Issues

Why Canadian ambassador Gregory Galligan won’t give up on diplomacy with Syria

Gregory Galligan doesn’t like to take no for an answer. Six years ago he was serving as Canada’s executive co-ordinator for Syria, based in Beirut and unable to travel to Damascus after Ottawa shuttered its embassy in 2012 following the outbreak of civil war. After a stint as the ambassador to Iraq, he’s now, at time of writing, back in Beirut as Canada’s ambassador to both Lebanon and Syria. The Damascus embassy hasn’t reopened yet; security conditions will have to improve considerably for that to happen. However, Galligan and his team are doing everything they can to re-engage with the country.

The Canadian was among the first Western ambassadors to travel to Syria to formally present his papers to the country’s new foreign minister following the fall of Bashar al-Assad in December 2024. His team now makes the two-hour drive to Damascus almost every week, meeting with members of the government and civil society. “We’re cautiously engaging,” says Galligan. “We want the transition to be a success and to see a more democratic, inclusive, human rights-based Syria.” So far, he says, the signs are positive. “The relationship is good. They listen to our concerns about representation, women and minorities.”

Canada resettled more than 100,000 Syrian refugees during the war and Galligan’s first meeting in Damascus was with a group of young Syrian Canadians who had just returned home. “It was a moving experience to see young Canadians going back to make a difference,” he says. It has also been a time of re-engagement with members of the shuttered embassy’s Syrian staff – many of whom lived in Damascus throughout the civil war – as well as building hope for new business and trade opportunities. “There used to be a fairly active Canadian business community here,” says Galligan. “Syria has a lot of potential in terms of petroleum, fossil fuels and natural resources.”

In February the ambassador’s team hosted a Ramadan iftar in Damascus to reforge connections and gather together those who want to do something positive for Syria. The event, says Galligan, was “a celebration of hope after darkness”. His conversations with the government have involved discussions around developing industry and investment opportunities. “For years it was hard to see what the future was for Syria,” he says. “Now, though it’s fragile, there’s a pathway as long as we keep travelling down this road and supporting them.”

Berlin’s five-state Nordic embassy is the gold standard of multilateral solidarity

“This is not a door,” says Mari Hellsén, pausing dramatically as she gestures towards the entrance of Berlin’s Nordic Embassies building. “It is the way into the North.” We’re outside the Felleshus – the shared central space of an embassy complex that includes the missions of Denmark, Iceland, Finland, Norway and Sweden to the Federal Republic of Germany. The name of the building, which Hellsén has managed for the past two decades, is derived from the Norwegian and Danish words for “shared” and “house”. It is bright and airy, a touch of Nordic simplicity in the heart of the grungy German capital, and an example of the power of a well-designed, well-staffed mission.

On the wall hangs a five-handled spade inscribed with the date in 1997 when ground was broken. It is an unsubtle symbol but this was always meant to be a place of loud and proud unity rather than quiet alliance. When Germany’s capital was moved from Bonn to Berlin in 1991 after reunification, countries with diplomatic sites in the former East and West had to create unitary hubs. Closer links between the Nordic countries, first formalised in the 1962 Helsinki Treaty, intensified after the Soviet Union’s collapse. The current Danish ambassador to Germany, Thomas Østrup Møller, calls the decision to band together and create one site for all five countries’ embassies “a greenfield investment in diplomacy”.

The Felleshus is open to the public and houses a coffee shop, an auditorium and a canteen. About 90,000 visitors stop by every year, many to avail themselves of its rich cultural programme. When Monocle visits, there is an exhibition of Icelandic photographer Ragnar Axelsson’s black-and-white images of Greenland. The canteen, which serves inexpensive German dishes, is popular with local residents, who are allowed in after 13.00 when the embassy staff have finished their typically early Nordic lunches.

The five embassies are arranged to reflect their real-life geography: Iceland’s is to the north of Denmark’s, with Norway’s slightly to the east and Sweden’s and Finland’s further east. Each building was designed by a national architect. The broad curves inside the Danish embassy are reminiscent of a ship’s hull and a Greenlandic kayak hangs from the ceiling. Iceland’s is hewn from pink-and-yellow rhyolite. Inside, undulating concrete walls evoke typical Icelandic corrugated-iron houses. The Finnish embassy, meanwhile, is clad in glass and silvery larch wood, its exterior architecture all sharp angles in sleek shades of grey. There are also, of course, two saunas.

The Norwegians have the only garden, in which the staff keep bees. On the façade of their Snøhetta-designed building is a hulking slab of granite, which rises to a height of over 14 metres and weighs 120 tonnes. (It’s the largest monolith in Berlin.) Across the courtyard, the Swedish embassy’s architectural showpiece is a breathtaking birch spiral staircase. Gert Wingårdh’s design is so beloved back home that it featured on a Swedish stamp in 2020.

Monocle visits on the fourth anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Every ambassador invokes the war when asked to bring up areas of concern and collaboration. Sweden’s Veronika Wand-Danielsson describes how it has been their joint mission to show unequivocal support for Ukraine and “to make the Germans understand what Russia is all about”. She is dressed in bright yellow and blue – the colours of the Swedish flag but worn today to represent Ukraine’s. The Finnish ambassador to Germany, Kai Sauer, believes that his country’s profile – and the image of the Nordics – has evolved in the German imagination. “It used to be focused on soft power: education, gender equality, Santa Claus,” he says. “Now it’s more about security, the Russian border and conscription.” All areas that they have worked on together to influence German public opinion.

The shared embassy model is one of symbolic co-operation but also of convenience. Iceland’s ambassador Auðunn Atlason cites a recent joint conference between his peers and the Munich Security Conference’s chairman, Wolfgang Ischinger. Leaders and political figures need only have one meeting rather than five. But as well as official gatherings, the set-up allows for more informal meetings, such as conversations in the canteen. We witness this when everyone gathers for a group photo that quickly turns into a catch-up session. “You get five for one,” says Denmark’s Østrup Møller. “It’s a good value proposition.”

In Monocle’s April issue, we profile our selection of the best foreign embassies in the world — this is just one of the establishments featured. See the rest of our favourites here.

Monocle’s fashion 25: The best labels and in-store experiences across the globe this spring

1.
Fewer Better Things
Thailand

Bangkok is known for its shopping malls but the Thai capital is also full of independent boutiques with unique points of view. Among them is two-storey multibrand shop Fewer Better Things on Soi Sukhumvit 31, which opened in 2025 and stocks menswear, jewellery, accessories and homeware. After working in technology in California, its founder, Sutasit Srivisarvacha, returned home with a long-held desire to open his own shop. “We look for smaller brands that have a distinct design characteristic, use high-quality materials and are priced reasonably,” says Srivisarvacha, who selects brands from Canada, Mexico, Hong Kong and beyond.

Copenhagen’s Mfpen is the top seller, followed by Bangkok’s Alvinaster and Danish label Another Aspect, known for its menswear staples. These brands point to a demand for a relaxed take on classic tailoring. Srivisarvacha also has a soft spot for India’s Kartik Research. “I admire the way it respects craft while maintaining a global, contemporary design language,” he adds.

The former user-experience designer and product manager has given equal thought to the retail experience, opting out of e-commerce to encourage shoppers to visit in person. Brands are presented in a mix and there’s an emphasis on emerging labels, be they newly launched or fresh to Thailand. “Often customers are unfamiliar with the brands that we carry, which is what we want,” he says. “You should discover something new with each trip to Fewer Better Things.”
fewerbetterthings.store

2.
Aeyde
Germany

Luisa Dames founded Berlin-based shoe and accessories brand Aeyde to cater to the footwear needs of modern women. “There’s a strong focus on form and function, especially in footwear, where every curve and proportion is carefully studied,” says Dames. “It is never overly decorative. There’s a balance of rawness and refinement, restraint and confidence too –and this has always shaped Aeyde’s design language.”

