Issues

Foreign aid isn’t charity; it’s an investment in global security. Slashing it is a dangerous political shortcut

For a certain sort of political leader, there is no easier win than taking an axe to foreign aid. For a start, foreign aid goes to foreigners, to whom supporters of this certain sort of political leader are generally indifferent. While those voters seethe that colossal quantities of their money are shipped overseas, the certain sort of political leader knows that the amounts are, in the grand scheme of things, tiny.

It is unsurprising that the United States Agency for International Development – US Aid – has been an early target of US president Donald Trump, via his hatchet man, Elon Musk. US Aid’s name contains the word “international”, which is nearly as toxic a word in some quarters as “foreign”. It accounts for a rounding error of about $50bn (€48bn), or only a little more than Musk spent on a social-media platform.

Many US voters, however, all but believe that their money is shovelled out of aircraft flying over Africa, Central Asia and the Middle East. Polls have found that Americans estimate that about 25 per cent of the federal budget is spent on foreign aid; it is, in fact, about one per cent.

International aid is not charity; it is an investment – and one that pays for itself, time and again. In episode 573 of Monocle Radio’s The Foreign Desk, we spoke to Andrew Mitchell, former minister of state for development and Africa from 2022 to 2024 during the last Conservative government. The UK’s foreign aid, he told us, “makes Britain safer and more prosperous because it makes the poorest and most difficult parts of the world safer and more prosperous”.

Even the most rugged isolationist should be able to absorb this point. It might also be worth considering who is in favour of the US withdrawing from this field; among those offering their congratulations is Russia’s former president Dmitry Medvedev. If the West doesn’t get involved, then someone else will.

Andrew Mueller is the host of ‘The Foreign Desk’ on Monocle Radio.

‘The Brutalist’ proves architecture can be as captivating as any art form

It’s a Tuesday night and I’m surrounded by cinemagoers who have turned out to see The Brutalist at the Barbican Centre, London’s most celebrated brutalist building. “This is great for architecture,” I think, as I tuck into my popcorn.

As an art form, architecture has a bit of a reputation problem. Its lengthy academic pathways can make studying it off-putting for many. In everyday life, people’s views on buildings are only sought when councils want feedback on development plans. We’re also accustomed to accepting mediocre, poorly designed environments, from badly lit supermarkets to dingy train stations.

To change this, the discipline needs to find ways to communicate why it is important – and why people should care. And that’s what The Brutalist does. By the time this column is on newsstands, director Brady Corbet’s feature will have likely picked up at least one of the 10 Academy Awards for which it has been nominated.

Other films have touched on architecture before: think Nora Ephron’s 1993 romcom Sleepless in Seattle, about a widower architect finding love, or Parasite, Bong Joon-ho’s Oscar-winning 2020 thriller set in a strikingly austere residence. The difference here is that Corbet uses both architect and architecture as his film’s protagonists. It tells the story of László Tóth, a Hungarian refugee loosely based on Marcel Breuer and Erno Goldfinger, who travels to the US after the Second World War and introduces brutalism to North America. When Tóth’s concrete walls frame a crisp, blue sky, the audience gasps; there’s a collective intake of breath when a modernist library is revealed in a renovation scene.

After the screening, I hear people walking out of the film discussing the trauma that Tóth experiences but also how the on-screen architecture affected them. I pass a couple talking about commissioning their own light-filled library. The Brutalist is a great PR campaign for architecture. It encourages us to demand more from our environments and reminds us to take delight in great buildings – not just at the cinema. 

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Meet the fashion week specialists: Hidden talent from five fashion capitals

Runway shows are fleeting affairs but every 10-minute spectacle requires months of careful thought and arduous preparation. Out of view of the front rows, there are teams of highly skilled specialists who play fundamental but rarely celebrated roles in every fashion week. You’ll find them in London, Milan, New York and Paris, working in cramped backstage areas or bustling offices until the early hours of the morning. These are often hectic, fast-paced environments but they are where a lot of the creative magic happens.

Here, Monocle goes behind the scenes in the five major fashion capitals to catch some of that action and pay homage to the unsung heroes of fashion weeks.

