Monocle Weekend
Edition: Saturday

Who ever said fashion repeats itself? Harlem couturier Dapper Dan rose to prominence in the 1980s when he kitted out black celebrities in clothes that riffed on designs from luxury labels, including Gucci, before closing in 1992. Now, 25 years later, he’s collaborating with the Italian house to reopen that shop. The new atelier, which was unveiled this week on Lenox Avenue (close to the original location), will offer clients the opportunity to have bespoke garments made for them by “Dap” himself, using Gucci materials and prints. The project is part of a wider creative partnership: Dan is the star of Gucci’s current tailoring ad campaign and a Gucci x Dapper Dan capsule will be part of the house’s autumn/winter 2018 collection.

It’s been a while coming but the clown film of the year is here (just when you thought it was safe to assume it was It). Bingo: The King of the Mornings is a dark and stormy tale based on the life of Arlindo Barreto, whose “Bozo” the clown bestrode Brazilian TV in the 1980s. Daniel Rezende’s feature film directorial debut shines a spotlight on the superstar clown – renamed for copyright reasons – and the drug-addicted man behind the makeup, a former porn star who cringes with existential angst every time he laces up the big shoes to entertain the nation’s children. Lewd, rude and happy-sad, Bingo is an expertly drawn portrait of the dark side of the painted smile.

Burma-born British wit Hector Hugh Munro, better known by his pen name Saki, is best remembered for the drollery of his short stories that so cleverly lampooned and lambasted the pretences and earnestness of Edwardian Britain. Christmas with Dull People is a slim new edition of Saki’s yarns from the talented souls at London imprint Daunt Books. The new paperback is stuffed with four telling tales about surviving the festive period, including the lottery of present-giving, the agony of Yuletide holidays with solemn aunts and a nifty solution for circumventing dull thank-you notes. A perfect tongue-in-cheek Christmas present for that difficult-to-please family member.

Come January, pushing a sledge or running with a parachute may not be everyone’s idea of burning off the excess Christmas weight but that’s not stopped Technogym from adding these training regimes to its calorie-shedding new exercise machine. The Italian fitness-equipment manufacturer has built the first treadmill that combines cardio training and resistance workouts. Developed with Olympic athletes, the “Skillrun” allows runners to perform a variety of workouts that recreate the feeling of outdoor running while tapping into the trend for high-intensity interval training. Looks like we may not need that personal trainer in the new year, after all.

We head to a remote part of Canada where the autumn frosts marked the start of an intense berry-picking season.

Australia’s drinking and dining scene is thriving. Monocle Films visits three restaurants in Sydney, Melbourne and Hobart that share a passion for good food and honest ingredients.