Every product is manufactured in a family-run factory in Tuscany – though, being based in Berlin, Aeyde has also absorbed the German capital’s edginess and elegance. “We combine modern design with a rich heritage of craftsmanship,” says Dames. “It’s how we produce pieces that integrate naturally into a woman’s life.”
aeyde.com

3.
Porter-Yoshida & Co
Japan

In Japan, sotsuju, or the 90th birthday, is a time to honour longevity. Tokyo label Porter-Yoshida & Co is marking its ninth decade with a considered collection that nods to a life spent in motion. Its Tanker Coyote range revisits house signatures such as backpacks, crossbody bags and capacious totes, rendered in the brand’s durable nylon twill. The twist is found within: linings are printed with a map tracing the territories that have shaped the company’s global footprint. And much like the original MA-1 flight jackets that inspired Porter’s Tanker series, whose linings were printed with maps to aid downed pilots, these pieces carefully balance utility with a sense of romance.
yoshidakaban.com

4.
Matsuda
Japan

James Kisgen, a former sales director at Cartier, first encountered Matsuda Eyewear in a shop in Chicago. It was love at first sight. Since becoming the brand’s CEO, Kisgen has worked hard to bring Mitsuhiro Matsuda’s avant garde designs back to the forefront of eyewear. “His frames are full of intricate details and ornate construction,” says Kisgen. They’re almost architectural in the way that they’re built. Every design, from the green-tinted lenses to the tortoiseshell frames, is handcrafted in Sabae, Japan. Frames from the past century are often reissued. “We want pieces that feel relevant,” adds Kisgen. “It’s almost like using the past as a lens to see the future.”
matsuda.com

5.
Johanna Parv
Estonia

Estonian-born, London-based designer Johanna Parv is fast becoming a name to know, having carved out a singular space in fashion by merging performance materials with formalwear. After training at Central Saint Martins, Parv launched her label in 2022 through incubator Fashion East, a proving ground for emerging designers. Today she marries luxury tailoring with details borrowed from sports – think stretch nylon, Lycra panels and ergonomic zips, all rendered in convertible silhouettes. The result? Clothes made for the woman on the move.

Tell us about your design process.
I have always been fascinated by uniforms because of the demands on them to perform, to be in action. Tailoring and formalwear from the 1970s and 1980s are beautiful but often tight and restrictive. When I started designing, I thought about how to make these kinds of clothes better suited to modern life. I want to create products that are useful. My pieces should offer solutions – protection from the wind or the rain, somewhere to put things. When someone buys one of my pieces, they expect hidden details: concealed openings, spaces for storage and pockets – lots of pockets. I like to delight and surprise.

Your clothes are grounded in the urban environment. How should a person feel walking around in them?
They should feel free to move. I have a deep interest in sports. I trained as a mid-distance runner and represented Estonia when I was 19. I wanted to combine my knowledge of classic and traditional luxury with who I am – how I live, how I move and the lives that we all live in cities: commuting, walking, working, living in between many spaces. But it’s not sportswear. It’s too expensive for that.

Is there a single piece that best reflects your philosophy?
The Frame bag is designed to be worn over the shoulder or attached to a bike frame. It’s constructed from one piece of leather. The contrast of a beautiful, elegant leather bag and a metal bike frame is a bit dangerous and compelling. It looks like a traditional woman’s purse but then you notice that it’s folded over. I have added straps, fastenings and Fidlock magnet clasps. You can attach your keys to it or hook an umbrella through it. It’s about adding an extra layer to a product.

Does history influence your design?
Everything comes from history. Practical items from the past – for horse riding, working or travelling were made for men. I wanted to make things work for women too. I like the idea of starting with traditional proportions, then breaking the rules.
johannaparv.com

6.
Goldwin
Japan & UK

As part of its ambitious growth plan, Japanese label Goldwin is accelerating its programme of international shop openings for 2026. Its latest outpost is on London’s buzzy Broadwick Street, moments away from the many pubs, bars and restaurants of Soho. Designed by Hiroshi Sugimoto and Tomoyuki Sakakida, the duo behind Tokyo-based architecture studio New Material Research Laboratory, the space features as its centrepiece a ring-shaped yashiro (shrine) made from 12 cedar-wood pillars. Goldwin’s signatures, ranging from skiwear to water-repellent outerwear and activewear, are arranged along its perimeter.

A close attention to craft extends to the fitting rooms, which feature cherry-blossom hues and traditional kakishibu dyed-silk screens. Whether you are planning your next alpine adventure or looking for a waterproof parka for your city walks, there’s plenty of products to browse here.
goldwin-global.com

7.
Hanover
USA

Launched in late 2025, Chris Black’s New York label offers “Made in the US” products at affordable price points. Aesthetically, its debut unisex collection is deeply rooted in nostalgia or what Black calls “baseline American dressing”. Think Oxford shirts, classic-fit jeans and cotton T-shirts that feel worn-in
hanover-usa.com

8.
Camiel Fortgens
Netherlands

Camiel Fortgens founded his eponymous brand in 2014. From the get-go, he sought to create “perfectly imperfect” garments that mirror human nature, with deconstructed waistbands, exposed pocket bag lining, hanging threads and uneven seams. The hand touch ensures that no two pieces are the same – an approach to luxury that’s personal and sustainable. Look out for the label’s sturdy cotton anoraks.
camielfortgens.com

9.
This Is A(n)
Japan

After Osaka-based bag maker Takakiyo Hiramatsu launched This Is A(n) in 2022, it quickly became well known for its sturdy canvas totes. “I don’t announce it as a selling point but I make everything by hand in my workshop,” he says. Hiramatsu avoids waste by holding pop-up events and making his wares to order. “I produce only what is requested for people who genuinely want it.”

His ambition is to create simple products executed to perfection and his bags, crafted from paraffin-coated cotton canvas in a range of sizes and colours, reflect his utilitarian ethos. Hiramatsu is also open to collaboration. For a recent partnership, he worked with heritage UK company Brady to reimagine one of its leather-trimmed shoulder bags as a roomy tote.
thisisan.com

10.
Mackintosh x CP company
Italy & UK

Italy’s CP Company, famed for its military- inspired outerwear and signature goggle lens, is shifting focus to a British stalwart: the mackintosh. Made in Scotland by the company that invented the first waterproof fabric, the coat allows the details to do the talking: tortoiseshell buttons; a waxed sheen; a detachable hood fitted with the dark lenses of CP Company’s goggles. It’s a case of Italian insouciance meeting Scottish rigour.
mackintosh.com
cpcompany.com

11.
Anon
Singapore

Menswear label Anon was launched to fill a gap in the Singaporean market. “My husband used to complain every day that he didn’t have anything to wear,” says its co-founder Shereen Koh. “We wanted to elevate the men’s offering here. You often see a well-dressed woman on a weekend brunch date with a man in a T-shirt, shorts and slippers.”

Realising that Singaporean men didn’t have access to the sartorial tools to smarten up, Koh, together with her co-founders, Leonard Lee and Hayden Chan, started Anon in 2025 and set in motion seasonal capsule collections that comprise six to nine pieces each. These mostly consist of handsome sets – shirts, polos, dress trousers and chinos – that will see you from the office to more formal events.

What guides Anon’s pieces is an understated style with subtle details bridging the divide between functional apparel and tailored fits, from one-piece collar shirts to pleated Gurkha trousers with horse-bit side fastenings. Designing for the heat and humidity of the tropics is a crucial consideration; this priority is exemplified by the use of breathable fabrics such as jersey and hemp.

