Product Archive

The Monocle Guide to Building Better Cities

How do we make better cities places that work for people of all ages and backgrounds? How do we make cities that provide the obvious essentials great transport, good places to work as well as the softer elements that truly deliver quality of life, from urban swimming pools to rooftop clubs? In this joyful new book the magazine's editors unpack what makes a great city, whether you're looking for a new place to call home or need help fixing your own. Discover how you too can have a High Line, create the most covetable housing or turn a dirty river into a summer asset. Packed with great images and intriguing reports, this is a book that takes the urbanism debate away from city hall and explains what's needed in ways that will inspire us all.

The Classic table lamp

With its clean lines and ability to provide a soft, ambient glow, this Lumena lamp is a beacon of modern South Korean elegance. Crafted with precision and designed for versatility, it features a dimmer to control the intensity of the light and it can be used both indoors and outdoors, allowing you to create the perfect ambience wherever you choose to place it.

Maisoru roll-on fragrance

Produced for Monocle by OLO Fragrance, Maisoru is inspired by the ritual of lighting incense – the act of setting the mood of a space. This oil-based perfume blend is intended to evoke feelings of tranquility and contemplation. Maisoru is a phonetic representation of the Japanese word for mysore – sandalwood being the dominant base note.

Oktoberfest cardigan

This cardigan from A Kind of Guise – a label renowned for its use of high-end materials – is a sophisticated take on a wardrobe staple. Crafted from soft lamb’s wool, this piece can blend easily into any style, elevating a casual look or adding a refined touch to a smarter outfit.

Rollneck sweater

This ecru-coloured rollneck sweater is an exclusive collaboration with Japanese cashmere brand Bodhi, a personal pick by Monocle’s fashion markets editor, Kyoko Tamoto. Made in Japan with a blend of cotton, linen and cashmere, it features a middle-gauge fabric for styling in all seasons while the raglan-sleeve design adds a relaxed touch to the piece.

Founded by Japanese fashion designer Satoshi Mizutani in 2018, Bodhi sources Mongolian cashmere to craft timelessly stylish pieces from cosy knee socks and gloves to jumpers, cardigans and trousers. Opting for a range of understated colours, Bodhi’s focus is on making use of cashmere’s naturally soft, luxuriously lightweight properties – without a trace of synthetic fabric.

Travel blanket

Experience luxury on the go with this ultra-soft and lightweight blanket, designed for the discerning traveller. Made in Scotland from a blend of cashmere and soft lambswool, this item offers unparalleled comfort on the move, making it a must-have for those seeking cosy warmth and a touch of indulgence.

Large mug set caramel

Monocle presents its latest collaboration with Hasami Porcelain, a Japanese ceramics manufacturer from the town of the same name. Hasami Porcelain prides itself on a highly specialised workforce. By giving its employees individual specialist tasks, from shaping and moulding to glazing and firing, the company ensures a consistently exemplary standard of craftsmanship. In this set, the single caramel-coloured cup and matching saucer balances luxury and modesty with an effortless grace.

House slippers

Wool artisans at the Burel Factory atop mainland Portugal’s highest mountains have kept their regions crafts alive since the facility was founded in the 19th century. Now, Monocle customers can also enjoy products from the Serra de Estrela range: navy or grey house slippers made by Burel workers using wool from local sheep, with Monocle’s customisations.

String shelf

You’ll have String to thank when all your books, pot plants and knick-knacks are neatly in order. Few shelving companies can rival this Swedish firm, which was launched in 1949 when its founders, Nisse and Kaisa Strinning, won a bookshelf-making competition. Sixty years on, its unfussy, Swedish-made designs are still leading the pack. This hand-oiled oak unit is easy to assemble mercifully, there’s no doorstop-like instruction manual – and boasts an olive powder-coated steel frame and engraved. The shelves are 20cm deep: the perfect size for the latest issue of Monocle.

Yoshino Hinoki oil refill

The scent is built from fresh, deep and spicy notes of cedar wood, sandalwood and cardamom. This oil soaks into the small platform of the Yoshino Hinoki Diffuser, letting the aromatic nature of the wood disperse the fragrance throughout your living space or office. 
Fascinated by the ‘architecture' of the olfactory, @Aroma is a Tokyo-based scent specialist.