The Opener
Cheesy travel tales, crop circles in Africa and a language-led rebellion in Taiwan. Plus: updates from our bureaux.Observation: Ural Motorcycles
Once a utilitarian Soviet vehicle, Ural Motorcycles are back in vogue. Junichi Toyofuku is taken for a spin.New York
The creative director of America’s oldest clothing brand on the preppy bounceback.My cabinet: Phillippe Schucht
The neurosurgical oncology team at the University Hospital of Bern have their patients’ brains on their minds. Here’s how they operate.
The Agenda
The stories you should be paying attention to and the ones you might have missed.Briefings
Australia’s soft-power icon and how technology is leaving some people behind.Politics
Updates from around the world.Comment
One foreign correspondent offers her view of the ethics of writing about other cultures.Business
Companies and industries making headlines – or soon to be.Culture
The latest from art fairs and auction houses to the silver screen and magazines.Urbanism
Abu Dhabi’s unique, new park and our design editor’s views on how taxis rank.Architecture
Lucy Maulsby on the complex inheritance of buildings erected during fascist-era Italy and their usage today.
Afghan diary
As the Taliban swiftly approached Kabul, many foreign journalists and photographers were already on their way out of the country. By the time all commercial flights were suspended on 15 August, British journalist Charlie Faulkner had decided to stay on the ground to report. Here she documents the fall of Afghanistan’s capital and the aftermath.The Chiefs: Kaja Kallas
Having taken over as Estonia’s prime minister amid the crises of coronavirus and regional instability, Kaja Kallas explains how her nation can lead the way for Europe.Affairs: The debate
Australia’s pandemic has been marked by robust early success and a restrictive, prolonged isolation that comes from resting on those laurels. Our expert Aussie panel discusses what both reveal about its national character – and what it might mean for the future.Pete Buttigieg
The surprise star of last year’s Democratic primaries, Pete Buttigieg was rewarded with a seat in Joe Biden’s cabinet with transport as his brief. Now the former mayor from Indiana hopes that fixing the creaking transit network in the US can connect the country in more ways than one.IAA Mobility
The motor-show format has stalled recently but a new approach could help the industry turn in an exciting direction. Here’s our steer from Munich’s IAA Mobility.The Chiefs: Ola Källenius
The chairman of the board at Mercedes-Benz tells us why the brand must lead the charge towards electrification and automation.Business school: Logos
Five designers and creative directors tell us what makes an effective logo and flag up their all-time favourites.Print media
Despite small budgets, Buenos Aires’ media firms offer a model for the success of local journalism.The Louvre
A behind-the-scenes quest is underway to preserve the world’s largest collection of art and antiquities that are now at threat from climate change.Autumn preview
From box-office draws to books and beats, we highlight the main attractions on the cultural calendar.Happy Medium
A decade on from its debut show, the always-on radio station that is Monocle 24 has become a much-loved and influential global broadcaster. Here’s how we did it.Rebuilding Beirut
We meet the visionary thinkers restoring Lebanon’s capital after last year’s devastating port explosion.Residence
In the Greek capital, a mid-century apartment block gets a modern facelift.Design: Products
New designs and tweaked classics deliver furniture that will elevate your home this season and beyond.Tread lightly
It’s the socially responsible brand that showed that doing good can look good too. Now Veja’s trainers are the go-to for cool teenagers and their mums. But what lies behind its success? Perhaps it’s that the founders aren’t trainer fans and refuse to borrow money – and don’t even want to talk about what they do.Fashion: Veja
It’s the socially responsible brand that showed that doing good can look good too. Now Veja’s trainers are the go-to for cool teenagers and their mums. But what lies behind its success? Perhaps it’s that the founders aren’t trainer fans and refuse to borrow money – and don’t even want to talk about what they do.Fashion: Menswear special
We profile 10 of the finest brands working in men’s style today, from casual collaborations and peerless watch-making to bold contemporary footwear.Fashion: Tokyo retailers
Whether they are subtly demonstrating how best to wear the season’s latest pieces or giving customers advice via text, Tokyo’s menswear shop staff are dedicated to helping their customers find their personal style.Hello tailor
We meet three leading figures in menswear, from a Parisian founder whose suits are seducing a generation to the creative steering a US icon in need of help, and the owner of an outdoor brand who understands fashion.French lessons
Refresh your everyday look with a softly tailored jacket or coat to shrug over the season’s jumper crop.Savoir faire
A crisp edit of autumnal fashion.Hidden layers
As the mercury falls, residents of the Japanese capital are keeping warm with subtle and quietly playful combinations.