Though Anon is less than a year old, it already has repeat customers. “I feel a lot of pride when people enter our studio in T-shirts and shorts, and are transformed when they put on our pieces,” says Lee.
houseofanon.com

12.
Lutays
France

A brand’s choice of address for its bricks-and-mortar shop can tell you a lot about its identity – and nowhere more so than in Paris, where fashion houses are often synonymous with the streets that they call home. “If you want to attract business, Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré is the place,” says Jean-Baptiste Rosseeuw, the founder of menswear brand Lutays. But Rosseeuw knew that he wouldn’t feel at home among the city’s luxury powerhouses so, for the location of his first by-appointment-only boutique, he chose the narrow lanes of Paris’s 7th arrondissement.

“The Left Bank matches our brand perfectly,” he says, as he gives Monocle a sneak peek. “We wanted the space to feel like an 18th-century literary salon but simple and elegant.” Inside the compact shop, with its blue façade, are racks showcasing the label’s casual jackets, clean-cut coats and fine-knit jumpers, alongside an antique writing desk.

Rosseeuw’s scrapbooks, filled with visual references, are scattered on the desk, containing everything from photographs of generously pocketed jackets worn by French pilots to images of turtlenecks favoured by seafarers. Shoppers are invited not only to browse the collections but to learn about the ideas that led Rosseeuw to establish Lutays in 2020. “French fashion history is so rich but men’s wardrobes today have been built around US, Italian and British styles,” he says. “I wanted to bring French style back into the mix.”

Staying true to France’s couture spirit, all of the brand’s pieces are made to measure in small ateliers across the country. By focusing on one-to-one interactions, Rosseeuw can offer the tailor-made experience that Lutays stands for.
lutays.com

13.
Basico Milano
Italy

In a menswear scene as crowded as Milan’s, it takes a very sharp sartorial eye to help you stand out. Florence native Tommaso Pierini, the founder of Basico Milano, is up to the task. After two decades working in ready-to-wear for fashion houses including Gucci and Valentino, he unveiled his first Basico Milano collection in 2025 to promote what he calls a “noise-free” approach to tailoring. “Rather than chase trends, we prefer to make great staples – evergreen pieces that stay in one’ s wardrobe for the long run,” he says.

As a designer, Pierini favours clean lines and monochromatic hues for his clothes, with a fit designed to appeal to city dwellers. Among Basico Milano’s popular looks are a crisp, shirt-jacket-style blazer in navy with front patch pockets, a sleek car coat in olive green that references classic trenchcoats and a fine merino-wool sweater with clean-cut edges and sleeves. “It’s an urban look, good for both work and the weekend.” For manufacturing, Pierini relies on a network of niche suppliers across Italy. His trousers are made in Naples and cotton and jersey pieces in Lombardy; outerwear, meanwhile, is sourced from the Veneto region.
basicomilano.com

14.
Camisas Manolo
Spain

Manolo Molina, the founder of Spanish menswear brand Camisas Manolo, has always loved tugging at the conventions of fashion. “I was 12 or 13 when I first embroidered logos on my shirts,” he tells Monocle. “My mum wouldn’t buy me the originals so I stitched the Tommy Hilfiger logo by hand. You can imagine how that looked.” These experiments led him to study at the Istituto Europeo di Design and, in 2019, to start his own label.

Camisas Manolo’s shirts – made from Italian, Spanish and Portuguese cotton, silk, wool or linen – are known for their elegant collars, single-button cuffs and pleated sleeves, drawing inspiration from classic men’s tailoring. But Molina was equally influenced by the Roc Neige puffers and Salomon zipper boots worn by the youth subcultures of his native Madrid. “At the time, you were expected to belong to one group but I was absorbing everything and building a personal mix of styles that no one really understood,” says Molina. “By fusing these references with the tradition of shirtmaking, I created my own interpretation of a uniform.”

His work is rooted in Spain, but the designer also has international ambitions. His first collaboration consists of a range of shirts, some with attached print ties, co-designed with Japanese fashion designer Soshi Otsuki. “We admired each other’ s work,” says Molina. “The idea of a collaboration came about when a mutual friend introduced us. Five months later, a beautiful shirt collection was presented at Pitti Uomo in Florence.”
camisasmanolo.com

15.
Bottega Veneta
Italy

Spring 2026 marked a new chapter for Bottega Veneta, as UK designer Louise Trotter took over the creative reins. Trotter wanted “to return to the beginning to find the present”, exploring the original intrecciato (woven leather) first applied to bags by co-founder Renzo Zengiaro. Her interpretation for 2026 combines the extravagant and the everyday in the form of lightweight tailoring and structured leather trenches, with details such as intrecciato removable collars. “I like that ‘Bottega’ is a workshop with a long and multifaceted history,” said Trotter after her debut.
bottegaveneta.com

16.
P Johnson
Australia & UK

Australian tailoring label P Johnson has opened a London showroom in Mayfair, slotted between Savile Row, New Bond Street and Burlington Arcade. It brings a sense of Australian ease to the London tailoring establishment, with its mix of smart but relaxed suiting and thoughtful ready-to-wear pieces embodying its “live slow, die old” mentality. The showroom’s interiors, conceived by Tamsin Johnson, set the tone: the fitting rooms have chocolate velvet walls and Jacques Adnet valet stands, while a Le Corbusier sofa encourages visitors to linger. Founded by Patrick Johnson in Sydney in 2009, P Johnson has since put down roots in New York, Jakarta and London. The timing feels right. As tailoring finds renewed relevance, the company is creating fresh, easygoing clothes that are simply made to be enjoyed.
pjt.com

17.
Prada
Italy

Prada’s spring/summer 2026 collection focuses Prada on versatility: clothes that can transition from Italy casual to formal, such as this trench coat. “It’s about clothes that can change and adapt,” says Miuccia Prada.
prada.com

18.
Yoke
Japan

When Norio Terada started Yoke in 2018, he wanted to find a name that reflected the chain of people required to take a piece of clothing from idea to retail. Hence “yoke”, a tailoring term for a piece of cloth that connects the shoulders to the body. “Having been involved in every stage of the process, from design and production to sales, I have come to appreciate all of the elements involved in creating a garment,” he says. The Bunka Fashion College graduate and recipient of the 2026 Fashion Prize of Tokyo has quietly built a name for his unisex clothes, which are made in Japan with a relaxed silhouette and detailing that elevates them beyond the ordinary.

Yoke’s side-street flagship in Tokyo is refreshingly spartan – think bare concrete walls and a smattering of books and furniture. This allows the clothes to shine. Current standouts include soft wool trousers, a silk and nylon driving blouson with a knit collar, and a trench coat spliced with denim for subtle flair. This season, Terada also worked with veteran schoolbag maker Tsuchiya Kaban for bags and accessories, a happy blend of heritage and modernity. In January the brand made its debut at Paris Fashion Week. “Showing in front of a global audience made us realise that we needed to refine Yoke’s identity.”

Growth is inevitable with clothes of such a high standard but Terada wants to keep things at a pace that will allow him to continue overseeing production. His goal is to establish Yoke as part of the official Paris Fashion Week schedule and to “keep sharing Japan’s uniquely high level of craftsmanship”.
yoketokyo.com

19.
Watches to invest in
Global

Few objects balance engineering and expression quite like a watch. The Breguet Classique Souscription speaks to tradition, while a Vacheron Constantin moon phase adds a touch of poetry. Sportier notes come from the Rolex GMT-Master II with its tiger-iron dial and the IWC Pilot’s Chronograph in green.

