Defending the impossible

As the trial of those accused of involvement in the 2015 Paris attacks progresses, France is transfixed by its accounts of grief, trauma and terror. But while populists are weaponising the unfolding drama to garner support, others see it as a test of what the nation stands for.
Into the abyss

The International Seabed Authority is the most important club you’ve never heard of. We gain exclusive access to mine its depths.
Can the Republicans take the centre ground?

Who should lead the Republicans into the next presidential election? Can – and should – they try to regain their old voice of moderation? Or are they now the party of Donald Trump and his supporters? Monocle’s panel debates the future of the Grand Old Party.
New frontier

A flurry of young, dynamic industries and high-spirited entrepreneurs is breathing new life into this booming western outpost.
Talk of the town

Cocktails and conversation have flowed at Schumann’s for 40 years. Monocle samples the secret ingredient to shaking up the night.
Scene stealers

The future of cinema doesn’t lie just in flashy CGI and digital wizardry. These three firms are proving that analogue and tactile techniques, from putting puppets in horror films and designing the perfect props, still play a huge role in bringing the silver screen to life.
Head of steam

As global demand for saunas rises, a 72-year-old company in rural Finland is turning up the heat.
Moving pictures

From K-pop to movies, entertainment group CJ ENM is a South Korean powerhouse. Now CEO Kang Ho-Sung is taking Hollywood.
Taking on the world

From a compassionate migration thriller to an exhibition on compulsive image-making, we survey the season’s cultural highlights.
Nation buildings

Architects are using their craft to give Ghana an optimistic narrative fit for the 21st century. Can they ‘ignite the ambition of a country’?
Measuring up

If your home is in need of a fresh focal point or statement piece, consider these seven perfectly formed design items.
Remaking a masterpiece

A modernist home in subtropical São Paulo has been carefully restored by one of the city’s best architects. We take an exclusive tour of this Brazilian beauty.
Going the distance

With the world opening up, Finnair is poised to fly out of the gate with an ambitious refit of its long-haul fleet – in particular, a bold re-imagining of what Business Class can be.
Class of its own

Fashion schools tend to be either technical or conceptual. Yet Florence’s Polimoda is stitching together a new approach, promoting both practical skills and artistic experimentation. We meet some of its creative leaders and learners, who are changing the look of the industry.
Spring awakening

As the world wakes up to new opportunities, make sure to be dressed for the occasion.

Design: Products / Global

Measuring up

If your home is in need of a fresh focal point or statement piece, consider these seven perfectly formed design items.

By: Sonia Zhuravlyova

Photography: Michael Bodiam

W163 Lampyre
Wästberg, Sweden
In collaboration with French designer Inga Sempé, Swedish brand Wästberg has crafted a lamp made almost entirely of mouth-blown, white opal glass. Taking its name from the French word for “glow worm”, the w163 Lampyre has a soothing gleam, whether it’s dimmed or turned all the way up.
wastberg.com

Wall hanging
Twenty Twenty One, UK
The Anni Albers wall hanging, designed in 1925, is a prime example of the renowned designer’s unerring eye for textile colours and textures. Its historic pattern has been reissued using surplus yarn from Yorkshire, which has been carefully matched to the original.
twentytwentyone.com

Butterfly chair
L Ercolani, UK
Producing furniture that prioritises function but is still beautifully designed, Italian-born Lucian Ercolani revolutionised mid-century British design as founder of Ercol. Launched in 1956, the Butterfly chair is a refined piece that defined the company’s output. Today it is made from ash timber with a steam-bent ply seat and comes in a range of new finishes.
lercolani.com

MC 22 Filo chair
Mattiazzi, Italy
The handsome Filo chair, designed by brothers Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec, stands out for its graphic sensibility and minimal environmental footprint. The solid-wood frame is made from European beech and the seat is fashioned from strong fabric cord.
mattiazzi.eu

Bruno armchair
SCP, UK
This snug armchair has been conceived by London’s Studioilse to allow for a more personalised and relaxed way of sitting. The frame and armrests, one higher than the other, are wrapped in plump upholstery, offering the cosiness of a sofa on a handily compact footprint.
scp.co.uk

Corinth side table
Loehr, Germany
Berlin-based design company Loehr takes inspiration from architecture and its products have a sophisticated form that brings their function to the fore. The Corinth side table, made from solid beech slats, is modest in size and impact, which makes it a welcome addition to any kind of interior.
loehr.co

Iso-Lounge
Isokon Plus, UK
The Iso-Lounge chair is the first collaboration between Isokon Plus, which is renowned for its pioneering work with plywood, and designer Jasper Morrison. It is sleek and lightweight but reassuringly sturdy too; Morrison played with plywood layering to make it flexible and responsive in all the right places.
twentytwentyone.com

Editor’s Letter

The Opener

Inside Track

World is watching

My Cabinet: Embassy of Denmark

What’s in a name

Affairs

Comment

Business

Culture

Architecture

Defending the impossible

Into the abyss

Can the Republicans take the centre ground?

New frontier

Talk of the town

Scene stealers

Head of steam

Moving pictures

Taking on the world

Nation buildings

Measuring up

Remaking a masterpiece

Going the distance

Class of its own

Spring awakening

All aboard

Tracking changes

Ensemble cast

Growing pains

Dream team

Into the woods

Born again

Jail breakers

Nostalgic neon

Slice things up

Upper crust

Sleeper hits

Hello trolley

Snappers’ delight

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