Wake-up call
A serene Greek island resort is the stuff of dreams for both its well-travelled owner and its supremely relaxed guests.Design destination
In the first of a new series of journeys, we hit the road and head to the village of Noormarkku, western Finland, in search of superlative Finnish design.House and home
After being abandoned for 40 years, Villa Chamoun has now returned to its former glory as a hotel. We check in.At your convenience
The importance of having a shop stocking high-quality groceries and provisions on your doorstep, which also provides meaningful interactions, has been reawakened in recent times. These delis are a world away from a soulless shopping experience. We take a look at six of the finest examples in the UK capital.Feeling browsy
Looking for inspiration to live better? Here are some shops that impress us with their interiors, product picks and specialist know-how.Food briefings
The new restaurants, bistros and upscale spaces that are taking neighbourhood tucker to another level.Anything but ordinary
The Roca brothers are celebrated in their hometown of Girona for bringing the world to see and taste the wonders they have worked at El Celler de Can Roca. Their new restaurant, Normal, has taken a less formal turn.Florence: A triumph of style
For many, Florence embodies the kind of easy-going lifestyle that makes the world dream of Italy. Think of flutes of prosecco at aperitivo hour, sipped beside medieval palazzos; leisurely bike rides; and views of olive groves and hills lined with cypress trees. But most of all, it’s the elegant men of the city that leave a lasting impression.Top dog
The start of a new series that will make you smile.
Monocle’s October issue is all about new looks. From our style special to features about the businesses and industries to watch, we look at what’s happening around the world and what’s ahead. Inside you’ll find big interviews, thought-provoking arguments, long reads and stunning photography. Expect insights from experts on world affairs, design and the up-and-coming places to put on your next travel itinerary. Plus: our autumn culture preview, the season’s best fashion from Paris and Tokyo, and the shops and restaurants to seek out wherever you go.
Issue 147
October 2021
Editor's letter
Other
The Opener
Cheesy travel tales, crop circles in Africa and a language-led rebellion in Taiwan. Plus: updates from our bureaux.Observation: Ural Motorcycles
Once a utilitarian Soviet vehicle, Ural Motorcycles are back in vogue. Junichi Toyofuku is taken for a spin.New York
The creative director of America’s oldest clothing brand on the preppy bounceback.My cabinet: Phillippe Schucht
The neurosurgical oncology team at the University Hospital of Bern have their patients’ brains on their minds. Here’s how they operate.
The Agenda: Global briefings
The Agenda
The stories you should be paying attention to and the ones you might have missed.Briefings
Australia’s soft-power icon and how technology is leaving some people behind.Politics
Updates from around the world.Comment
One foreign correspondent offers her view of the ethics of writing about other cultures.Business
Companies and industries making headlines – or soon to be.Culture
The latest from art fairs and auction houses to the silver screen and magazines.Urbanism
Abu Dhabi’s unique, new park and our design editor’s views on how taxis rank.Architecture
Lucy Maulsby on the complex inheritance of buildings erected during fascist-era Italy and their usage today.