Jewellery houses offer a different take: Chanel’s Première Galon in 18-carat gold and the Van Cleef & Arpels Alhambra watch show how timepieces can be as decorative as they are precise.

20.
Miraee
Florence

When it comes to fashion, Florence is best known for its cashmere and brogues –and, of course, as the home of biannual menswear fair Pitti Immagine Uomo. But Miraee brings something a little different to the city. Nestled between antique shops and jewellery studios on Via Maggio, the new shop invites customers to discover minimalist styles from South Korea.

“We wanted to show that modernity and classic craftsmanship can coexist in a fashion capital like Florence,” says Miraee co-founder Yeonseung Choi. Along with Roman native Sara Tonacci, the Seoul expat settled in Florence after noticing a gap in the market. “The city celebrates the past beautifully but there were few spaces offering a contemporary twist on the same level of quality,” says Tonacci. “We chose Florence because its residents and visitors have a highly trained eye for materials and details.”

Miraee reflects Choi and Tonacci’s shared passion for sourcing emerging brands, as well as their desire to bridge a sartorial gap between East Asia and Europe. Their long-term vision for the concept shop is to add up-and-coming European names to their shelves and also introduce them to the South Korean market. “We want Miraee to become a destination for future classics,” says Choi with a smile.
miraee.it

21.
Carrer x Hereu
Spain

This collaboration brings together two kindred spirits from Barcelona: cult accessories label Hereu and ready-to-wear label Carrer, best known for reinterpreting vintage workwear. Drawing inspiration from the brands’ shared affinity for the Mediterranean, the range includes a leather and canvas shoulder bag and slip-on loafers (pictured), which marry Hereu’ s signature silhouettes with Carrer’s utilitarian restraint.
carrerstore.com
hereustudio.com

22.
Sacai x Smythson
Japan & UK

Well known for its collaborations with the likes of Nike and JM Weston, Japanese label Sacai has now teamed up with leather-goods company Smythson. Sacai’s creative director, Chitose Abe, worked with Smythson’s London team to design a grainy leather notebook (pictured), a pouch and a passport holder – given the Sacai touch with handles inspired by the UK company’s briefcases. “Smythson products have a quality that enriches everyday life,” says Abe.
sacai.com

23.
Misci
Brazil

One of Brazil’s most influential fashion labels, Misci has helped to shape contemporary luxury in the country. Having established a loyal clientele across the nation and opened four shops in São Paulo, the brand’s founder, Airon Martin, decided to turn a long-held dream into a reality – opening a boutique in Rio de Janeiro. “Rio is our shop window to the world,” he says. “It’s a global city. Being here puts Misci in this international context.”

For the outpost’s launch, he invited actor Vera Fischer, known for iconic telenovelas, to star in a tongue-in-cheek ad. In the short film, Fischer plays one of her most celebrated characters, Helena, who goes on a shopping spree in the brand’s new Rio flagship. It’s a fresh, humorous take on brand advertising. “Telenovelas build the Carioca lifestyle in the country’s collective imagination,” says Martin. “Rio has always been sold as a desire.” Martin chose to make his Rio debut with a street-facing shop rather than a spot in a mall. “I’m influenced by Danish architect Jan Gehl’s ideas of human-centric design in his book Cities for People,” he says. “I believe in the power of the streets to keep cities alive. An open shop is a gift to the neighbourhood.”

Designed by architect Gabriel Contreira, the space pays homage to Rio’s modernist architecture with sand-textured flooring, cobogós (breeze blocks) and earthy hues. What better way to pen a love letter to a city that the designer calls “the most inspiring in the world”?
misci.com

24.
Burberry
UK

Created by Thomas Burberry in 1879, gabardine is a hard-wearing, water-repellent cotton blend fabric that has long accompanied many Brits on their rainy-day work commutes or weekend camping trips. Almost 150 years later, the material remains a pillar of the UK fashion house – so much so that, this season, the brand is offering a capsule collection centred around cotton-nylon gabardine. We have our eye on this beige cashmere set that features gabardine epaulettes and adjustable straps at the waist. It’s a fresh use of the material that nods to the house’s heritage.
burberry.com

25.
Bode
Japan & USA

New York-based label Bode opened its first Tokyo shop in February – a cosy space inside an apartment building in the Yoyogi-Uehara neighbourhood. It’s a quieter, more residential area than one might expect but one that channels the brand’s independent spirit.

The label’s founder, Emily Adams Bode, is best known for her use of vintage fabrics and delicate embroideries. To bring the new shop to life, she partnered with her husband, Aaron Singh Aujla, who is one of the co-founders of design practice Green River Project. The duo drew inspiration for its spatial design from the building’s entry lobby, which had been left untouched since the 1980s. The décor references the 1960s White House restoration under John F Kennedy. You’ll find handpicked items such as a 1920s ceramic vase, a painting by Matt Kenny that once hung in the Oval Office and a vintage newspaper stand.

Bode has been developing her label on her own terms since its launch in 2016, opting out of producing too many seasonal collections or staging large-scale runway shows. Her business has steadily expanded, opening flagship shops in Paris, New York and Los Angeles. But its bricks-and-mortar arrival in Tokyo, a city that embraced the designer’s slow fashion ethos from the get-go, feels like a homecoming. “Early on, the label’s approach of one-off pieces made from vintage textiles might have felt like an alien proposition to Western buyers,” she says. “But Japanese consumers have historically had a strong appetite for the handcrafted and the kind of slower fashion narrative that the business is built around.”
bode.com

Second acts: Four beautifully restored hotels breathing fresh air into storied buildings

1.
Farasha Farmhouse
Marrakech

After stints in Marrakech and Ibiza, in 2021 Fred and Rosena Charmoy decided to channel their experience as seasoned party planners into the purchase of a former artist’s residence and studio in Marrakech, which opened in 2023. The French-Irish couple created a regenerative farm, hotel and exhibition space known as Farasha Farmhouse.

The new Ranch House, unveiled in February, expands the property from four to 11 suites, and showcases a generation of Moroccan architects and artists. Designed by Idriss Karnachi from Studio Noss Noss, who is based in Morocco, additional wall space has also increased the in-house collection of contemporary African artworks by Amine El Gotaibi, among others.

As part of the expansion, the Charmoys partnered with Robert Wright, co-founder of Morocco-based Beni Rugs, a collaboration that has resulted in each room being warmed by bespoke weavings. “A well-curated, coherent space can have a powerful effect on enhancing wellbeing,” says Rosena. “Guests visit us in need of rest but we try to inspire their sense of curiosity in a way that leaves them feeling recharged.”
farashafarmhouse.com

2.
Casas Elilula
Preá, Brazil

After visiting Preá – a village in a wild corner of Brazil’s northeastern coastline – in 2012, French publisher Christine Pasquier and her family decided to establish a holiday home there.

Over the years they built their own beachfront properties, with three houses that are now available to rent, separately or together. Casa La consists of a cluster of palm-thatched bungalows linked by wooden walkways, while the larger, two-storey Casa Eli has Atlantic views; Casa Lu, meanwhile, is arranged around a large terrace. Casas Eli and La have private gardens, and a shared garden surrounds the pool.
casaselilula.com

3.
Hotel Sevilla
Mérida, Mexico

Mérida in the Yucatán was once one of the most affluent cities in the world. Many of its mansions have been transformed into private homes, galleries or hotels. Such is the case with Hotel Sevilla, from Mexican hoteliers Grupo Habita. Set in a 16th-century house or casona, the 21-room hotel was overhauled by Berlin-based Zeller & Moye, working with local architect Carlos Cuevas.

