Monocle Weekend
Edition: Saturday

There’s a gleam in our eye this week as we sit down with the Prada Group’s Lorenzo Bertelli to talk about fashion’s power to change the world and consider a trend in political memoirs that’s so bland that it’s transparent. Then it’s off to Bangkok to exercise our mingling muscles at an event that’s giving networking a new face and the Monocle Concierge shows us the Basque way in San Sebastián. Here to debrief us on his return from Istanbul, a rejuvenated Andrew Tuck…

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In the normal routine after The Monocle Quality of Life Conference finishes, the team disperse and, as the adrenalin fades, a silence sets in. After the Athens edition, a few of us went to see the Acropolis but ended up having a long lunch in the most random of restaurants – everyone a little ruined. Post the Vienna conference, I recall having a sunny team beer and barely a word being uttered. This past weekend, however, after the close of the Istanbul edition, we took a squad of our Patron subscribers on a side trip to the Maçakızı resort in Bodrum (I know Tyler is going to talk about this pit stop tomorrow, so I won’t say too much here regarding our great hosts).

Despite the flight from Istanbul to Bodrum being delayed, and everyone still recovering from a late night, it was, from the start, a tight and jolly team. Our group spanned the ages and hailed from Switzerland, Brazil, Dubai, the Philippines, the US, the Netherlands and Italy via China. On paper, all we had in common was Monocle but, over the next 36 hours, life stories were shared and connections established that will endure.

On Sunday afternoon we went out on the hotel’s sleek boat and, in a tranquil bay, dropped anchor. People dived into the sea. There was even an attempt at synchronised swimming. It was perfection (and better than a quiet beer for restoring your energy). Every brand talks about “building a community” and often it’s just empty rhetoric – but here, in Bodrum’s azure waters, there was proof of what that word can mean if you trust your audience, drop anchor with them and perhaps also drop your guard as well.

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There were no obvious Turkish hair-transplant patients on the flight back to London but there were two passengers returning with new nose profiles. A handsome man with a strapped-in-position hooter and a woman, similarly bandaged, travelling with her husband and children. Turkey’s medical-tourism play has been exemplary and while many UK newspapers focus on the few cases where things go wrong, it’s clearly not diminishing the trade (just the size of the snouts and love handles).

There’s a good makeover-show format here to be exploited. Indeed, I suggested as much to Dr Erdogan, the hair-transplant specialist who spoke at the conference. The show would be called “Turkish Hairways” and each week we would follow three follically challenged gentlemen as they make their way to the clinic. There would be emotional tales charged with tonsorial anxiety and hirsute envy, plus some lovely city backdrops. It would all build up to the final shot, where each transplant patient would pull off their bobble hats to reveal their new flowing locks.

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Talking of makeovers. This week we had a photoshoot involving all of our radio staff and our editors. The pictures will be used in the magazine and we need a new set as there have been so many recent hires. Anyway, there was a hair and make-up artist on hand to ensure that no under-eye bags would spoil the visuals. When it was my turn, I suggested that she conceal a small mark on my cheek. “The camera will never spot that,” she said kindly and reassuringly, before spoiling it all by adding, “But I will cover up all the blotchy bits.” She had a point. Damn that Bodrum rosé.

The publishers of Unleashed, Boris Johnson’s new memoir of his life in politics, have negotiated a difficult balance in choosing a cover portrait (writes Andrew Muller). They have gone black-and-white, which confers gravitas, and yet without jacket or tie, which suggests a certain roguishness. Johnson manages just enough of a knowing smirk that it doesn’t quite look like the picture was taken shortly after his fingerprints were. Surveying the covers of recent political memoirs, it is impossible to miss a creeping casualness. Former US presidents Barack Obama and Bill Clinton, and UK prime ministers David Cameron and Tony Blair, all appeared tieless on the covers of their books. Gordon Brown did wear a tie; he also smiled, or at least as much as he ever could.

In previous decades, when a politician completed the grandiose tome of self-justification, self-glorification and petty score-settling customary upon leaving – or being ejected from – office, they wanted to appear statesperson-like on its cover. There is no better example than John Major’s imaginatively titled The Autobiography: suited, tied and giving it the full pontifical chin-cradle against a backdrop of leatherbound volumes. The current tendency towards informality is indicative of an age in which politicians seem keener to befriend us than lead us. Interestingly, it is the recent memoirs and/or manifestos of women which are maintaining tradition: Theresa May gazes resolutely into the middle distance; Hillary Clinton looks directly at us; and Liz Truss – who may have spent more time writing her memoir of 10 Downing Street than she did living there – flaunts a flap of flag.

Have you noticed that no one is networking any more (asks James Chambers)? Instead of delegates at welcome drinks and coffee breaks swapping cards and collecting contacts, we are all being invited to mingle. At first the word sounded like marketing speak (a shopping mall in Bangkok is promoting the art of mingling culture) but there is momentum behind this movement and it makes perfect sense. Our personal and business lives are continuing to blend into one. Homes are now offices, Whatsapp is replacing email and LinkedIn has become a platform for sharing personal triumphs as well as a promotion or new job. It was only a matter of time before networking had to loosen up and lose the starch.

