing popularity, you only have to look to major auction houses such as Christie’s, Phillips and Sotheby’s. In June this year they collectively reported a year-on-year increase in design sales of 62.3 per cent.

Experts suggest that this sales spike is thanks to growing budgets for interior fit-outs; institutional buying; and clearer auction records that demonstrate design’s investment value. The trend is also reflected in the rise of collectable-design events – and the mother of them all is Design Miami. Its 20th-anniversary edition is taking place in its namesake city this week, featuring 70 exhibitors from across the globe. Monocle attended the preview yesterday and picked up these industry tips from the trade floor.

1. Blur boundaries
There are plenty of parallels between the fine-art and collectable-design markets, so the two could learn from each other. At Design Miami, Roosendaal-based Mass Modern Design is presenting works by the likes of David Delthony and Studio Job, which blur these disciplinary boundaries. “It challenges our perception of daily life, transforming furniture into a medium for artistic expression,” says the gallery’s founder, Etienne Feijns. “It can provoke thought, evoke feeling and elevate the spaces that we inhabit into experiences of art itself.”

2. Find room for industry
If collectable design is focused on rare or bespoke pieces, where does that leave industrial production powerhouses? Certainly not out of the picture, according to high-end appliance specialists Gaggenau, which won a Monocle Design Award earlier this year. In Miami, the German brand is presenting its Expressive Series oven on a monolithic wall of deep-green marble. “Being present at a collectable design fair lets us engage with an audience that values objects for their cultural and material qualities,” says Gaggenau’s managing director, Peter Goetz. “It’s the right context to show off our appliances for what they truly are: thoughtfully crafted design pieces.”

3. Bring design to the people
To share the power of design with the public, the event makes an effort to bring the fun of the fair beyond the marquee with its annual commission in Miami Design District. It’s an important initiative that installs work in the civic realm. This year’s winning project by New York-based Katie Stout is called “Gargantua’s Thumb” and features sculptural benches drawn from the forms of miniature clay animal figures.

4. Lean on the past
New York-based gallery Superhouse has titled its showcase American Art Furniture: 1980-1990, a reflection on what its founder and director, Stephen Markos, says is a defining period in design history. “Many of the works on view were made in small studios, far from the mainstream industry, and they collectively defined a new American avant-garde,” says Markos. “The decade’s energy reflected broader cultural shifts; artists pushing against convention, questioning identity and using materiality as a form of rebellion.” It’s a noble brief for today’s designers.

5. Expand your horizons
In this case, to the Gulf – or at least that’s what Design Miami is doing. The fair’s CEO, Jennifer Roberts, announced a new, multi-year partnership with Dubai-based cultural organisation Alserkal. The organisation will curate a flagship fair in early 2027, reflecting the simultaneous rise of collectable design and Gulf markets.

Nic Monisse is Monocle’s design editor. For more news and analysis, subscribe to Monocle today.

Read next: Salone del Mobile launches ‘Raritas’ as collectable design booms among younger buyers

All eyes might still be on JD Vance as Trump’s heir apparent but there’s no guarantee that the current vice-president will lead the Republican ticket in 2028. Recent polling might suggest that Vance is the favourite but within the White House, a new suspect is emerging. That would be secretary of state Marco Rubio, who has quietly become the most effective player in the Trump administration. 

While it is sometimes difficult to determine what Vance actually does each day, Rubio’s agenda is loud and clear – particularly as it pertains to Trump’s ambitions for Latin America. It was Rubio, back in September, who laid out the president’s brazen policy of destroying what the US believes are narcotics-laden speedboats heading from the Caribbean to the country. “Blow them up if that’s what it takes” said Rubio in fluent Spanish, referring to foreign criminal and drug-trafficking organisations during a press conference alongside the minister of foreign affairs of Ecuador in Quito. That week, the US launched the campaign of Caribbean speedboat attacks that has now claimed more than 80 lives.

Rubio’s ascent comes as Trump is losing ground with Latinos, who voted for the president in record numbers last November. Recent data from the Pew Research Center paints a gloomy picture, revealing that 70 per cent of Latinos disapprove of the way that Trump is handling his job.

The chief culprit here is Trump’s punitive immigration policy, which 65 per cent of Latinos view negatively. As a Latino and son of Cuban immigrants, Rubio makes for an obvious middleman between leery Hispanics and an aggressive administration. But this would be a thankless proposition made impossible by images of ICE officers separating Latino families. The president also puts scant stock in identity politics and its potential optics, no matter how favourable. 