The building was in disrepair but much has been restored, including arches, stonework, tiles and beams. The exterior, which has intricate balconies, has been given a lick of paint. And in the rooms, there is a clean aesthetic with inky tiles, wooden shutters and earthy lampshades spun from an agave fibre named henequen.
hotelsevilla-merida.com

4.
The Dean
Berlin

Irish hospitality group The Dean has taken its first step beyond home turf. In Charlottenburg – West Berlin’s old-money quarter – the brand has taken on an 81-room, late-19th-century building that has served, in turn, as a residence and a postwar office.

“My approach was about revealing the building rather than over-restoring it,” says British designer Rachael Gowdridge. Instead of doing away with its past, she leaned into it. “This place has lived many lives,” she says. Thus, the interior embraces narrow proportions and unconventional layouts rather than disguising them: furniture is often set slightly off-axis and a bed’s headboard might rest against a window, instead of a wall. Throughout the hotel, an extensive art collection that features German artists is positioned in unexpected places. “There’s a deliberate tension throughout,” says Gowdridge. “Refined moments sit alongside raw ones, much like the district itself.”
thedeanhotels.com

At Hotel Almhof Schneider, change is essential to keeping heritage alive

“The word ‘tradition’ is often used to describe what we do but it’s a term that usually refers to keeping things the same,” says Austrian hotelier Gerold Schneider. “That’s something that we have resisted since my great-grandfather Wilhelm first converted the family’s farmhouse residence into the Almhof Schneider guesthouse [in 1929]. A more accurate term would be ‘heritage’.”

Wilhelm wasn’t the only Schneider with ideas. In 1940, Gerold’s grandfather Leopold constructed Lech am Arlberg’s first ski lift, sensing an early opportunity to develop the destination’s infrastructure for winter tourism. Today, Gerold represents the fourth generation of Schneiders to own the property in Lech in the Austrian Alps. Along with his wife, Katia, and two children, he runs the 48-key Almhof, which maintains the pleasing ratio of one staff member for every hotel guest.

In 2023, the family reopened Sonnenhof, a timber-clad former farmhouse that dates to the 14th-century, after a two-year renovation. The pared-back rental property sits on the slopes above the Almhof Schneider and features a fireplace by Italian sculptor Giuseppe Ducrot. At the end of 2025, Haus W followed, the latest to join the Almhof Schneider collection, with a custom oak spiral staircase at its centre. At the same time, the family’s Restaurant Klösterle was reopened after a two-year hiatus. The menu relies on produce from the local valleys: think sheep’s milk yogurt, lake fish and foraged herbs.

To ensure that guests have a chance to experience Lech’s mountainous bounty outside of the ski season, this year the couple have decided to open these heritage residences during the summer to allow for hiking or taking a dip in the region’s forest pools.

Beyond their properties, Gerold and Katia started an architectural office based between Vienna and Salzburg in 1995; they moved to Lech in 1997. The company specialises in vernacular buildings in the village – typically the centuries-old homes of local farmers. In 2000, the couple converted a disused barn in Lech into a cultural centre called Allmeinde Commongrounds, which hosts events.

At Almhof Schneider, Gerold has been busy tweaking the guest suites and refining the menu, while the wine cellar welcomes some of Austria’s best bottles. Fine-tuning its identity feels in keeping with the Schneider family’s forward-thinking approach to regional hospitality. “Heritage is a responsibility. We try to preserve the homes of our Lech settlement while adapting to today’s modern needs,” says Gerold.
almhof.at

Restaurant Klösterle

Gerold’s mother first ran a restaurant – a 17th-century building near Lech – in the 1980s. Now the Schneiders have updated a rustic stube with a light touch – expect the best from local farms and hunters, including roast duck with red cabbage and Spätzle (spinach dumplings).
restaurant-kloesterle.at

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Sonnenhof

Meaning “Sunny inn”, Sonnenhof is a traditional Walser Haus, or wooden house, dating to 1393, with centuries-old beams made from native spruce. Today, it is a six-bedroom base camp for ski-in, ski-out sojourns thanks to its location beside the Hinterwies lift station.
sonnenhof.com

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Haus W

The newest addition to the Almhof family is a former farmhouse built in the early 1600s. Timber dominates the four upstairs guest rooms, ground-floor dining room, full-service kitchen, pantry and wine cellar. The spa is by Japanese designer Shinichiro Ogata.
hausw.com

Inside Club Metrópolis, a heritage landmark-turned-boutique hotel and gastronomic hub

From a window overlooking the busy mouth of Madrid’s Gran Vía, Marta Seco recounts the past few years in the cadence of a rescue mission. “It was part fightback, part forward push,” the restaurateur tells Monocle. For almost a generation, the Metrópolis, one of Madrid’s few instantly recognisable landmarks, had languished empty and off-limits. In 2019, its owner invited Seco and her husband, Sandro Silva, to open a restaurant on the ground floor, revealing that the rest of the building was earmarked for office space. Under the Grupo Paraguas, the couple have opened some of the most successful restaurants in the city. So they made a counteroffer. “We told him that we wanted the entire building,” says Seco. “The Metrópolis – and Madrid – deserved better.”

Seven years later, the century-old beaux arts-style building stands anew. A glass sculpture of a phoenix – in part a nod to the original tenant’s corporate symbol – hangs above the entrance hall. Inaugurated as the headquarters of insurance company La Unión y El Fénix Español in 1911, the six-storey building has long been one of Madrid’s most photographed, with its gold filigreed cupola capturing an era of stately splendour. Once boarded up, today the windows brim with inner life; the opening represents a bellwether of Madrid’s most recent hospitality boom.

Club Metrópolis features seven restaurants. “It was important to keep the essence unashamedly Spanish,” says Seco. This meant developing seven menus to showcase the best of Spain’s regional produce, with nods to the Cantabrian and Mediterranean seas. “We chose not to anglicise any of the restaurant names either,” adds Seco.

There were challenges: among them, the building’s 6,000 sq m size, proximity to city hall and the national bank, plus a strict heritage listing. According to Seco, it’s these factors that probably kept international investors at bay. “To make it work, we had to get creative,” she says. A 19-key hotel was designed for the upper floor, while a much-talked-about members’ club offers exclusive access to two further restaurants, plus private meeting rooms and a calendar of 200 or so annual events that include talks, wine tastings and parties. “The idea was to emulate the spirit of a home, creating a sense of fealty and making it economically feasible,” says Seco. Before the opening in January, 1,500 members had already signed up, each courted through Grupo Paraguas’s customer base, which has reached more than 1.5 million people in the past 22 years.

While not the official brand line, Seco also speaks about evoking the spirit of the late Duchess of Alba, Spain’s irrepressible aristocrat whose untamed fiestas united a colourful carousel of Spanish society – all under one roof. “Reclaiming such an emblematic building is as much about the aesthetic details, such as choosing the right designers and telling their stories, as it is about imbuing it with sustained life,” she says. There’s a palpable sense of warmth on display throughout Club Metrópolis. Seco puts this down to recruiting people with a certain degree of empathy and who “personify our friendly culture”, across 397 members of staff.

The walls are lined with playful smatterings of art and photography curated by Lázaro Rosa-Violán, one of Madrid’s most admired interior designers. Ornate cornicing, opulent carpets and further contemporary elements, such as the elegant cascading paper structure by Wanda Barcelona that hangs above the ground-floor bar, all work to marry the Metrópolis’s esteemed past to the capital’s more intrepid present.