Keen to find out more, I attended a recent mingling event at The Commons, a community shopping mall in Bangkok. First and foremost, it’s all above board and fully clothed. This was a professional gathering, not a keys-in-a-bowl singles event, though I did learn that the bathroom at the Saladaeng branch is a hotspot for meeting new partners. Second, I learned that these events are a lot of fun. The attraction of mingling, according to the organisers (who all identified as ambiverts – extrovert meets introvert), is its position in between formal networking and a casual chat. It is more joyful than working a conference room full of suits but less hit-and-miss than a boozy chinwag in the kitchen of a friend’s house party. The environment is kinder and the conversations are more committed. Wall Street-types might dismiss mingling as a waste of time but this gentler form of networking feels like a win for the rest of us.

The Monocle Concierge is our purveyor of top tips and delectable recommendations for your next trip. If you’re planning to go somewhere nice and would like some advice, click here. We will publish one answer a week.

Dear Concierge,
I am planning to visit San Sebastián in December and I would love to receive some tips.

Thank you,
Cristiano Gozzi
Italy

Dear Cristiano,

San Sebastián – or Donostia as it’s known under its Basque moniker – has one foot in the French Pyrenees and another in the verdant plains of northern Spain. Home to the oldest European language, Euskara, the autonomous Basque community is fiercely proud of its identity. A Basque breakfast traditionally consists of hearty fare but today donostiarras prefer to break bread at The Loaf in the Gros neighbourhood, where young people prepare for a day of surfing in the Bay of Biscay.

Loreak Mendian should be your next stop: here you’ll discover a well-made line of contemporary urban wear. A few steps away from the beloved La Concha beach, Loreak Mendian proudly sports the values of the city’s relaxed way of life.

No trip to San Sebastián is complete without a visit to a traditional pintxo tavern, the cornerstone of the city’s social fabric. The Basque-style tapas typically features a slice of bread topped with an array of imaginative toppings: from chicken schnitzel with spicy mayonnaise to anchovies with piparras (chilli peppers) or a quail’s egg; all held together with a skewer – or pintxo.

Wash it down with a glass of Txakoli, a lightly carbonated dry-white wine made with native grapes that thrive in the Basque country’s moist soils. A slice of wobbly burnt Basque cheesecake is on the dessert menu and nowhere does it better than La Viña, where the humble dish originated in the 1990s. Distinct for its caramelised crust and an acidic creamy filling that oozes as you slice into it, it’s a decadent denouement to an evening of great gastronomy. Ondo pasa!

Lorenzo Bertelli is the Prada Group’s chief marketing officer and head of corporate social responsibility, which involves shaping its communications efforts, leading its sustainability projects and maintaining its cultural relevance along the way. But his influence doesn’t stop there. As the eldest son of Prada’s co-creative director, Miuccia Prada, and its group chairman, Patrizio Bertelli, he represents the future of the Hong Kong-listed group, which consists of luxury fashion labels Prada, Miu Miu, Church’s and Car Shoe, as well as the beloved Milanese patisserie Marchesi 1824 and Italian sailing team Luna Rossa. Here, he shares his take on the Prada Group’s many cross-sector activities and leaves some clues about what might come next.

Why is it important to invest in public projects and work with organisations such as Unesco through the popular Re-Nylon range?
The main goal is to inspire future generations to behave better. We are always working with photographers and activists but we need the public sector to help us to deploy the educational content [that we’re producing], especially when it comes to schools, which are public entities in most cases. The public sector isn’t always as fast as the private sector but we need to all work together. The process can often be a bit boring when you start and challenging throughout. You have to keep going, even though you might not see any results for another five, 10 or maybe even 20 years. Politicians are particularly impatient but we need to invest in strategic projects that have longer timeframes.

Do you think that fashion businesses are well-positioned to address broader social and environmental issues?
We can leverage the popularity of fashion through the way that it touches pop culture and society to make certain topics more attractive to people. Fashion can be one of the strongest mediums to influence society. We need to think about it as an industry with big pros and cons, with this being one of the pros. We have to try to reduce its environmental impact and leverage its strengths to influence people to become more mindful.

Can you comment on the speculation about a potential sale of the Prada Group?
We’re focusing on ourselves at the moment and making strategic investments. If and when the right opportunity knocks on our door, we will, of course, look at it. It would be silly not to.

A longer version of this interview appears in Monocle’sOctober issue, which is out now.

Art Basel Paris returns for its third edition with a new name (au revoir the mouthful “Paris+ par Art Basel”) and a new venue – the beautiful Grand Palais (writes Sophie Monaghan-Coombs). The exhibition hall was teeming with people during the first public day of the fair – including French first lady Brigitte Macron. As well as the galleries that have set up shop in the breathtaking main venue, there are a host of happenings and institutional shows taking place across the city.

Elsewhere, the Art Basel Shop returns in its second iteration after debuting in Basel earlier this year. While there are plenty of collaborations with big brands, such as Uniqlo x Musée du Louvre and Guerlain, there’s enough whimsy to keep the whole affair feeling fun and playful. A Jeff Koons air freshener anyone?

For more artful observations, pick up a copy of Monocle’sOctober issue. Or better yet,subscribeto ensure you’re always in the know. Have a great Saturday.