Design
Page 152
Inking ahead
A national pride in the handwritten has forged a Japanese industry exporting more than ever. With innovation showing no signs of letting up, we visited the sharpest tools in the pencil case.
Step ahead
The popularity of Goro climbing boots on and off the mountains is testament to the brand’s unique shoe-making process.
Generation game
Traditional craftsmen and young designers are combining to create a new Kuramae.
License to kiln
In Cunha, Brazil, Japan's ancient legacy of firing and glazing lives on. Monocle meets the people keeping the ceramic tradition alive in this quiet colonial town between São Paulo and Rio.
Art of the ages
From cedar bentwood to eyewear, Japan’s dedicated craft capitals are an enlightening model of traditional manufacturing. We explore towns keeping ancient skills alive in the modern age.
Art of war: Afghanistan
With an exhibition of his artwork of war-torn Afghanistan opening at the Imperial War Museum North, artist and illustrator George Butler received a visit from Monocle films. His ink-and watercolour scenes bring a new…
Making a point
In a competitive world driven by technological advances, some artisan producers are staying resilient and challenging the mass-produced industry. Monocle films visits entrepreneurs in Istanbul, Cape Town and Mallorca who champion the art of…
Hospitality lessons
Be it an airport lounge or a cinema, feeling at ease is hugely dependent on your surroundings. Monocle films meet with the design experts crafting the warmest welcomes.
Modern lovers
In the California desert, an old bank has been reborn as an oasis of mid-century style. The Palm Springs Architecture and Design Center signals a new cultural revival for the city.
Keeping it local
When relocating from the US to Thailand, the couple behind design practice Studiomake decided to take the best ideas from the nation’s provincial architecture to use for their own home-cum-studio.