With late afternoon sun warming the building’s southern façade, fresh faces are gathering at the circular bar, Barra de Oricios. It’s that uniquely Madrid time of day between the sobremesa (a post-meal period of long chats and sips of liqueur) and the piscolabis (a leisurely pre-dinner aperitivo). While this is a leisurely stretch for some, for Seco, duty beckons. A folder is thrust into her lap so that she can sign-off on a decision about the colour of new awnings. The rooftop terrace atrium, set to be installed before the end of spring, also merits discussion. Several seasoned customers, many of whom appear to be friends of Seco, circle over to our table, offering warm words and enhorabuenas (congratulations). “It makes a difference to be here and to be hands-on,” she says. “This is not just one of Grupo Paraguas’s most important projects to date – it’s also a symbolic and sentimental milestone for the entire city of Madrid.”
metropolismadrid.es

‘Think globally but act locally’: Gildo Zegna on his plans for the growing luxury conglomerate

Zegna might have production centres spanning Parma to Mendrisio in Switzerland but its spiritual home is in the Biella Alps in Piedmont, northern Italy. Known as Oasi Zegna, the site includes a vast nature park and the fashion house’s original wool mill, established in 1910 and still spinning yarn today. This is where the founder’s grandson, Gildo Zegna, meets Monocle to discuss succession at the fast-growing Zegna Group, which now includes US label Thom Browne and the fashion division of Tom Ford, alongside the Zegna label, which has evolved into one of the most prominent players in global luxury menswear.

Gildo, who recently moved on from the role of group CEO to become executive chairman, says that the switch is his way of “stepping up” as he seeks to ensure that the group stays nimble and competitive. Part of this involves developing the retail and customer experience through initiatives such as Salotto Zegna (exclusive shopping areas for one-to-one experiences) and the travelling, club-like Villa Zegna concept (extended events providing an immersive, “multisensory exploration” of the brand). The latter has touched down in cities from Miami to Shanghai. With revenues of €1.92bn in 2025, spearheaded by brand leader Zegna, the group now seems to be focusing on helping Thom Browne and Tom Ford to replicate some of the recent successes of their Italian stablemate. The 70-year-old Gildo, a keen skier and tennis player who personally tries on Zegna products before launch, is showing no sign of slowing down.

What’s your outlook on the luxury fashion industry, which is becoming increasingly competitive?
I’m not worried because we have a great team. My two boys [Edoardo and Angelo, now co-CEOs of the Zegna label] are very creative and have a firm grasp of how the world is changing. And our new group CEO, Gianluca Tagliabue, is a smart fellow. He’s very experienced and able to manage both the bad and the good with serenity. Zegna’s artistic director, Alessandro Sartori, is unique too. He understands the process from sheep to shop. With this set-up, we have to learn to say “no” more.

What does that mean?
We need to have priorities. Our competitive advantage since the coronavirus pandemic has been in our focus and understanding of who our customers are. We have been raising the bar and picking projects that will impress them. Pouring our efforts into service, marketing and the final product has been very important. The challenge is to be consistent: it’s relatively easy to put on a Villa Zegna event in Milan or in Oasi Zegna. But we want to achieve the same level of perfection overseas.

Does that mean you’re planning more events around the world?
There’s only one Lanificio Zegna [the house’s wool mill] and there is only one Oasi Zegna – so the key is to start from the origin. But, yes, the plan is to organise at least two major events a year. In 2025 we had some in Milan but also in Dubai, where we did a fashion show and a Villa Zegna event. The world is big enough for us to do each one differently, respecting local cultures. That’s the new mindset: think globally but act locally.

Do you see the Middle East as a big growth area?
For the Zegna brand, the Gulf represented 3 per cent of turnover pre-coronavirus and today it’s almost 10 per cent, which is incredible. I don’t know where I’ll be in five years but I’m sure that the trend will still be moving in that direction, with Saudi Arabia providing the biggest growth. We can still achieve higher productivity in the Emirates for Zegna. What we have done is remarkable. Dubai Mall is now our biggest shop in the world, surpassing our New York flagship.

You mentioned your sons’ new roles. How has it been to step away from your position as group CEO and become executive chairman?
Succession planning is very important. I promised the board that I would come up with a plan when I turned 70. I thought that it was important to take this step while I’m still mentally young and physically active. The new leadership will come to me with requests and ideas, and will want my support. But it will be different to making any direct interventions. I will go through them and it will be up to them to decide what to do. That will give me more time to focus on other things. But forget about having free time – these first few months have shown I’ll be very busy because there’s plenty to do.

You remain very much involved in the group’s day-to-day operations. Do you still want to be at the heart of things?
Yes, I want to be informed. Then I can decide how to use the information. And I want to be involved in the product. I was the first person to inspect the spring/summer 2027 pre-collection and I gave my advice. That’s what I like doing and I’m good at it. One important detail: the board decided that I remain in charge of the textile platform, which is strategic for our group. I want to achieve a better integration in textiles for Thom Browne and Tom Ford.

What was your takeaway from 2025?
Considering all of the geopolitical misfortunes, I think that we did well – and Zegna did especially well, considering that China is not at the level that it used to be. If that market turns around, we will see even better numbers. Having made cuts in our wholesale distribution, we now need to master retail. Plus, we have to develop a stronger business for Thom Browne and Tom Ford in Europe and Asia.

Given the fast-changing world, what role does innovation play for the group?
It has to be part of your mindset. I wake up at 04.00 with new ideas. Sartori is the same. We meet in the morning and ask, “Is this bullshit or is this something that could work?” If one idea out of 10 is successful, that’s fantastic. Innovation takes time. The last three successful projects took us at least two years to put together because the testing stage is extremely important. The world is immense in terms of what you can do with natural fibres and we are the best at understanding them because we own our supply chain and industrial processes. Innovating in the world of product design then becomes easy.
zegnagroup.com

Read next: On the slopes with Zegna’s top customers as Zegna talks the true price of luxury

Sydney’s fashion scene is seeing a resurgence – and it’s starting in Paddington

Whisk any detractors of bricks-and-mortar retail around Sydney’s Paddington neighbourhood on a Saturday morning and it will quickly become clear that physical shopping is alive and well. Candy-coloured terraces are brimming with well-heeled Antipodeans and out-of-towners; shopkeepers call across the street like old friends; a couple juggle bags with the leash of a terrier-cross as piano chords float out of antiques shops. “It casts a particular kind of spell as a retail destination,” says Kellie Hush, the CEO of Australian Fashion Week. “Paddington works because it isn’t trying to be a mall, it’s a neighbourhood,” she says. “It thrives on daily rituals – coffee, bakeries, flowers, barbecue chicken, pharmacy visits.” And, of course, shopping.

Since the 1960s, Paddington has been considered Sydney’s fashion hub, a pell-mell of creatives and art makers, designers and fashion folk. Developers encouraged independent Australian brands to move in with a vision of incubating talent. A Paddington postcode was a precious gem; a shopfront at The Intersection, a particularly bustling corner, a sign of success. “It’s been the home of many great Australian designers, a stepping stone to domestic and international expansion,” says Hush.

Its location is difficult to fault from any side: Paddington is connected to the city’s CBD by the arterial Oxford Street (named after the London thoroughfare) and is a 10-minute drive from Sydney’s sparkling beaches. Bordering it are the leafy, well-to-do streets of Woollahra and the younger, gastronomically inclined laneways of Surry Hills. High-priced homes nearby lock in a wealthy customer base. In the late 1980s and early 1990s, Australian brands from Dinosaur Designs to Zimmerman began selling at the Paddington Markets, a Saturday open-air market that has been operating since the 1970s, and moved into nearby terraces when commercial viability allowed. Many held on to flagships in the area while propelling their brands to greater heights nationally and abroad.