1.
The caterer
Andrea Menicatti
Milan

Post-show celebrations are almost always followed by champagne – even before noon – along with quick bites for the models, photographers and journalists backstage. Perhaps unsurprisingly, Milan holds first place when it comes to fashion-week hospitality. Here, you can expect to be served delicious focaccias, mini-bowls of pasta or biscotti on silver trays. Miuccia Prada is known as one of the city’s best hosts, thanks in no small part to the cheerful and generous catering by Marchesi 1824, the historic Milanese pastry shop now owned by the Prada Group.

Its CEO, Andrea Menicatti, ensures that every Prada show culminates with waiters serving trays of bubbly, chocolates and the crustless salty butter and cucumber canapés that are such staples of the brand’s events that habitués call them “Prada snacks”. “It’s a team effort, serving a large number of people with different needs and tastes,” says Menicatti. Contrary to popular belief, fashion people do eat.

2.
The security chief
Fabio Covizzi
Milan

Even among Milan’s immaculately dressed fashion crowd, Fabio Covizzi stands out. He’s easy to spot with his shaved head and sharp suits from the likes of Fendi, Prada or Ferragamo. At shows, many guests wonder how he can move so seamlessly between guarding the entrance, escorting guests to their seats and fending off over-eager fans from celebrated designers such as Miuccia Prada during their post-show interviews.

“I sleep very little,” says Covizzi, who tells Monocle that he typically works on seven or eight runway shows a day, plus events and evening cocktails, during fashion weeks. Covizzi’s company, Eventservices, employs more than 350 security guards, who are divided into various teams that he oversees. The process requires months of advance planning to ensure that those 10-minute performances go smoothly. “I started in 1984 with the very first Dolce & Gabbana show,” he says, adding that he has worked at more than 2,000 such events. “I still love this job. Otherwise it would be impossible to be so attentive.” 

3.
The make-up artist
Pat McGrath
London

You’ll spot Pat McGrath and her team of make-up artists backstage at the biggest shows in Europe’s main fashion capitals, from Versace’s in Milan to Miu Miu’s in Paris. In her signature black headband, she has a calm presence even amid the pre-show pandemonium when dozens of models are waiting to sit in her make-up chair. Over the years she has created ancient Egyptian-inspired looks for Christian Dior Couture, added petals on models’ eyelashes while working with Pierpaolo Piccioli at Valentino and caused a sensation when she transformed John Galliano’s Maison Margiela models into porcelain dolls with glass-like skin – an artistic and technical feat involving airbrushed layers of gel finish.

Even as her career reaches new heights (she now has her own make-up label and was named a dame of the British empire for her services to beauty), she remains a reassuring backstage figure. You might hear her team members referring to her as “Dame Pat” when they need her to pass a brush or add her finishing touches to a look. 

4.
The movement director
Pat Boguslawski
New York

Models’ mesmerising runway struts don’t happen by accident. The man adding flair to many of their performances is former model and dancer Pat Boguslawski, who now works as a movement director. “I knew that there was a gap in fashion since the 1990s,” he says. “I wanted to be the person to bring energy back to the runway.” After walking for the likes of Alexander McQueen, he had ideas for how to enhance fashion shows with more stagecraft. “The magic is in the combination of dance and acting,” he says. “You need to see characters, not just movement – otherwise, the clothes aren’t believable.”

Boguslawski’s most celebrated moment took place at last year’s Maison Margiela Artisanal show by John Galliano for which models prowled around in a theatre-worthy runway performance. The piece of advice that he dispenses most frequently could apply to anyone. “Be confident, be yourself and have fun,” he says. “That way, people will remember you.” 

5.
The pit photographers
Giovanni and Silvia Giannoni
Florence

During every fashion week, thousands of runway images are disseminated online, to be pored over by buyers, editors and fashion enthusiasts across the globe. None of these would exist were it not for the skilled runway photographers who you’ll see positioned at the end of each catwalk, sometimes shouting at guests to uncross their legs as the lights go down – anything to get the right shot.

Italian-born Giovanni Giannoni has been a steady presence in the pit for more than 20 years. A pioneer in the transition from film to digital photography on the runway, he has worked as the in-house photographer for brands such as Louis Vuitton and shot for industry publications including Women’s Wear Daily. After he takes the photographs, his partner, Silvia, selects the best images for every look, swiftly editing and archiving them. It’s a carefully choreographed job that takes them to Milan, Paris, London and Tokyo for months at a time, all in the name of fashion. 