Instead, Trump has Rubio shuttling across the globe. In October it was to Israel to tout Trump’s fragile Gaza ceasefire, then to Asia to support his boss at the Asean summits. And, most recently, he was in Geneva and Florida to negotiate the fate of Ukraine. Back home, Rubio sits mere feet away from Vance in the West Wing when dignitaries come to town, both within touching distance of their potential kingmaker. 

Whether in Washington or on the road, Rubio’s focus on foreign policy places him front and centre, while avoiding the domestic crises – from the Jeffrey Epstein saga to the government shutdown – eroding the administration’s appeal. Most meaningfully, as was the case in Ecuador, Rubio is often delivering key administration messaging directly in Spanish to populations who appreciate authentic engagement. 

Though Washington-watchers are pushing a Vance-first narrative for 2028 – one which the media insists that Rubio supports – Trump’s world is nothing if not built on contradictions. Remember, no one really thought that Vance would be selected for vice-president until he was. 

Still, Vance’s sheer familiarity will work against Rubio. Which is why a likelier scenario – at least among convention-minded observers – is a Vance-Rubio ticket in 2028. Such a pairing would solidify Maga’s legacy both at home and abroad, while transforming a pair of adversaries into convenient-yet-mighty allies. But this would also result in the awkward pairing of a vice-president far older and vastly more politically experienced than his president. Vance, after all, had only been US senator for two years before he assumed his current role; Rubio more than seven times that before he was sworn in as secretary of state.

With all indications that the US is about to do something in Venezuela, December might prove to be Rubio’s most diplomatic outing yet. The entire world will undoubtedly be watching, including his boss, forever testing his protégé for a still uncertain future. 

David Kaufman is a writer and editor based in New York. For more opinion, analysis and insight, subscribe to Monocle today.Want more? Charlotte McDonald-Gibson knows where the Maga crowd hangs out after work and it’s not all bad. Take a look inside the raucous Butterworth’s restaurant here.

Monocle’s latest book, ‘Switzerland: The Monocle Handbook’, scales new heights to bring the country’s best bits within reach. Here, we share 25 winter experiences, from sumptuous suites to top labels, as well as the locals to meet.

1.
Hotel Olden, Gstaad
The most elegant stay

The small-world feel of Hotel Olden belies its reputation as a bon vivant hangout in the 1970s where locals would rub shoulders with the great and the good. Built in 1690, it underwent multiple transformations until it was turned into an elegant hospitality establishment in 1952. In the kitchen, Abruzzo-born chef Nico Lusi mixes Mediterranean and international recipes with southern-Italian accents, creating delights including homemade gnocchi cacio e pepe with truffle and penne alla vodka with beef pastrami.
hotelolden.com

2.
Casa Caminada, Fürstenau, Graubünden
The best gastronomic guesthouse

Fürstenau is one of those idyllic Swiss towns where life moves at a slow, deliberate pace. It’s also where chef Andreas Caminada opened his first restaurant in 2003. His three-Michelin-star establishment at Schloss Schauenstein is the jewel of the region’s gastronomic map, so having a guesthouse on the site quickly became part of the plan. He asked Bündner architect Gion A Caminada to transform two stables into a contemporary stay. The result is Casa Caminada’s 10 tasteful rooms, with a view of Fürstenau and the surrounding mountains.
casacaminada.com

3.
Michelhaus, Ernen, Valais
The perfect chalet stopover

Once a neglected chalet, Michelhaus was reimagined as a luxurious two-apartment retreat by Reto Holzer. He bought the house in 2020 and now visitors can enjoy its 400-year-old floors, a stone hearth (complete with the coat of arms of the original owners, Christen and Frena Michel), antique milking stools, cowbells and brocante paintings. Other furnishings include Carl Hansen chairs and Mies van der Rohe’s Barcelona daybed, and all beds are by Hästens. “I like the mix of old and new,” he says. “We want our guests to feel at home – relaxed, comfortable and welcomed.”
michelhaus.ch

4.
Suvretta House, St Moritz
The most striking mountain views

In 1911 hotelier Anton Bon stood at the foot of the Upper Engadine mountains and decided to build a hotel. Today this storybook castle boasts 171 lavish rooms and 10 suites. The main lobby opens into a vast columned space with large windows looking onto Lake Champfèr. The Grand Restaurant offers French fare by executive chef and St Moritz local Fabrizio Zanetti, and requires formal dress. “People ask me whether the tie rule will be around for long,” says co-general manager Peter Egli. “We say, as long as Hermès makes ties, we will keep the tradition.”
suvrettahouse.ch

