The Monocle Minute

From menswear specialists reviving heritage houses to up-and-comers from South Korea flying to Paris for the first time, I’ve spent the past few weeks speaking to designers about their new collections and plans for 2025 (writes Natalie Theodosi). At first glance, many of these creatives might seem worlds apart but they all share one thing: everyone is tired of the industry’s relentless pace and need for novelty. As it turns out, there’s no bigger luxury than time.

Across the sector, I’ve noticed a desire to return to a slower, more deliberate way of designing. “The most subversive thing that you can do is to dress in a classic manner,” Dunhill’s creative director, Simon Holloway, told me as he carefully laid vintage pocket watches, ties and leather gloves across a desk in his London studio. In Milan, Zegna’s Alessandro Sartori recalled his father taking time every morning to shave and put on his three-piece suit in front of the mirror. Meanwhile, A Presse’s Kazuma Shigematsu compared his clothes (perfectly executed alpaca-cashmere coats, boiled-wool suits and naturally dyed cotton jackets) to the furniture of the mid-20th century – a time before mass manufacturing took over.

This focus on time and handcraft reached new heights when Haute Couture Week kicked off on Monday in the French capital. At Schiaparelli, Daniel Roseberry drew inspiration from a box of ribbons dating back to the 1920s and 1930s, and the works of couturiers such as Paul Poiret and Madame Grès. His elaborate, baroque creations encouraged the audience to rethink their constant search for originality.

At the Grand Palais, Chanel’s studio team also focused on time-tested designs: think skirt suits, lightweight silk cocktail dresses and tweed blazers. These pieces proved that the brand, with or without a creative director, can fill up a room and command attention. It’s time for more labels to take note and stop chasing novelty for its own sake – and return to the basics.

Natalie Theodosi is Monocle’s fashion director. For more opinion, analysis and insight, subscribe to Monocle today.

The spotlight is on Franco-Belgian hardcovers at the 52nd edition of the Festival International de la Bande Dessinée d’Angoulême, one of the world’s leading comic-book fairs, which opened to the public yesterday. But also making a splash are Spanish artists, more than 100 of whom are attending the event as guests of honour this year. Though Spain’s up-and-coming comics industry is significantly smaller than its French counterpart, it generated a respectable €130m in sales last year.

Meanwhile, Japanese manga continues to attract new fans across the globe. “Over the past five years, manga sales have quadrupled in North America,” says Kaitlin Ketchum, an editorial director at Ten Speed Press, an imprint of Penguin Random House. However, only a small fraction of works in this lucrative medium are translated into English – surely a missed opportunity both culturally and financially. From the vantage point of this small city in France’s southwest where the industry comes together, it’s clear that demand is strong.

The world has a new passport this week, courtesy of the Alliance of Sahel States (AES). Issued to citizens of Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger, it follows the three countries’ formal withdrawal from the Economic Community of West African States (Ecowas) – one of the continent’s major unions, which includes Nigeria and Ghana. Diplomatic relations first began to unravel when military coups toppled the three nations’ governments in quick succession. French military forces were expelled soon afterwards and sanctions strained ties with fellow Ecowas members.

The AES’s creation of a regional passport puts a stamp on its sovereignty. But not everyone is convinced by the move. “This is largely a symbolic gesture to highlight the break with Ecowas,” says Monocle’s North Africa correspondent, Mary Fitzgerald. “The new passports, emblazoned with the AES logo, might not change things on a practical level, given that Ecowas has said that it will leave the door open to the departing states.”

The shortlist for the annual awards at Mipim, the world’s leading property festival, has been announced ahead of the sun-soaked event in Cannes in March. Some 22 nations are represented across 10 categories that put the spotlight on architectural projects pairing quality of life with sustainable, thoughtful design. The colossal Green Bunker – a former air-raid shelter in Hamburg redesigned by Inter±Pol Interdisziplinäre Studios as a rooftop park – has been nominated for adding a little grassland to the city’s skyline. And for those seeking a taste of village life within a capital city, Copenhagen’s UN17 Village makes the shortlist for best residential development.

“It’s fascinating to see how, even in highly developed and dense cities, there is still so much scope to deliver needle-moving projects,” says Andrew Tuck, Monocle’s editor in chief and presenter of The Urbanist on Monocle Radio. “Some of our oldest metropolises are hubs of building innovation, from community-making to environmentally aware investment.” As ever, the team from The Urbanist will be at Mipim to hear from nominees, winners and more.

In 1986, Fernanda Torres became a Brazilian icon after winning the best actress award at the Cannes Film Festival for her role in Arnaldo Jabor’s Love Me Forever or Never. Here, she tells us about her role in Walter Salles’s latest film, I’m Still Here, which is set during Brazil’s military dictatorship. Her performance has earned her an Academy Award nomination for best actress.

When did you first learn about Eunice Paiva?
It was through her son Marcelo Rubens Paiva’s 2015 book [I’m Still Here is based on his memoir of the same name]. I watched interviews with her too. She was persuasive but always gentle and intelligent.

You’ve just won a Golden Globe for your performance. How important is the recognition?
The film was made at a time [during the Bolsonaro years] when the arts were under attack in Brazil. I’m so happy that people of all religions and political beliefs are proud of our culture and are going to cinemas to see it.

You’re well known for your comedy roles. Did you enjoy returning to drama?
Yes, I did. Many teenagers don’t know much about Brazil’s dictatorship and they’re finding out about it by seeing this film, which is told through the eyes of a family that could have been their own.

‘I’m Still Here’ is out now in Brazil and the US, and will soon be released across Europe. Look out for the full interview with Fernanda Torres and director Walter Salles on Monocle Radio soon.