6.
The PR maven
Lucien Pagès
Paris

The night before a fashion show, fleets of press officers – often dressed in black and holding walkie-talkies – are up late finalising seating charts, confirming interviews and negotiating access with fashion editors. Among the busiest communications specialists in the business is Lucien Pagès, who works between New York, London, Milan and Paris, and spearheads public relations for about 60 runway shows every season. To ensure that his clients get the visibility that they deserve, Paris-based Pagès divides his staff between events yet also puts in plenty of personal face time.

“I have to work a lot but I take things day by day, level by level, like in Super Mario Bros,” says Pagès. “I’m lucky to work with a young team that’s excited about fashion and their job. Still, it’s like co-ordinating something that’s a cross between a ballet and an army.” His survival tips? Being in bed by midnight and abstaining from drinking at parties – even though those that Pagès holds are always unmissable. 

Christie’s expands into Saudi Arabia under the helm of Nour Kelani

Christie’s cemented its interest in the Middle East when it opened an office in Riyadh’s Diplomatic Quarter last September. And Nour Kelani, a resident of the city, was tapped to oversee this new development for the London-based auction house as its managing director.

“Christie’s already has a well-established client base in Saudi Arabia but having someone on the ground strengthens these relationships,” says Kelani. The auction house has been arranging sales in the Middle East since 2006 but this move suggests a long-term commitment.

For Christie’s, hiring a local – and somebody embedded in the contemporary art scene – was important, particularly in a country that prizes in-person deals over phone calls or anonymous bidding. Though the art market uses “Middle East” as a sweeping term for the region, Saudi Arabia is distinct when it comes to culture and the rules of business. “It’s a different market here because when you say ‘luxury’, it’s very luxurious, very specific,” says Kelani. “Saudi Arabians don’t want another poster. They want the right artwork, the right artist, for the right reasons.”

Kelani is a third-generation transplant to the Kingdom; her family is originally from Syria. After studying abroad, she returned to Saudi Arabia to work as a consultant for luxury brands before switching to the art world when she joined the now-closed Ayyam Gallery in Jeddah. Over the years, Kelani’s Rolodex of collectors and artists grew. An invaluable draw is her contacts at the Ministry of Culture as the government expands its artistic ambitions under Vision 2030, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s plan to invest about €1trn in the country’s society and culture.

Another key consideration is Saudi Arabia’s young population: 63 per cent of its citizens are under 30. “A lot of my clients are millennials who are buying houses and looking to fill their walls with art,” says Kelani. “However, this generation is sophisticated. They want artwork they can relate to, so a lot of them want to start collecting Saudi artists and Middle Eastern artists.” For this generation, it’s more thrilling to be the first to support an emerging artist, rather than staying hung up on a Eurocentric view of art history. Kelani names Nasser al Salem, Dana Awartani and Ahmed Mater as some of her favourite artists for their ability to experiment with the heritage of Islamic art.

“We’re so rich in culture, even if 50 new museums opened it wouldn’t be enough,” says Kelani. As the Saudi Arabian art market continues to expand rapidly, Kelani will be front and centre, representing Christie’s, championing local artists, connecting to new collectors and building on existing partnerships with a savvy Saudi Arabian clientele, government institutions and likeminded businesses.

As Saudi Arabia ushers in a new era for culture, Christie’s strategic move into Riyadh – guided by Kelani’s local expertise – should prove a wise investment.

Making time: The Finnish school shaping the future of watchmaking

Kelloseppäkoulu, The Finnish School of Watchmaking, is one of the watch industry’s best-kept secrets. But for those in the know it is considered to be one of the world’s most prestigious watchmaking schools, with Swiss heritage labels such as Rolex and Patek Philippe trying to recruit its students before graduation. Alumni include the likes of Kari Voutilainen and Stepan Sarpaneva, who regularly receive some of the top honours at the annual Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève.

Despite its successes, Kelloseppäkoulu is relatively unknown outside the tight-knit circles of watch enthusiasts. Securing a place on the school’s three-year training course, which doesn’t charge tuition fees, can seem impossible: Kelloseppäkoulu has only admitted a maximum of 30 Finnish students a year since it was founded in 1944. But things are changing. In an effort to expand its curriculum and attract an international cohort, the school has announced plans to launch its first English-language programme later this year. The €50,000 course will teach pupils the art of bespoke watchmaking over two years.