5.
Grand Hotel Belvedere, Wengen, Berne
The grandest getaway

In the secluded village of Wengen in the Lauterbrunnen valley, you’ll find the Grand Hotel Belvedere. The hotel reopened in May 2025 after renovations to return it to its original belle époque splendour. “It was essential for us to adopt the Alpine construction philosophy of that era,” says Swiss architect Arnaud Christin, who spearheaded the work. There are two restaurants and two bars, each with distinct atmospheres, while the 90 state-of-the-art rooms and suites are adorned with handmade carpets and bespoke pine furniture.
beaumier.com

6.
Oxen, Küsnacht, Zürich
The best for hearty seasonal dishes

Once a traditional restaurant called Ochsen, Oxen serves fresh takes on hearty classics while being true to the spirit of the neighbourhood, near Lake Zürich. Founded by Monocle’s Tyler Brûlé and associates, it offers seasonal dishes and, for stays, seven sleeper-car-inspired guest rooms, as well as a Monocle Apartment.
oxen.ch

7.
Brasserie Bodu, Lucerne
A tasteful stop-off

French brasserie Bodu feels more like an art deco Parisian outpost than a Swiss stübli. Classics such as salad niçoise, bouillabaisse and moules-frites are served in all their Gallic splendour. But this wouldn’t be a brasserie without a well-researched wine list. Every year, its team makes a pilgrimage to Bordeaux’s vineyards.
brasseriebodu.ch

8.
Roberto, Geneva
The city staple

The generations of Genevans who return to Roberto, established in 1945, attest to the restaurant’s unwavering dedication to genuine Italian fare. Roberto Carugati wanted to create an authentic trattoria serving up the flavours of his homeland. Members of the Accademia Italiana della Cucina, which protects Italy’s culinary heritage around the world, the Carugatis are devoted to keeping the legacy of their forefathers alive. Try the tomato and basil risotto, which features Tuscan olive oil, Carnaroli rice, fresh butter and parmesan.
restaurantroberto.ch

9.
Chez Dany, Verbier
The elevated Swiss menu

Offering exceptional Swiss fare, Chez Dany sets itself apart with dishes such as smoked trout with sauce vierge and baked camembert with pear jam. Its menu crosses borders, proffering a Helvetian spin on Iberian croquetas and Milanese ossobuco. Post-meal, diners can hop on Chez Dany’s snowcat to return to Verbier.
instagram.com/chezdanyverbier

10.
Restaurant Bergführer, Sertig-Dörfli, Graubünden
The time-tested Alpine institution

In the Sertig valley is Restaurant Bergführer, a 450-year-old establishment now under chef Nina Eyer. She adds pops of spice to her dishes, balanced by deep umami and bright citrus. In Swiss style, patrons arrive by ski and even horseback.
sertigtal.ch

11.
James and Natacha Baron, Krone Säumerei am Inn, Graubünden
An irresistible spin on a historic stay

James and Natacha Baron run the historic 18-room Krone Säumerei am Inn in Upper Engadine. The couple took over the hotel in 2022 and, within three months, its restaurant, La Chavallera, was awarded a Michelin star. “We weren’t expecting such a warm welcome,” says James.
krone-lapunt.ch

12.
Gian and Florian Grundböck, Deux Frères, Zürich
The best for inventive tipples

Brothers Gian (pictured, left) and Florian Grundböck (right) founded Deux Frères with an inventive spirit and a love for a good drink. Starting with a gin based on 25 botanicals, the distillery also now makes vermouth, rosé and sparkling wines.
deuxfreresspirits.com

13.
Ini Archibong, Design by Ini
The most artfully crafted pieces

Ini Archibong is a California-born creative with Nigerian roots who moved to Switzerland in 2014, having founded his studio Design by Ini in 2010. He is known for his artfully crafted pieces, ranging from furniture to watches, for brands such as Hermès, Knoll and Sé, and his work has been displayed at galleries and museums including The Met in New York. “I came to Switzerland to study and one of the major things that I learned was the level of Swiss craftsmanship,” says Archibong. “I travelled by train all over the country meeting craftsmen.”
designbyini.com

14.
Charlatan Restodisco, Zürich
Best for a ball

At Charlatan Restodisco, haute cuisine meets the dance floor (featuring one of the largest disco balls in Europe). Established in 2022, the venue offers a mix of dishes such as lobster pasta and oysters, with drinks including the punchy Charlatan tiki (rum, pineapple, amaretto and Cointreau). It’s open from 18.00 on Wednesdays to Saturdays and the dancing starts at 22.00. “We want our guests to feel glamorous, as though they’ve stepped into a different world,” says co-owner Patrick Calame-Longjean (pictured). “It’s a combination of elegance, extravagance and effortless fun.”
restodisco.ch

