Monocle Weekend
Edition: Saturday

The weekend has arrived and we’re bracing the low temperatures of a Milwaukee morning to canvass early voters in the upcoming US presidential election. Then it’s off to the warmer climes of Madeira with The Monocle Concierge for a tasty tour of the Atlantic isle. Next you’ll find us tripping the light fantastic to Thai singer Lisa’s dance-floor-ready riff on the 1990s pop classic “Kiss Me”. But first, Andrew Tuck takes off for Tokyo via Wiltshire.

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Last weekend we went to stay with friends of decades’ standing in deepest Wiltshire, a bucolic part of England that’s as beautiful as the Cotswolds but without the coach tours. They live in a hamlet where the houses are dotted among a landscape of fields and hedges, and where the residents are a mix of here-for-generations families and more recent arrivals seeking a different way of life (yet with access to ample supplies of good food and culture).

From their house, we walked up a wooded escarpment before traversing along a muddy path that edges the stony ploughed fields. And then, after some 20 minutes, we were in the yard of Strang Manor Farm, where part of an ancient outbuilding has been turned into The Stalls Café, which is doing a thriving weekend trade. Over the arc of the weekend, we had dinner at Da Costa, the new Italian restaurant at the Hauser & Wirth Gallery in Bruton, wandered around shops (handmade soaps and nice antiques, anyone?) in the picturesque town of Shaftesbury and generally had a very pleasant time.

The beauty of the countryside can distract you from all sorts of ills (farming is tough, there’s often a shortage of services, there are plenty of folks just getting by) but you also sense an England where entrepreneurs, cultural folk and chefs are pressing ahead without worrying about what’s happening in London. And I did find myself lingering at the windows of various estate agents.

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I got a text from Tyler on my Wiltshire Saturday, asking whether I might be available for a last-minute adventure, a long-haul one. I accepted the challenge and so today’s column is being written at a desk in Monocle’s Tokyo bureau. I was last here in 2018 – how did that happen? My once-regular trips were halted by the pandemic and then flight paths took me all over the world but not to Japan. Why didn’t I come back here sooner?

I have written before about the benefits of just being elsewhere, of changing places to see the world anew, of finding inspiration by heading over the horizon. And Tokyo delivers. Japan feels easy to navigate but everything is just different, more considered, more deliberate, more mannered and courteous. In the first 24 hours we met the teams behind ambitious urbanism and hospitality brands, and the owners of numerous fashion and design brands; we hosted drinks at the office and had a team dinner (and a team nightcap). I also went to see the Azabudai Hills project by Thomas Heatherwick, visited a shop that sells Lovots (robots that inspire love), where I watched a woman cradle one as though it was a newborn child, and walked past Pignic, a café that has pet micro pigs as its USP. It has been enjoyably overwhelming.

But the other reason why it’s good to be back is personal bonds: people who have been constants in my life. When we started Monocle in 2007, Fiona Wilson was already signed up as Monocle’s Tokyo bureau chief (she had worked with Tyler in his Wallpaper days) and so I have known her for almost 18 years (and Tyler since my twenties). Fiona and I got to see each other during The Monocle Quality of Life Conference a few weeks ago in Istanbul but there’s nothing like being on someone else’s patch. On Friday evening the two of us went for a walk around Tomigaya, the neighbourhood that’s home to our office. Fiona pointed out Issey Miyake’s studios, found us the perfect vantage point to view the shaggy vegetation-covered balconies of the Trunk hotel, took me to ceramics shops and explained how this village in a city works, and what makes people want to live here. Anyway, it was good to be in her shadow and get a different perspective.

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On Thursday night, on the way back to the hotel, some 36 hours since I had last slept, I might have nodded off in the taxi. I was no doubt having very pleasant dreams about my new Lovot-run farm or why the egg sandwiches from Camelback are so delicious, or perhaps I was just dreaming about my bed. Anyway, Tyler insists that I was snoring like a Pignic piglet. Even if I was, it’s been a good week.

With three days to go until election day in the US, Monocle Radio’s correspondents have dispersed across the country to bring you all of the latest news and in-depth analysis from the ground. Join our expert panel of reporters on The Daily as they broadcast live from Atlanta at 14.00 EST today and tomorrow. Then we’ll be live from Washington on Tuesday and Thursday.

For post-results analysis, tune in to The Briefing as we broadcast from the capital on Wednesday 6 November at 08.00 EST.