Global views: Long reads
Afghan diary
As the Taliban swiftly approached Kabul, many foreign journalists and photographers were already on their way out of the country. By the time all commercial flights were suspended on 15 August, British journalist Charlie Faulkner had decided to stay on the ground to report. Here she documents the fall of Afghanistan’s capital and the aftermath.The Chiefs: Kaja Kallas
Having taken over as Estonia’s prime minister amid the crises of coronavirus and regional instability, Kaja Kallas explains how her nation can lead the way for Europe.Affairs: The debate
Australia’s pandemic has been marked by robust early success and a restrictive, prolonged isolation that comes from resting on those laurels. Our expert Aussie panel discusses what both reveal about its national character – and what it might mean for the future.Pete Buttigieg
The surprise star of last year’s Democratic primaries, Pete Buttigieg was rewarded with a seat in Joe Biden’s cabinet with transport as his brief. Now the former mayor from Indiana hopes that fixing the creaking transit network in the US can connect the country in more ways than one.IAA Mobility
The motor-show format has stalled recently but a new approach could help the industry turn in an exciting direction. Here’s our steer from Munich’s IAA Mobility.The Chiefs: Ola Källenius
The chairman of the board at Mercedes-Benz tells us why the brand must lead the charge towards electrification and automation.Business school: Logos
Five designers and creative directors tell us what makes an effective logo and flag up their all-time favourites.Print media
Despite small budgets, Buenos Aires’ media firms offer a model for the success of local journalism.The Louvre
A behind-the-scenes quest is underway to preserve the world’s largest collection of art and antiquities that are now at threat from climate change.Autumn preview
From box-office draws to books and beats, we highlight the main attractions on the cultural calendar.Happy Medium
A decade on from its debut show, the always-on radio station that is Monocle 24 has become a much-loved and influential global broadcaster. Here’s how we did it.Rebuilding Beirut
We meet the visionary thinkers restoring Lebanon’s capital after last year’s devastating port explosion.Residence
In the Greek capital, a mid-century apartment block gets a modern facelift.Design: Products
New designs and tweaked classics deliver furniture that will elevate your home this season and beyond.Tread lightly
It’s the socially responsible brand that showed that doing good can look good too. Now Veja’s trainers are the go-to for cool teenagers and their mums. But what lies behind its success? Perhaps it’s that the founders aren’t trainer fans and refuse to borrow money – and don’t even want to talk about what they do.Fashion: Veja
It’s the socially responsible brand that showed that doing good can look good too. Now Veja’s trainers are the go-to for cool teenagers and their mums. But what lies behind its success? Perhaps it’s that the founders aren’t trainer fans and refuse to borrow money – and don’t even want to talk about what they do.Fashion: Menswear special
We profile 10 of the finest brands working in men’s style today, from casual collaborations and peerless watch-making to bold contemporary footwear.Fashion: Tokyo retailers
Whether they are subtly demonstrating how best to wear the season’s latest pieces or giving customers advice via text, Tokyo’s menswear shop staff are dedicated to helping their customers find their personal style.Hello tailor
We meet three leading figures in menswear, from a Parisian founder whose suits are seducing a generation to the creative steering a US icon in need of help, and the owner of an outdoor brand who understands fashion.French lessons
Refresh your everyday look with a softly tailored jacket or coat to shrug over the season’s jumper crop.Savoir faire
A crisp edit of autumnal fashion.Hidden layers
As the mercury falls, residents of the Japanese capital are keeping warm with subtle and quietly playful combinations.
Inventory and Expo: Where to go, buy and eat
Wake-up call
A serene Greek island resort is the stuff of dreams for both its well-travelled owner and its supremely relaxed guests.Design destination
In the first of a new series of journeys, we hit the road and head to the village of Noormarkku, western Finland, in search of superlative Finnish design.House and home
After being abandoned for 40 years, Villa Chamoun has now returned to its former glory as a hotel. We check in.At your convenience
The importance of having a shop stocking high-quality groceries and provisions on your doorstep, which also provides meaningful interactions, has been reawakened in recent times. These delis are a world away from a soulless shopping experience. We take a look at six of the finest examples in the UK capital.Feeling browsy
Looking for inspiration to live better? Here are some shops that impress us with their interiors, product picks and specialist know-how.Food briefings
The new restaurants, bistros and upscale spaces that are taking neighbourhood tucker to another level.Anything but ordinary
The Roca brothers are celebrated in their hometown of Girona for bringing the world to see and taste the wonders they have worked at El Celler de Can Roca. Their new restaurant, Normal, has taken a less formal turn.Florence: A triumph of style
For many, Florence embodies the kind of easy-going lifestyle that makes the world dream of Italy. Think of flutes of prosecco at aperitivo hour, sipped beside medieval palazzos; leisurely bike rides; and views of olive groves and hills lined with cypress trees. But most of all, it’s the elegant men of the city that leave a lasting impression.Top dog
The start of a new series that will make you smile.