15.
Apfelgold, Berne
For something fruity

Donat Berger baked his way to success by hosting schnouse every other Wednesday in his home. This Bernese pastime of sampling sweet snacks between meals developed into a business in 2012, when Apfelgold was born. The apple-shaped sign hanging above the entrance hints at the key ingredient. “When I was a kid, we had a few apple trees,” says Berger. “We took the harvest to the cider maker, who pressed the juice for us.” At Apfelgold, you can taste apple varieties as a juice, cider, non-alcoholic spritz or purée. As for baked goods, chocolate, crème brûlée and other fruit options are on offer.
apfelgold.ch

16.
Collective Bakery, Zürich
The rising star

Inside a concrete pavilion next to the headquarters of footwear and sports brand On, a team of passionate bakers prepare goodies that blend culinary traditions. Experimentation is a core value at Collective Bakery. “We bring different experiences to our work and try to exchange our knowledge and talk through every product,” says baker and owner Nino Brüllmann. You might find sweet buns with seasonal fillings, pain suisse and Japanese shokupan on the counter. Among the most popular is a flaky variation of a hand-rolled French croissant, which sells by the hundreds.
collectivebakery.ch

17.
Jucker Farm, Seegräben, Zürich
The best for farm-to-fork food

Jucker Farm’s Juckerhof site in the village of Seegräben is run by Reto Benker (pictured, on right). It’s home to a restaurant, a bakery, a farm shop, a goat-petting zoo and a pick-your-own-produce experience. The adventure farm came to fruition in the 1990s, starting with Juckerhof and a pumpkin exhibition – which still draws visitors every autumn – and has expanded to three other farm shops across Switzerland. The restaurant offers a filling breakfast and, at weekends, a big brunch buffet. The shop sells an array of produce, including condiments and fresh bread from the on-site bakery.
juckerfarm.ch

18.
Zwahlen-Hüni, Saanen, Berne
The tailored solution

“From the start, we wanted to provide customers with a special retail experience,” says Philipp Zwahlen, the third-generation owner of Zwahlen-Hüni. The boutique mainly sells German and Austrian tracht (traditional) brands but there are also cardigans by Italian label Gran Sasso and cashmere by Doriani.
zwahlenhueni.ch

19.
Lindauer, Schwyz
The trustiest sledges

“Most people going down the mountain have been overtaken by a Lindauer at some point,” says Jo Lindauer (pictured, with daughters Viola, right, and Medea), who crafts sledges at his family’s shop. Lindauer makes about 200 sledges and some 70 toboggans every year.
lindauerschlitten.ch

20.
Tessanda, Santa Maria Val Müstair, Graubünden
The best for Swiss softies

One of Switzerland’s last remaining weaving mills, Tessanda uses natural yarns such as flax and silk, mostly sourced from local traders. Every item, created using antique weaving looms, has a small label featuring the weaver’s name. Its textiles primarily focus on homeware and tableware.
tessanda.ch

21.
Ebneter & Biel, St Moritz
For handmade linen

This family-owned hand-embroidery and home-textile business has been producing quality linen since 1880, originally in Appenzell. It later set up shop in St Moritz’s Badrutt’s Palace in 1911. Today, the shop is found on the Plazza dal Mulin in central St Moritz and is run by the fourth generation – Christian and Andrea-Rita Biel. “Everything is made by hand and it’s important that we know where everything comes from,” says Christian. The siblings have chosen not to expand or hire other staff, believing that customer service is best kept in the family.
ebneter-biel.ch

22.
Tempo, Lausanne
The finest international furniture

Inspired by their travels, business partners Pablo de Pinho and Ana Deffarges set up shop in the Swiss Alps in 2017. “Lausanne was missing something,” says De Pinho. The resulting collection features items by furniture ateliers from Copenhagen to Bangalore, plus leather goods, wicker and menswear.
tempodesignstore.com

23.
Atelier Bolt, Klosters, Graubünden
The best for contemporary art

Uster-born sculptor and painter Christian Bolt has created a vibrant cultural hub, turning a cowshed into a space for his interdisciplinary work and guest showcases. Atelier Bolt lets visitors discover one of Switzerland’s most celebrated contemporary artists.
bolt.ch

24.
Kunst Museum, Winterthur, Zürich
A treasure trove of artistic masterpieces

Across the Kunst Museum’s three buildings, visitors can find masterpieces from the 17th century onwards, including works by Liotard, Monet and Van Gogh, as well as part of the Oskar Reinhart Collection. Between exhibits, you can enjoy nearby cafés and the surrounding greenery.
kmw.ch

25.
Capitole, Lausanne
A picture of elegance

Switzerland’s largest cinema evokes the golden age of film. Capitole reopened in 2024 after its third renovation since the 1920s; original art deco features were restored with both cinephiles and design lovers in mind. A 140-seat subterranean screening room now accompanies the original 724-seat auditorium.
cinematheque.ch

‘Switzerland: The Monocle Handbook’ is out now.