In the 2010s, headwinds arrived. Like many other retail hubs around the world, Paddington had to adapt to a brave new retail landscape, buffeted by the emphatic embrace of online shopping, rising rents and, most recently, tough pandemic-era lockdowns. The area “underwent an identity crisis with the development and rise of mega malls”, says retail consultant Hannah Jensen. Shops sat empty and foot traffic petered out.

But more recently, the area has again reinvented itself, with its reputation as a fashion hub bolstered by a slew of new arrivals. Its growth coincides with an increasing appetite for luxury across Sydney: the nearby CBD is abuzz with new luxury shops: Loro Piana, Chloé, Balenciaga and Max Mara have all opened shops in recent months. Chatswood Chase, a mall on Sydney’s North Shore, reopened in October 2025 with more than 60 global and local retail partners. This ability to marry local and global shopping within a few miles makes the city an investment-worthy destination for brands across every tier of the luxury market. Add the growing affluent consumer base and increased demand for luxury goods across the country (the luxury market in Australia, valued at €7.3bn in 2025, is projected to reach $14.7bn by 2043) and you have a city positioning itself as a compelling luxury frontier in the southern hemisphere.

Paddington regained its stride with “the ‘right-fit’ customer who is looking for an anti-algorithm experience”, says Jensen. This includes a mix of savvy retailers, hospitable service and spaces to linger, starting with newly opened 25hours Hotel The Olympia.

When property developer Dean Levin first asked Caroline Ball and Ant White to open a retail outpost at The Olympia (converted from a disused art deco cinema), they weren’t sold. Ball and White are the co-founders of Sorry Thanks I Love You, a concept store that holds stock of crisp Comme des Garçons T-shirts and eclectic finds from Dover Street Market. They wanted to go big, dreaming of Tokyo department stores and modular, gallery-like spaces that they could fill with music, local chefs and art installations – a cosy hotel boutique wasn’t originally in their plans. “But we saw how we could do all that here,” White tells Monocle. “[Levin] created a space for the Paddington community to come, to gather, to create an ecosystem that works in sync. And that’s exactly what we wanted too.”

The Olympia opened in November 2025 as an art-forward hotel with 109 rooms and four hospitality venues – a wine bar, café, restaurant and rooftop bar with views across the city skyline. It took over a corner of Paddington in a grand wedge of a building. The concentric ripples that the development would encourage were also part of the draw. “This area – here down to Darlinghurst – is feeling so activated, so alive again,” says White.

The Olympia isn’t the area’s only new arrival. The top of Glenmore Road has been almost entirely overhauled in the past two years with the arrivals of local womenswear labels Deiji Studios, St Agni and Nagnata. Party-ready Asta Resort opened in December 2025; Lewi Brown’s brand Earls landed on Oxford Street in July 2025; soon after jeweller Temple of the Sun opened the doors to its flagship shop inspired by Istanbul’s Basilica Cistern, fitted with a barrel-vaulted ceiling and Venetian plastered walls. Lè Baus, which reopened this February, is a collision of record shop, menswear label and coffee counter.

Paddington’s appeal is also linked to its architecture. William Street is a strip of terraced houses that stick to each other like crayon boxes. Wrought-iron balconies are twisted into curlicues, while shopfronts are small, their insides winding and often narrow. “It acts as a protective barrier,” says Jensen, for local labels going up against bigger brands that want more space and window mileage. “In the end, its independence survives because the identity is the attraction,” agrees Hush. Multinational brands can’t expect these character-filled shopfronts to be moulded to their standardised, high-volume models. Hush compares the district with New York’s “more intimate” Nolita or Tokyo’s Daikanyama area, “which blend walkability, design consciousness and understated fashion credibility”.

Hayden Johansen is head of retail at Scanlan Theodore, a long-standing Australian fashion label in the neighbourhood. He has lived in Sydney for 19 years. “Each turn you take is a different feeling,” he says of the area, in which Scanlan Theodore has one of the most recognisable shopfronts, with green walls doubly verdant with ivy. “And now, the feeling is sort of back to what it was like when I first moved here. It’s a lifestyle again.”

The neighbourliness of local shopkeepers is at the heart of this lifestyle. At jeweller Lucy Folk, Monocle is shown to a small terracotta-walled courtyard, dazzlingly lit by the midday sun. The effect is of sitting inside a warm yolk. “We love making tea for everyone,” says brand manager Ruby McCarthy, who offers customers cups of matcha on the house. “It’s a negroni in the summertime.”

Further down the street, suit-maker P Johnson’s space is white and gallery-like, full of antiques, curved lines and good humour. A sunken lounge is the centrepiece. Unusually for informal Sydney, all of the label’s fitters walk around in three-piece suits. They take customers through consultations, fittings and get to know their families. “We text,” says Oscar Ford, the showroom’s assistant manager. He, like other recruits, undertook an eight-month training period, during which he was formally educated on weaves, fabrics, origins and fit. “The Paddington customer takes their time, they linger,” says Ford. “So we need to know what we’re talking about. We’re sitting down with people, we’re educating them. We want to open up a world that’s a little bit unusual.”

It’s the same story at menswear brand Charlton, launched in 2018 by film director Henry Cousins. Its shopfront is petite and low-lit, stocked with shirts in Japanese cotton and merino wool. Cousins moved into a terrace on William Street in 2022 after the pandemic- era exodus of some long-term tenants made rents more affordable. “It’s probably the only reason that some of the smaller brands could move in,” he says. “Everyone really wants to work together, to help each other.”

Cousins recently created a fragrance with Craig Andrade, his shop neighbour and owner of perfumery The Raconteur. They launched it at a street party: “We got to bring Craig’s customers and my clientele together,” says Cousins. “Everyone’s lives were running alongside each other but they had never met. And we got to make that happen.”

For stalwarts and newcomers alike, Paddington’s trajectory only seems to be on the up. Plans are underway to transform the Verona building on Oxford Street into a retail, residential and hospitality space, with a grand old cinema as its centrepiece. Further towards the city, Oxford and Foley, a commercial strip of renovated heritage buildings, is welcoming tenants, including Golf Wang, the fashion label by US musician Tyler, the Creator.

As Jensen says, it’s all part of creating an ecosystem. “Yes, the pavement is uneven and the weather can be unpredictable,” she says, “but you can walk into a shop and be personally greeted and given a bespoke experience – and all at your own pace.”

Read Monocle’s complete city guide to Sydney, here

Olivier Bron shares his bold plan to reimagine Bloomingdale’s and revive NY retail

When Monocle steps into the imposing, black-granite flagship of Bloomingdale’s on Manhattan’s 1,000 3rd Avenue on a sunny spring morning, Gucci sales associates are busy arranging spring/summer accessories, a personal shopper is eyeing a designer dress for a client and an affable worker is vacuuming with great care – all in anticipation of customers streaming into the building in a few hours’ time. Anticipation hangs in the air. It’s a little like being in a concert hall just before the patrons arrive.

Olivier Bron, the CEO of Bloomingdale’s, is here to orchestrate the morning performance. He dashes into the art deco lifts, buzzes through the luxury floor (now home to a new two-level Chanel salon), points out the updated design accents and greets several staffers by name. In his dark-blue suit and white button-down shirt, Bron is the embodiment of a focused and courteous business leader.

More than two years into his role, the 48-year-old executive leads a team of 1,458 employees in New York and 8,475 nationwide. With 31 department stores, 25 outlets and four smaller-scale Bloomie’s outposts, the 154-year-old company is experiencing a revitalisation under Bron, who hopes to usher in a new era for the business by spearheading an ambitious renovation plan and implementing his “Dream Big” strategy. “My dream is to build the next golden age of Bloomingdale’s,” he says. “The last one was in the 1970s and 1980s, when 59th Street was the convergence point for all New Yorkers.”