Designing your mini-me is à la mode (writes Jack Simpson). This week’s The Look, which is always fine-tuned to fashion trends big and small, casts its knowing eye over a capsule collection so bijou that it befits only the best of us: our children. Bavarian outfitter A Kind of Guise has released a line made from offcuts and leftovers, appropriately dubbed Little Guise. The trimmings from its high-quality fabrics have been spun into a wardrobe that would be perfect for royal heirs. With the brand’s signature knits, cashmere-blend beanies and woollen vests, the kids are going to be alright this winter.

As ever, the Munich-based label has perfected the art of the photoshoot. In front of an abstract, almost tie-dye backdrop, the mini models who worked on this launch range from the disinterested to the downright lairy and seem to have proved difficult to tame – they’ll go far in this industry. The ankle biters are seen pulling faces; some have let their hair go unbrushed and there might be some spittle around the crew neck of the apricot-coloured Hedda T-shirt. Despite the knowledge that their children’s outfits will be caked in flour, paint, mud or worse, many parents are more willing than ever to spend big on luxury garb for their young ones. If the clothing can survive this photogenic bunch, it could prove a wise investment.

There’s something delightfully nostalgic about Thai singer Lisa’s new single, “Moonlit Floor” (writes Fernando Augusto Pacheco). The song riffs on 1990s pop hit “Kiss Me” by Sixpence None the Richer, of which she has always been a fan. Lisa, a member of K-pop girl group Blackpink, takes us to the dance floor in this neat track about falling in love with a French boy. “Green-eyed French boy got me trippin’ on that accent off your lips,” she sings. “Kiss me, under the Paris twilight.” The song, which she performed live at the revamped Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show, is making waves worldwide.

We also can’t wait to see her on the small screen next year in the new season of HBO’s The White Lotus – this time, the series was filmed in Thailand. Lisa isn’t the only Blackpink member to go solo and reach for the charts’ higher echelons. Rosé recently released “Apt” with Bruno Mars, featuring bouncy, rocky beats (the song is already in the US top 10), while Jennie brings the fun with her funky new song “Mantra”. We will be dancing to these three tracks here at Midori House.

To listen to ‘Moonlit Floor’ and other top hits, tune in toMonocle Radio.

Last weekend, in the swing state of Wisconsin, hundreds of churchgoers made their way from Sunday service to early-voting stations (writes Tomos Lewis). The queue for the one that Monocle visited on Milwaukee’s north side was long but spirits were high. “I’m feeling excited,” said Serena Campbell, bouncing her baby daughter in her arms. She had come here with her husband, who is a reverend at a nearby church. The ballot she was waiting to cast was for Kamala Harris. “It would be nice to see a change – to show that women can make it to the top,” she said. “It’s going to be good to see where the power really lies.” A cluster of women alongside her whooped and cheered.

Not everyone had come to sing from the same hymn sheet. “Let’s do things differently this time!” one man called out proudly from the queue, the gold embroidery on his baseball cap – spelling “Make America Great Again” – glinting in the sunlight. In US politics, what constitutes a change is clearly in the eye of the beholder.

“We don’t care who you vote for,” said Gregory Lewis, the well-known Milwaukee church minister who founded Souls to the Polls in 2013. Every election year, the nonpartisan charity’s volunteer drivers ferry voters from church to voting station and home again for free. “The community is here. They’re responding to the urgency of this year’s vote.”

On this penultimate Sunday before election day, the charity had borrowed 10 yellow school buses to transport voters from across the city. The demand for early voting has broken records in Wisconsin. “People are starting to understand that they have power when they vote,” said Lewis, as his parishioners joined the queue. “We need to be proud of being part of a big election because that’s the power that each of us has. And that’s a good feeling to have.”

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 each week.

Dear Concierge,

I’m heading to Funchal in Madeira next month. What would you recommend? (I’m staying at the Barceló Funchal Oldtown hotel).

Thank you,
David Wenlock
UK

Dear David,

With temperatures at a balmy 23C on average during the autumn months, it’s the perfect time to explore the verdant island of Madeira and get a last hit of sunshine. Start off by exploring the historic centre of Funchal around the Sé Cathedral, discovering crafts such as embroidery or wicker weaving. Make sure to stop by the Mercado dos Lavradores, a traditional farmers’ market that sells everything from freshly caught tuna and swordfish to colourful flowers and tropical fruits that thrive in Madeira’s climate – our favourites are the pitanga (Suriname cherry), prickly pear and passion fruit.