Chalet Sofija
Gozd Martuljek, Slovenia

Gazing at the snow-covered peaks of Slovenia’s Julian Alps from the sun-kissed terrace of Chalet Sofija is not exactly hard work. Especially for guests reclining in the heated outdoor swimming pool, gently massaged by the bubbles in the water and, perhaps, refreshed by a glass of something similarly effervescent.

If the temperature starts to drop, they can retreat to the adjacent glass-fronted sauna or unwind with a massage in the spa. But for the couple who own and run this luxury hideaway up a steep, winding road, a short drive away from the bustling Kranjska Gora ski resort, this is the culmination of a lifetime of labour.

“I like to call it a retirement project,” says Aleksandra Rass with a chuckle. “After 75 years, this is an excellent last part of my life,” confirms her partner, Svetozar Raspopovic, a renowned Ljubljana restaurateur and chef who is universally known as Pope. “Relaxing with new guests and new experiences in an excellent place on top of the mountain.”

It does rather depend on one’s definition of relaxation. The couple are very much hands-on hosts, preparing everything from breakfast made with freshly laid eggs to the sumptuous dinners featuring venison from neighbourhood hunters and cheeses from nearby farms. Raspopovic personally carves the oven-roasted rib-eye steak in front of diners, while Rass keeps guests informed about the provenance of the ingredients and offers tips for mountain hikes and road trips.

They say that Chalet Sofija is their home – and it feels like it, though an offer to help with the washing up was cheerfully rebuffed. The downstairs lounge has piles of books and magazines for leisurely perusing, while the five spacious bedrooms are named after the couple’s grandchildren. Each features an impressive, Slovenian-made Coufer sound system and a TV hidden inside a Roche Bobois console – not that you’ll want to enjoy that rather than the view.

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Charles Ingvar spirits
Vienna

Swedish-born industrial designer and engineer Billy Charles Ingvar Fransson began experimenting with spirit-making in Vienna during the pandemic, producing more than 100 varieties on his kitchen stove. His brand, Charles Ingvar, was launched in 2022, first with a botanical gin with a subtle touch of liquorice, followed by a fragrant limoncello and punchy herbal liqueur Sichuan Bitter.

Produced in small batches, the spirits’ ingredients include Austrian juniper for the gin and southern Italian lemons for the limoncello, which Fransson peels by hand. “It’s like something a nonna would make at home,” he says.

The labels on the apothecary-style bottles featuring soft, colourful shapes are the work of Viennese designer Daniela Bily. As for how to use his dry gin, Fransson suggests adding it to a citrus-forward martini, a refreshing tonic after a day on the slopes.

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Hotel Madrisa
Gargellen, Austria

In Austria’s Gargellen, the highest village in the Montafon valley, the mountain road ends abruptly. Just before the Schafbergbahn cable-car station, a dark wooden art nouveau façade rises proudly. Hotel Madrisa is named after the majestic 2,826-metre peak that marks the border between Vorarlberg in Austria and Graubünden in Switzerland. Built in 1906, the hotel still exudes the grandeur of early winter-sports tourism, when skiing was a pursuit of the sophisticated few.

The Rhomberg family has owned and operated the hotel since the 1930s and today, Monika Rhomberg and her children, Johanna and Paul, the third and fourth generation, continue this legacy. A painting in the rustic bar portrays the founder, Bertram Rhomberg. Each generation has left its imprint: Bertram’s wife, Midy, added a small ski lift to allow guests to ski in and out. “We have many regulars, some who once came here with their parents now return with their own children,” says Monika.

The current generations are keeping the hotel up to date. Most recently, the dining room – where guests now enjoy Alpine-inspired fine dining created by Czech chef Zdenek Cepera – has been redesigned with warm oak wood and intimate alcoves. But Johanna and Paul’s most beloved spot is the club room downstairs, where guests can let their hair down until the small hours.

1.
Kahlbacher
Austria

Kahlbacher, a family firm founded in Kitzbühel in western Austria, produces some of Europe’s largest and most powerful snow-blowing machines. It has supplied snow-clearing systems since its origins in 1949, when Toni and Marianne Kahlbacher established the company from their Alpine home.

Today their rotary-blower technology (in which blades at the front of the machine cut through snow and ice, before funnelling and firing it all from a chute up to 30 metres away) is a staple of the slopes. Large engines ensure that the vehicles can tackle mountain inclines and shelves of snowfall on everything from ski runs to cold-climate airfields.