In its prime, Bloomingdale’s was indeed a cultural force. Known for its fashion, furniture and food, it reeled in shoppers and casual browsers alike. It was among the first North American department stores to install escalators in 1898; it also helped to popularise frozen yoghurt and pioneered the concept of the branded boutique. The retailer aspired to be not just a store but a destination. The UK’s Elizabeth II dropped by the flagship during a 1976 state visit. Yves Saint Laurent debuted his iconic fragrance Opium here, while Massimo Vignelli, the designer behind New York’s original subway map, created the shop’s iconic Big Brown Bag. Bloomingdale’s was once so in vogue that Andy Warhol called it “the new kind of museum for the 1980s”.

But Bron is not seeking merely to glorify the past. Instead, he wants to reimagine Bloomingdale’s and set new, ambitious goals for the business. There are plans for major renovations of all of its top stores and more. To raise the personal-service bar, the company has hired 90 personal shoppers who each now sell more than $1.5m (€1.3m) of goods a year.

Bron is the former Ceo of Thailand’s Central and Robinson Department Stores, and also has stints at Galeries Lafayette and Bain & Company under his belt. Now he is competing in the US retail arena during a particularly uncertain time. The Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing by Saks Global in January caused a major ripple effect across the industry, once again calling the future of US department stores into question. Bron is naturally vigilant but he tells Monocle that he also sees fresh opportunities for Bloomingdale’s to become “the best solution for brands when they consider US distribution”.

“Saks is a major player in the industry so what’s happening is a revolution,” he says. “We don’t know exactly how this story is going to end. A lot of brands are exposed to this situation so it’s scary. This uncertainty is creating turbulence in the market but we don’t spend too much time focusing on what’s happening at Saks.”

Bron is looking further afield for ideas. “The ways in which Asian department stores leverage social media and social shopping are extremely inspiring,” he says. “Meanwhile, in Europe, it’s really about the way that stores are designed and experiences are built.” He notes that his counterparts in Asia have been quicker to focus on the concessions-based model. “Getting the merchandise right isn’t enough. You need to have the right marketing, the right campaigns and the right store design.”

This is why he has been going all in on renovating his company’s property portfolio, starting with the 1,000 3rd Avenue flagship. It’s not just the department store’s outdated black-and-white floor tiles that are being replaced; the goal is to rethink the shop floor completely and, within the next five years, to renovate 12 more top-performing stores in the Bloomingdale’s portfolio. Belgian architect Bernard Dubois, whose finesse can be seen in Paris’s Courrèges store and The Standard hotel in Brussels, has been working on the flagship’s fourth floor, while the retailer’s internal team is refreshing the fifth, opening up space for better storytelling and service.

Bron says that the right retail design can inspire a fresh, more casual way of selling and help to foster connections. “When you think about building a relationship with a person who you enjoy spending time with, you think about space,” he says. “For me, it would probably be a cabin in the mountains with a fireplace, warm materials such as wood, a nice chair and a glass of wine. That’s where I would love to have a discussion with this person. I want all of our customers to feel this way when they come to Bloomingdale’s – for it to feel warm and cosy.”

His philosophy is paying off for Bloomingdale’s. It’s enjoying growing sales, with a 9 per cent year-on-year increase in the third quarter of 2025 (Bloomingdale’s, which is part of holding company Macy’s Inc, doesn’t share full sales figures). Bron is trying to keep up the momentum by challenging teams to outperform their most recent gains.

While some Saks and Neiman Marcus shoppers, suppliers and talent have come knocking at the company’s door, Bron attributes its upturn to the Dream Big vision that was laid out two years ago. This has included opening 3,300 additional points of distribution with new brand partners such as Valentino, Burberry, Chloé, Bottega Veneta, Roger Vivier and Jacquemus.

“The great performance that we have experienced over the past two years is largely the fruit of the strategy,” says Bron. “Is the Saks situation helping our business? Probably but just a little bit – we have had some talent approaching us. But I am sorry that they are facing challenges. It’s not helping our industry. We spend a lot of time defending the department-store model and explaining why it still has a bright future.”

Bron is also adamant that department stores “must have the right service”. It’s why he has been doubling down on wooing high-spending customers. In recent months clients have indulged in private visits to Dior’s 57th Street address; they have been flown to Sicily for a Bulgari outing and enjoyed fine cuisine courtesy of Lalique in Paris. By making shopping more experiential, Bloomingdale’s has been able to reduce its discounted sales significantly compared to 2019. “It’s much more about the relationship, meaning that the customer will be less obsessed with discounting and more interested in the product and getting access to experiences,” he says.

“Olivier came with a good attitude that’s focused on differentiating the chain from rivals and really focusing on the customer,” says Neil Saunders, the managing director of retail research agency Globaldata. “Those things are invaluable in a sector where too little emphasis has traditionally been placed on investing in propositions and creating something meaningful for shoppers.”

While Bloomingdale’s serves the luxury market, it also captures a lot of premium spending from middle-class consumers. “This allows it to fish in multiple pools,” says Saunders. That means On, Nike and Hoka trainers aren’t far from the Christian Louboutin corner with its signature red-lacquered wall. The way that department stores offer proximity to a wide range of products across categories is one of the reasons that Bron is betting on the model’s future. It’s a one-of-a-kind ecosystem that allows brands in all camps to attract customers. Curating a range of independent brands is equally crucial, especially since many have been priced out of New York state’s retail property market.

Bron contends that shoppers want a highly personalised experience. “People are part of a community,” he says. “What are the groups that they belong to? What do they like? How do they act?” He believes that the answer partly lies in bridging what he sees as a disconnect between brand strategies and department stores’ conventional execution. “Sometimes, when you go to shops across the country, there are fantastic brands but you have five products on a rack in the back of a floor with no lights or service. If that’s how you’re representing brands, it’s a problem.”

Such an approach has often left customers disappointed with their department-store experiences compared to those inside single-brand boutiques. So Bron’s latest mission is to match – or even surpass – luxury houses’ level of service. “If you want to buy a bag, you could buy one for $300 [€255]. So why are you buying one for $4,000 [€3,395]?” he asks. “You’re investing in more than just the product. You’re buying a story, an experience and a social marker. Why are our customers walking on the street with a Louis Vuitton or a Chanel bag? It’s not only about the bag. The brand that they carry represents themselves.”

Noting that many Bloomingdale’s customers bought their first luxury products at the department store, Bron sees the retailer as an entry point to this world. Shoppers should feel at ease and free from the intimidation that they might encounter in a stuffy Madison Avenue boutique. “If you want to be a good retailer, you have to care for people,” he says. “That’s why we love this business.” Kevin Harter, the vice-president of Bloomingdale’s integrated marketing and fashion office, nods nearby. He explains that Dream Big was never just a catchphrase. “Two years later, we’re still talking about it,” he says.

The global department-store market is poised to grow from $136bn (€115bn) in 2025 to $202.5bn (€172bn) by 2033, according to data from SkyQuest Technology. This suggests that Bron and his team can continue to dream big. Even when the future of major competitors remains uncertain, Bloomingdale’s offers hope that the glory days of the sector aren’t behind it. “There’s a great opportunity for us right now,” says Bron, listing his plans for the rest of 2026, from launching four major advertising campaigns to hosting 400 client events. “We have to catch it and work hard to deliver.”

Light and shade: Sharp menswear styles to carry you into spring

Stylist: Akio Hasegawa
Model: Ikken Yamamoto
Groomer: Kenichi Yaguchi
Producers: Ryo Komuta and Takahiro Kawata (Rhino Inc.)