Despite revisions to the school’s admissions process, Kelloseppäkoulu’s commitment to precision and artisanship remain unchanged. When Monocle visits, a dozen or so third-year students are hard at work, assembling wristwatches in classrooms filled with neat rows of desks, lamps and large collections of tools. It would be easy to mistake them for surgeons, given the white jackets and protective glasses that they often wear. In fact, much of their work is similar to surgery: watch movements are made up of miniscule pieces that require both a steady hand and detailed knowledge to assemble. Working on wristwatches is a privilege that these students have earned after years of rigorous training. This starts with learning the basics, including the construction of tools and individual watch parts.

First-year student Mervi Kivistö is building a handmade drill bit in a workshop, whose walls are lined with antique pendulum clocks. She worked in another industry for more than a decade before pursuing her dream of becoming a horologist. “Many of my fellow students had other careers before deciding that watchmaking was what they wanted to do,” she says.

It’s rare for horology students to start their training by making their own equipment. Most Swiss brands use industrial machinery to produce their watches, so tool-making know-how is often deemed unnecessary. “It’s this expertise that makes Finnish graduates stand out from those who come from German or Swiss schools,” says celebrated watchmaker Kari Voutilainen. Part of Kelloseppäkoulu’s class of 1986, Voutilainen went on to work for the likes of Parmigiani Fleurier in Switzerland before founding his eponymous brand in 2002. He has since received multiple awards for his designs, including the kv20i Reversed and World Timer men’s watches. “Finns have been working for the likes of Patek Philippe since the 1960s and the Swiss industry loves them,” he says.

Many students hope to work in Switzerland after completing their studies. In order to beat the competition, Swiss brands start courting Kelloseppäkoulu pupils before graduation. Direct sponsorships are forbidden in Finland, so luxury watchmakers forge co-operation agreements with the school, allowing them to donate movements and train teachers.

Given its close-knit relationships with some of the best brands in the world of horology, aspiring watchmakers have often lamented the school’s admissions process. “People are constantly asking me how they can study at Kelloseppäkoulu,” says alumnus Stepan Sarpaneva, who started Helsinki-based brand Sarpaneva Watches after working for celebrated watchmakers Viennau Halter and Christopher Claret in Switzerland. “The school could charge more than Harvard and its courses would still be full.”

For Kelloseppäkoulu principal Hanna Harilainen, the decision to address these concerns by introducing the school’s first English-language course couldn’t come at a better time. Demand for luxury watches is rising. Fashion brands, such as Louis Vuitton and Gucci, are investing in the sector and Swiss factories are seeking new talent to increase their production capabilities. Soon, Kelloseppäkoulu students will be able to partake in international exchange programmes with watchmaking schools across Europe. Finland’s best-kept secret might not stay secret for much longer.

Alessandro Sartori’s vision for a timeless, trend-free Zegna

“Last week I was dressing a doctor friend for a special night,” says Alessandro Sartori, Zegna’s artistic director, sitting on a sofa in the Italian fashion house’s Milan showroom. “He needed something a little different so we went with a deep-blue tux and an extra-large lapel.” As Sartori speaks, his eyes widen with excitement. “I really enjoy dressing people – getting the perfect fit, choosing the most amazing fabrics. If I wasn’t doing what I do, I would have certainly been a tailor.”

Before taking on his current role in 2016, the Biella-born designer held prominent positions at Z Zegna, the label’s now-defunct sub-brand, and Berluti. Yet Sartori, who grew up seeing his mother work as a tailor and his father design textile machinery, never forgot the joy of dressing individual customers. As far as he’s concerned, being a fashion designer is a service job. “As with hairdressers and make-up artists, designers’ work touches the human body so we need to be respectful and ensure that people feel like themselves,” he says. “We are not dressing them for our own pleasure.”

His grounded approach has helped him to steer Zegna through one of the most successful rebrands in luxury menswear – and entice customers to keep shopping, even as sales have slowed down across the sector. In 2024 it was the only house in the Ermenegildo Zegna Group (which also owns brands such as  Thom Browne and Tom Ford Fashion) that grew, generating €810.6m in sales in the first three quarters.

