Monocle preview: How to Make a Nation

Monocle’s new-look autumn fashion special includes big interviews, fresh insights and canny ideas to get you through the season in style. Plus: our editors introduce you to 25 brands to help with your wardrobe refresh, visit the openings that you might have missed and share in-depth reports on everything from policing in the US and the politics of national dress to why South Americans want to study in Madrid. Pick up a copy of our latest issue today.

In Monocle’s latest publication, France: The Monocle Handbook, you’ll discover our most cherished Gallic spots. We tour the country, from Marseille to Montpellier, Biarritz to Brittany, stopping by the best bistros, elegant ateliers and storied hotels to find out what makes this refined nation the world’s most visited. Plus, if you’re looking to stay a little longer, this handbook also highlights the perfect neighbourhood for your new home, and introduces you to the plucky entrepreneurs who have already made the move. Pick up a copy today and rediscover this remarkable and varied country.

Currently serving 250,000 drinks a day, Tao Bin has become a staple in Thai malls, hospitals and offices since the brand launched in 2021. The machines boast freshly ground coffee, fizzy lemonades, protein shakes and more. Monocle Films travelled to Bangkok to see them in action.

The best hospitality projects delight visitors as much as locals. In this vein, businessman Yuta Oka transformed a series of historic buildings in the small town of Setoda into charming inns, a coffee roaster, a public bathhouse and more. Join us on a jaunt to the Seto Inland Sea.