The nearby Three House bar offers impressive rooftop views over the Atlantic, ideal for a sunset tipple. Meat lovers should book a table at Kampo, where chef Júlio Pereira takes regional flavours to the next level, thanks in part to the high-quality produce. If you’re a pescatarian, try its sister restaurant, Ákua. The Monte Palace Tropical Gardens is also worth a visit, boasting more than 100,000 plant species from across the globe, historic azulejos (Portuguese traditional tiles) and a Japanese garden complete with a pagoda and a koi-filled pond.

Hop into a car to make the most of the island nicknamed the Pearl of the Atlantic. The picturesque fisherman’s village of Câmara de Lobos is nearby and ideal for an afternoon stroll. Continue through old tunnels and waterfalls until you reach Ponta do Sol, with its waterfront promenade and quaint historic centre. If it’s nature that you’re after, there are levadas (hiking trails) for all, each signposted with official routes and kept clear by the forest authority. Head northeast towards the town of São Jorge, which is surrounded by luscious nature and incredible views. On the way, stop by Hotel Quinta do Furão for a wine tasting on a cliff high above the ocean.

Finally, don’t forget to bring your swimming gear with you because the year-round water temperature of 19C is as inviting as it is refreshing. The black-sand Seixal beach will take your breath away with its stunning scenery, while the natural swimming pools of Porto Moniz mean you can swim among volcanic rocks. If you’re feeling brave, do it like the locals do and take a cable car down to the pebble-stone beach of Garajau (water shoes are optional).

Maria Lemos certainly knows how to dress the part. The Greek-born entrepreneur has been running the elegant Mouki Mou boutique on London’s Chiltern Street for more than a decade. Meanwhile, her showroom Rainbowwave represents best-in-class brands from across the globe, from Athenian jeweller Ileana Makri to artisanal Spanish label Masscob. Here, she shares insights about building a timeless wardrobe.

How do you shop for yourself?
I only shop at the end of the Mouki Mou sales. I want to see my mistakes: I was recently wearing a wool Lemaire dress that I picked up because no one else had bought it, yet I kept receiving compliments on it. These clothes are ageless by nature. You can wear items from years ago and everything still fits together. You’re building a wardrobe over time – but that requires a level of confidence.

How did you find that confidence?
Something happens when you hit your mid-fifties. By that point, you really know where you’re going. Until then, you’re always trying out different things. It’s about knowing yourself and bouncing ideas off other people. That’s why I like being around young, creative people.

What does luxury mean to you?
In the past, for many people, it was about buying into established brands but they have become oversaturated. I felt more of a sense of luxury when I was in Marseille and visited Maison Empereur, which sells cookware. Niwaki [on Chiltern Street] offers the luxurious experience of buying tools in a beautiful environment, while [London butcher] The Ginger Pig offers the same feeling but with meat. Buying clothes should be like that: it should feel personal.

What are some of your most treasured pieces? 
 I keep pieces that are more than 30 years old. It’s all about quality. They might have cost a fortune at the time but they remain in amazing condition and I still wear them.

Any recommendations for the new autumn/winter season?
I love suiting and black dresses. New York label Fforme has done an amazing new column shape. I’d also suggest a pair of Marsèll’s heeled shoes in rust; I like the idea of a surprise colour. Also, a pearl necklace: Ileana Makri has created a special one for Mouki Mou that blends pearls and antique beads. That’s about it. A great pair of shoes, a black dress, pearls and I’m done.

For more agenda-setting stories and fashion finds from our global network of reporters, pick up a copy of Monocle’sNovember issue, which is out now.

Danish textile company Tekla has joined forces with Tokyo-based fashion label Auralee to create a collection of towels, sleepwear, outerwear and knitted accessories inspired by bathing rituals associated with Japan’s hot springs (writes Grace Charlton). Tekla’s popular terry-weave towels have been scaled down in size and remade using a lightweight cotton to improve drying in humid conditions. Our favourite detail? The large rectangular canvas label that doubles up as a loop to tie the towel around your neck. Both the sleepwear and the towels are available in various combinations of pastel-hued stripes (think baby blue and mauve or matcha green and orange). For the colder months ahead, we also have our eye on the cashmere socks and beanie in light brown.
teklafabrics.com; auralee.jp

For more wardrobe tips to hang your towel on, take a look through our latestissue. Or better yet,subscribeso you never miss a beat. Have a great Saturday.