Sartori works closely with ceo Ermene­gildo Zegna, who was named after his grandfather, the company’s founder. On their watch, the brand’s name was shortened from Ermenegildo Zegna to Zegna; they also unveiled a new logo and a fresh design direction. “We wanted to recreate the Zegna silhouette,” says Sartori. “In the past the brand was recognised for quality and beautiful tailoring but we would design our collections based on seasonal [themes] and trends. Now we want to own a specific tailored look, to define the style of tomorrow. That’s why we started launching new designs that are easy to wear, uncomplicated and work across the seasons. It’s more utilitarian but executed with made-to-measure precision and luxurious fabrics.”

By way of illustration, Sartori points to some of Zegna’s new designs, from cashmere overshirts to loosely tailored blazers and the Il Conte chore jackets, with their raised collars and leather-trimmed pockets. “There’s classic tailoring, which many heritage brands execute at incredibly high standards, and then there’s experimental tailoring – eccentric lapels, pieces with too many buttons and so forth – which is usually for the pleasure of the designer,” he says. “But there’s a beautiful middle ground where you can express a fashion-forward point of view while also remembering that the garments that you’re designing need to be worn by real people. I’m always returning to the idea of respecting the customer.”

A sense of lightness and fluidity has come to define Sartori’s designs: think lapel-free cashmere blazers that are so comfortable that you’ll want to wear them all day but are smart enough for dinner; feather-light loafers that are appropriately named Secondskin; or cashmere polo shirts that make for the perfect layering pieces. A new outdoors-wear collection also caters to customers’ off-duty needs, with a wide range of ski and technical wear.

“Zegna performs so well for us,” says Sophie Jordan, the menswear buying director of e-commerce platform Mytheresa, which recently celebrated the launch of the new outdoors-wear collection with an event in Milan and Piedmont, home to the company’s factory and natural park, the Oasi Zegna. “There’s value and quality in every piece that it produces. With Sartori’s attention to detail and creative direction, the brand will continue to evolve and lead the menswear space.”

It helps that Sartori is his own customer. “I love wearing the same jacket from morning to evening so I’ve been focusing on the idea of multifunctional pieces,” he says. Men across the globe relate to his need for elegant yet pragmatic designs, including famous faces such as Danish actor Mads Mikkelsen (who is now a brand ambassador), film-maker Adjani Salmon and dancer Paolo Busti. “I want to represent our entire community, which ranges from men aged 20 to octogenarians.”

The idea of “an encounter of generations” was also on Sartori’s mind when he was designing Zegna’s latest collection, which the brand presented during Milan Fashion Week Menswear in January. Models walked around a vast runway that was covered in green grass, wearing tweed coats, high-waisted trousers and cardigans crafted with Vellus Aureum – an award-winning wool that set a world record in 2023 with a fineness of 9.4 microns. Sartori tells Monocle that all of these items were designed to be collected, kept for decades and combined with staples from previous seasons. He compares his work to furniture and, like a true Milanese, makes frequent trips to the city’s Nilufar design gallery for inspiration.

The artistic director is equally fond of thinking of himself as a chef. “I work in the best kitchen, using the best ingredients,” he says with a big smile, referring to Zegna’s wool mill in Piedmont, which the founder established in 1910. It remains the backbone of the business today. The highest-quality merino wool is transported there from Zegna-owned or partner farms in Australia and washed using the region’s purified water. It is then combed to ensure that the fibres are parallel to each other and woven on machines, before undergoing rigorous quality checks. Specially trained artisans inspect every centimetre of the fabric by hand and mark even the smallest of defects, moving swiftly from one end of their station to the other as if they were choreographed.

“We love the idea of having every component of a garment made in-house,” says Sartori, who frequently drives to Piedmont to work with the factory team and gather new ideas. “The concept of ‘sheep to shop’ is real for us.” Above the factory is the founder’s office and vast archives filled with fabric swatch books dating as far back as the 1930s, when the first Ermenegildo Zegna travelled to the US to sell the woollen and worsted fabrics that he was already known for. 

At the nearby Villa Zegna, members of the family sometimes still gather for celebratory meals – usually a risotto, followed by a roast and baked cakes from the recipe book of the founder’s wife, Nina. Meals are then followed by rides up to the mountain to ski or enjoy the panoramic views from the Monte Marca Hut, which was designed by architect Ernesto Giuliano Armani. It was the founder who planted the first tree on the then-barren mountain in 1929, hoping to transform the region for generations to come. He also built roads, a hospital, a pool and a recreation centre for residents in the area in the belief that you can only produce high-quality clothing if its makers have fulfilling lives. It’s an inspiring entrepreneurial story that remains relevant a century later as luxury brands try to clean up their supply chains and build communities. It also offers Sartori and the new generation of Zegnas who are now in charge solid foundations from which to execute their new strategy.

