November / Global
At the front
Our new-look Opener offers an inside view into the world of Monocle. Come on in...
HOW WE LIVE: ACTION PLAN
Open season
Tyler Brûlé on why Monocle is expanding – and subtly sprucing up the shops you already love.
When you spend much of your time covering the forces that make cities tick, seeking out neighbourhoods in the midst of reinvention and trotting around trade fairs examining fresh innovations, there’s a certain exhilaration and pressure that come with getting the opportunity to put your on-page coverage into practice. If you’re a regular at The Monocle Shop in Hong Kong’s St Francis Yard or our café in London, you might have noticed workers coming and going, and hoardings being fixed into place. And if strolling down rue Bachaumont in Paris’s 2nd arrondissement is part of your commute, you might have seen a large “coming soon” sign across the front of our future flagship in the city.
Over the coming weeks, our team and partners will be working at speed to get our spaces up and running for Christmas (yes, I’m even pushing for Paris), while we consider which locations in our portfolio are due for a refresh and where we need to establish new premises. Our set-up on Zürich’s Dufourstrasse, which incorporates a café/bar, kiosk, shop and radio studio in one space, is the dream model for Paris and future locations in key markets.
When we throw open the doors in the French capital, it will mark the start of our next phase of expansion. We want to stay close to you, our faithful reader, to ensure that we have engaging spaces where you can purchase our fine editions, linger over a flat white or pass the evening with a bottle from a fine Porquerolles vineyard. If you happen to know of any places that might work in Munich, Geneva or Milan, drop a note to me at tb@monocle.com. Merci. —
In the moment
Over the past month, the monocle team has recorded an episode of The Urbanist in partnership with the Holcim Foundation at London’s Natural History Museum and launched the latest issue of Konfekt at the Sotheby’s Salon in Bucherer’s Zürich outpost. We also joined forces with Parisian footwear brand Jacques Solovière at our London shop.
London: Jacques Solovière 3 The Monocle Shop, 27 September
An exclusive trunk show at our shop
Things we learned
Three take-homes from our correspondents, reporting from cities from Barcelona to Milan. —
1. In season
16 months
How long it took Bally’s Milan-based creative director, Simone Bellotti, to transform the Swiss label into a must-see at fashion weeks.
2. Special envoys
Pop quiz
Q: Which of Brazil’s foreign missions has the most full-time diplomats?
A: Buenos Aires, closely followed by Washington.
3. Culture capital
Does density equate to creativity?
Catalonia’s L’Hospitalet de Llobregat is proving this to be true, luring artists away from central Barcelona.
Forthcoming events
The end of summer doesn’t mean a shortage of social occasions. Here are some key dates for your diary. —
Pop-up café, London
The smell of espressos will waft from our London HQ as our own coffee truck opens in the Midori House courtyard. Get your caffeine hit here while The Monocle Café on Chiltern Street is closed for renovations.
Throughout November
Retail at Frame, Dubai
monocle will set up shop at Frame in D3 during Dubai Design Week. Our full selection will be available to buy.
5-10 November
Bucherer, New York
We’ll be hosting an event with Swiss watchmaker Bucherer, bringing together leading creatives, designers and more.
24 October
Visit monocle.com to find out more
Barrie X Monocle
Cashmere cardigan with ribbed detailing
€1,590
monocle has partnered with Paris-based Barrie to create this cardigan. Part of Chanel’s Métiers d’Art collection since 2012, Barrie works with one of Scotland’s oldest cashmere-knitwear manufacturers to create seasonal favourites of exceptional quality. Designed in Paris and woven in Scotland. —
HOUSE VIEW
Christopher Lord
Christopher Lord is monocle’s US editor, based in Los Angeles. Always on the road, he previously ran our office in Turkey and reported across the Middle East. Here, he shares some insights about his beat. —
How will Monocle be covering the US election?
I’ll be with the Monocle Radio team, broadcasting live from Atlanta in the days leading up to the election in November. Georgia is a crucial swing state. Its capital has seen an influx of people from across the US in recent years, which has reshaped its politics as much as its skyline. For election day, I’ll decamp to Washington, from where monocle will be reporting through the night. Expect to hear me and others dashing between watch parties and our broadcast point on a rooftop looking out to Capitol Hill.
Any highlights from your coverage of the campaign trail?
Reporting from the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, where there was a lot of optimism, momentum and striking headgear on display among delegates. Shoutout to those from Washington state in their flashing cowboy hats. Kamala Harris sought to spin herself as a change candidate, even though she has been in office for the past three and a half years. That’s politics in action.
You have also spent a lot of time in the Gulf for events such as Dubai Design Week. What makes design special in the region?
There’s an ongoing search for a design language that fits these rapidly growing cities. Materiality is so important. The best designers are incorporating local fibres and organic forms into their work, which are part of the region’s heritage. There’s also a focus on transport. Mobility start-up Peec has found a way to transform tired Dubai taxis into road-ready electric vehicles.
Correspondent’s corner
We get a read on the world with our global network of reporters from Toronto to Singapore.
Culture in the French capital
Simon Bouvier, bureau chief, Paris
To stay warm this November, monocle’s Paris office is relying on a red-hot culture agenda. International photography fair Paris Photo (pictured below) will take over the freshly renovated Grand Palais, while there’s also a newly opened Christofle exhibit at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs, which retraces the history of the famed goldsmith. I’m also planning to visit the scientists at experimental nuclear-fusion facility iter in the south of France to hear about their efforts to create energy through a process similar to that of the sun.
Creativity in southeast Asia
Naomi Xu Elegant, writer, Singapore
November is a month for creativity in Singapore. I’ll be attending the Affordable Art Fair, Singapore Writers Festival, Singapore International Film Festival and World Architecture Festival. It’s a packed schedule that involves scoping out new poets, artists and filmmakers. I’ll also be keeping an eye on Indonesia, whose new president will be a month into his first term, and monitoring elections as far afield as the Pacific Island nation of Palau.
Time to travel in North America
Tomos Lewis, correspondent, Toronto
Regular customers at The Monocle Shop are already making plans to escape the cold (there has been an increase in travel-bag sales). Planning for monocle’s festive market in early December is also under way. A trickier date to pin down, however, is that of Canada’s next election: the idea of a snap vote is gaining steam, so I’ll be ready to report at a moment’s notice. —