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2.
Wado
Japan

Despite their modest size and hand-operation, Wado’s snow throwers pack a punch. The Japanese manufacturer was established in 1941 in Hanamaki in northern Japan, where lengthy winters are the norm. Today it is Japan’s largest maker, offering more than 20 models that are sold and exported globally, including in countries such as the US, Switzerland, Austria and France.

With the aid of a Honda engine, the company’s most popular model, the SXC1070HE, can remove 60 tonnes of snow per hour, according to Jugo Ono, Wado’s general manager. “By hand-operation standards, they’re powerful,” he tells Monocle. “All of our snow blowers are crawler models. In Japan, the population living in areas with heavy snowfall is among the highest in the world.”

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3.
Yarbo
USA

Robotics start-up Yarbo has developed the first snow-blowing robot. The autonomous device can be programmed to clear driveways and precisely deposit snow in specified zones. “We have a percentage of customers who say, ‘I like the idea of a robotic lawnmower but I enjoy getting the mower out in the sun,’” Kenneth Kohlmann, Yarbo’s co-founder, tells Monocle. “But that perspective doesn’t exist when it comes to shovelling snow in a blizzard. So the market for a snowblowing robot is much larger.”

The company had to develop technology to ensure that the robot would function in harsher weather. “Batteries don’t like the cold,” says Kohlmann. “So we created a patented one that has interwoven heating elements within it. Yarbo is designed to work through snowstorms. It can handle five feet of snow as well as it can handle a dusting of it.”

Illustrations: Andy Carter

German engineer Karl Kässbohrer had an epiphany while skiing in the Dolomites in 1967. With the wind in his face and snow all around, his mind turned to how vehicles made by his firm might one day help to clear the slopes.

Within two years his then-Ulm-based company – now called Kässbohrer Geländefahrzeug – added snow groomers to its stable. By 1972 these were busy at work at the Sapporo Winter Olympics in Japan, nudging the company ahead of the competition and into global expansion as alpine tourism gained momentum. Over the next six decades, it industrialised slope grooming. In 2022, Straits Research estimated that the sector would be worth $468m (€406m) by 2030 – of which Kässbohrer’s products, seen in resorts in countries from France to Japan, account for about 60 per cent.

Pistenbully, one of Kässbohrer’s operating brands, builds its machines at its HQ in Laupheim, a short drive from Ulm. They clear the way not only for pleasant skiing but also play an important role in reducing the risk of avalanches. Monocle watches a snow-grooming operation in eastern Switzerland shortly after the pistes have closed. It’s 17.00 and growing dark; the lights of a fleet of 20 berry-red machines illuminate the slopes.

Operators work both night and morning shifts every day of the ski season to cover 97km of pistes. The fleet creates smooth, even grooves that offer the perfect grip for snow sports while redistributing reserves and creating a firmer foundation for fresh snowfall. Over time, this highly technical exercise has become increasingly precise. Since 2011, the machines have been fitted with Snowsat, a slope-grooming system that allows operators to see snow depths in 2D, as well as technology to analyse overall coverage – an important ability in milder winters and with less predictable snowfall.

What’s next for Pistenbully? “Emission-free and partially autonomous driving,” says Michael Kuhn, the company’s vice-president of vehicle development. In 2019 the firm introduced its first fully electric model to address growing concerns about the environmental impact of snow maintenance. Always moving forward, Kässbohrer continues to smooth the way for innovation.
pistenbully.com

Snowed-in runways aren’t just a problem for the world’s northernmost climes. Texas’s Dallas Fort Worth (DFW) International Airport, for example, has a fleet of snow-clearing machines made by companies such as Oshkosh and Trecan, many of which are housed in a large €10m hangar. DFW even has a snowplough simulator so that crews can practise throughout the year for precipitation events that, while rare, can have a devastating effect on airport operations.

At Helsinki Airport, de-icing operations begin in September but the final snowfall of the year is anyone’s guess. In the winter of 2023-24, 30cm of snow blanketed the city on 22 April, more than a month after the spring equinox. “All summer we prepared for winter,” says Pyry Pennanen, former head of airfield maintenance at the Finnish aviation authority, Finavia. Among other things, Finavia’s team at Helsinki Airport must repaint the portions of the airfield scraped up by all the ploughing and sweeping of the previous winter.

In Finnish, a language with at least 40 words for different kinds of snow and frozen precipitation, pyry means “snowfall”. Whether Pennanen was destined for his former role is unclear but he clearly came to inhabit it. In a country with famously enduring winters, Pennanen’s task took on the tenor of a long military campaign.

Helsinki Airport has not been closed due to snow since 2003. Even then, it was “due to heavy snow on the antennas”, says Jani Elasmaa, vice-president of Finavia. Maintaining the airport’s 98.9 punctuality rate in the face of inclement weather requires 200 vehicles and some 60 permanent staff, plus an on-call network of more than 100. Then there are the annual orders, which include 1,000 tonnes of traction-enhancing grit and 1,500 tonnes of potassium formate (a granulated de-icing agent) – all paid for with an annual €40m budget.

When it comes to clearing the white stuff, it’s not all about the money. It’s also about the “snowhow” (see box, below), Finnish nous honed over the centuries and perfected by Finavia using state-of-the-art equipment. As snow begins to accumulate, a fleet of PSB (plough, sweep, blow) machines is dispatched to one of the airport’s three runways. Moving in an echelon pattern, with every machine ploughing a 5.5-metre swath, they can clear a runway in just 11 minutes.

With the flakes intensifying, the team takes Monocle on a runway tour in one of the 31-tonne, 21.1-metre-long Vammas PSB machines. These vehicles are designed to perform multiple tasks: first, they push through the snow with a plastic-edged plough, then a wheeled set of street-cleaner-style metal bristles brushes it up, before the trailing blower, which blasts out air at 430km/h, whooshes away any remaining flakes. The snow that the PSB machines leave on the side of the runways can be an obstruction for other vehicles, so the crew also deploys self-propelled snowblowers from Norwegian manufacturer Øveraasen, whose engines can shift up to 12,000 tonnes per hour.

While long-term weather patterns indicate less snowfall in Finland, the past few years have seen both dips and upswings. Recent winters have brought with them a new menace. “I don’t know if it’s climate change but freezing rain has become more frequent here in Helsinki,” says Elasmaa. Indeed, the last time the airport closed, in 2021, was because of super-cooled water hitting the tarmac. “We immediately had 3cm of ice on the runway,” he says. One way to combat this, says Elasmaa, is to leave the snow until the last possible moment to act as a sort of “shield” against ice build-up.

With snowflakes beginning to fall again, Monocle is directed towards a platoon of snow-removal machinery: a PSB machine, wheel loaders, a belt tractor with a snowblower, two highpowered snowblowers, one chemical spreader and a tractor. In a scene reminiscent of Mad Max – only with tundra instead of desert – an array of whirring and churning vehicles begins to send white jets and crystalline clouds into the dark winter sky.

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Avalanche control in North America requires bringing out the big guns

Winter might be cherished for its peace and quiet but in terrain prone to avalanches, a concussive boom can be a regular soundtrack. In ski resorts and along high-altitude highways, professionals have used explosives to trigger slides for decades. In North America, vintage military hardware has long been used for this purpose, from M101 howitzers used in the Second World War to Cold War-era M60 tanks.

But as ammunition supplies dwindle, armies recall artillery and transportation departments install remote detonation systems, these relics’ days appear to be numbered. This winter, for the first time, rather than load a shell, aim and fire as though they’re in the Battle of the Bulge, the highway crews responsible for Interstate 70 through the Colorado Rockies and Interstate 90 through Washington’s Cascade Mountains will use a modern, Swiss-designed Wyssen Avalanche Control system.

There is one holdout, however. Rogers Pass, where the Trans-Canada Highway cuts through the Selkirk Mountains in Glacier National Park, has the highest avalanche rating of any highway in North America, with 135 known slide paths. Parks Canada’s avalanche forecasters make the calls, while the Canadian Armed Forces still fire the shots with C3 howitzers. Operation Palaci employs 15 to 20 artillery specialists from November to April. Unofficially, the annual deployment is known as Canada’s longest-running hostilities: the Snow War.

The 2024 manifesto of the Austrian People’s Party (OVP) asserts that the country is at risk of losing its status as “ski nation number one”. Sport shapes cultures as much as language and skiing is to Austria what football is to Brazil. In 1972, when ski star Karl Schranz was disqualified from the Winter Olympics in Sapporo for letting his name be used in advertising, there were protests across Austria. Two of the country’s best-known crooners, Georg Danzer and André Heller, even recorded a song laying into Avery Brundage, the president of the International Olympic Committee at the time. While the tune, “Der Karli Soll Leb’n, Der Brundage Steht Daneb’n”, is still doing the rounds today and public opinion shows that skiing is still seen as one of the country’s cultural strengths, the number of Austrians who regularly take to the slopes is dwindling.

The reason for this is twofold. First, it’s costly and becoming more so. A study this year found that skiing costs in Europe have risen by 34.8 per cent above inflation since 2015, with Austrian resorts among the most affected. Second, compulsory (and free) multi-day winter sports trips for Austrian schoolchildren, known as schulsportwochen, were phased out in 1996. To boost participation, the government launched a programme that subsidised more than 1,000 pupils to participate in winter sports in 2024. But state and sporting bodies, including the OVP, have repeatedly pushed for snow sports to become mandatory again.

Austrian society is changing too. “There are many newcomer children in certain urban centres who have no experience with winter sports,” says Sonja Spendelhofer, inspector for PE and sport at Vienna’s central education authority. And while this throws up awkward questions of cultural integration, skiing remains an uncomplicated economic boon for the country. “Tourism and many areas of the economy depend on it,” says Spendelhofer. “If children do not learn how to ski, there will inevitably be a decrease in adults doing winter sports.” And where would Austria be then?

A snowball’s throw from Chamonix is the École Militaire de Haute Montagne, the French armed forces’ elite cold-weather training facility. Here, recruits learn to ski, march and fight on the postcard-pretty slopes. As the Arctic region becomes more geopolitically fraught, the expertise of the academy’s officers is increasingly sought out, as its commander-in-chief, Colonel Gaëtan Dubois, tells Monocle.

Anyone visiting Chamonix, the genteel ski resort at the base of Mont Blanc, should keep their eyes peeled for an unusual sight this year. Whether you are hiking halfway up the Aiguille du Midi or taking a cable car to the top of Le Brévent, look out for packs of skiers hauling heavy loads and clad in white camouflage parkas. They are probably cadets from the École Militaire de Haute Montagne (EMHM), an elite facility founded in 1932 to train French officers for combat at high altitudes and in extreme cold. The French military’s official definition of the latter is a consistent ambient temperature of minus 21C. It hardly ever gets that chilly in the Alps but the ability to operate in such conditions is becoming increasingly crucial. “Global warming has turned the Arctic into a strategic hot spot,” says Colonel Gaëtan Dubois, who runs EMHM. “And the integration of Sweden and Finland into Nato has heightened the need for operational readiness in extreme cold even further.”

In addition to training a class of 35 fresh-faced (and probably rosy-cheeked) cadets every year, the school is also a centre for studying the effects of very low temperatures on combatants. More than 600 officers, many from France’s Nato allies, attend training courses here annually. For those seeking more extreme challenges, some of the school’s advanced training programmes are conducted in the Arctic Circle. EMHM also plays a key role in readying French troops for Nato’s biannual Cold Response drills, which take place in the Norwegian Arctic. “Every aspect of preparation is critical,” Colonel Dubois tells Monocle. “In that environment, you can be neutralised before you even encounter the enemy.”

Puffer jackets are hard to get right. The amount of padding required means that elegance and design often come second. But a new wave of brands has been innovating in the previously slow-moving skiwear category and finding ways to marry performance with style.

Ukrainian designer Dmytro Ievenko’s label, Ienki Ienki, is becoming a go-to for down jackets that stand out in a sea of bulky, shapeless designs. This is partly thanks to signature details such as quilting, cinched waists and oversized collars. “We exist at the intersection of performance wear and the modern wardrobe,” says Ievenko.

Hailing from Kyiv, where thick coats and oversized scarves that keep out the cold are staples of residents’ winter wardrobes, the designer is well versed in creating sturdy outerwear, testing every detail before launching a product to market. He created an expedition suit for climber Antonina Samoilova, the first Ukrainian woman to climb Mount Kanchenjunga. “Every pattern or zipper is engineered to perform in cold-weather conditions – not just to look technical,” adds Ievenko.

He sources premium goose down from Ukrainian farms and lightweight Japanese or Italian nylon fabrics to manufacture his collections. All of his pieces are then crafted in Kyiv. Ievenko, who is now based in Milan, makes a point of continuing to run a studio in his hometown to help sustain the country’s manufacturing work force.

While most of the label’s padded coats transition easily from the slopes to cities, Ievenko also offers a dedicated ski range, including trousers cut in flattering flared shapes and ski suits fitted with a Recco electronic rescue system sensor. A ski poncho is also on offer for all those who would rather focus on après-ski.

The range received plenty of recognition, with top retailers such as Noa Boutique in Switzerland, Beams in Japan and Boon the Shop in South Korea placing orders. Now Ievenko is plotting his next chapter. “It will be about depth, rather than size – refining outerwear for new climates and expanding into knitwear and accessories,” he says. “What means the most to me is seeing our jackets being worn in real life, on the slopes. That’s when I feel that we have created something that truly connects with people.”
ienki-ienki.com