“If the ingredients are good, the food will be delicious, even if the recipe is simple,” says Sartori, returning to his culinary theme. Zegna’s recipe for success is refreshingly straightforward: focusing on wardrobe staples and eschewing trends, putting the customer first and investing in intimate retail experiences. The company’s trusted retail partners include Munich-based Mytheresa, which shares its premium, customer-centric approach, flying top clients to Italy to experience family-style lunches at Villa Zegna and tour the company’s wool mills.

Emphasising the human side of the business, even as it scales globally, has proven just as important. Customer events, such as those held with Mytheresa, frequently result in friendships being formed, personal stories being exchanged and plenty of cannoli being passed around. Campaign shoots also often end with Sartori and Mikkelsen playing cards and singing karaoke into the wee small hours. “We are not here to teach anyone,” says Sartori. “We just want to be true to ourselves.” As luxury goes mainstream, being yourself and celebrating your humanity might be the most revolutionary approach that a designer can take. For Sartori and Zegna, it’s paying off.

Monocle’s spring style forecast

Stylist: Kyoto Tamoto
Grooming: Hiroshi Matsushita
Prop stylist: Emily Beaman
Props: House of Modern Vintage
Model: Alain Gossuin

Porvoo’s growing culinary scene

Just a short drive to the east of Helsinki, Porvoo is popular among day-trippers who come for its 18th-century Old Town, with its riverside warehouses and pastel-painted wooden architecture. Today the city of about 50,000 is often compared to San Sebastián, thanks to its diminutive size and the growing pull of its drinking-and-dining scene.

Monocle follows a winding country road through fields of rye and oats to Ylike Farm on the outskirts of Porvoo. Its history can be traced back to the 18th century but Emily and Thomas Simpson brought the land back into production in 2022. Originally from England, they now grow more than 50 varieties of vegetables, herbs and edible plants here, including chard, fennel, cabbages and (this being Finland) five types of potato.

“What I like about Porvoo is that it has a very distinct food identity that you can’t find anywhere else in Finland,” says Emily, uprooting a plump beetroot from a bed of soil. “There are almost no chain restaurants and much of what the independent bistros have on their menus comes from close by.”

The Simpsons sell their produce to both restaurants and individual customers. “We’re building an earth cellar for preserving vegetables over the winter,” says Thomas. “We would also like to get more involved in local cookery classes, bake our own bread and learn fermenting.”

Less than 5km north of Ylike is Bosgård, another organic farm that is one of the main suppliers of beef to Porvoo’s restaurants. When Monocle visits, more than 300 Charolais cattle are grazing in the fields surrounding a 19th-century manor in a setting far removed from industrial farming. There’s also an on-site farm-to-table restaurant. “The farmers here work together and there’s a strong sense of community,” says Aarne Schildt, Bosgård’s owner. “Restaurants and residents alike want to buy local produce, which keeps the food scene vibrant and gives it a unique feel.”

Finns love fish and you’ll find it on the menu in most restaurants in Porvoo. Borgå Fiskhus is a leading supplier and works with many of the region’s fishermen. Inside, the sweet aroma from an in-house smoker fills the air and a counter displays fresh fish such as salmon, zander, perch, white fish and pike. When Monocle visits, it’s crayfish season and most of the patrons exit the shop carrying bucketfuls of the freshwater crustaceans. The fishmonger’s biggest hit? “Restaurants love our warm-smoked salmon more than anything else,” Theo Skogberg, the shop’s service area manager, tells Monocle from behind the counter.

Porvoo’s Old Town, where you’ll find most of the city’s restaurants, cafés, bars and bakeries, is a compact maze of cobblestone streets that boasts dozens of culinary attractions. These range from Michelin-starred finery to cosier bistros and quaint little cafés that serve the local speciality cake: the runebergintorttu, a rum-and-almond torte named after Finland’s national poet, Johan Ludvig Runeberg, who lived in the city.

Monocle stops for lunch at Ravintola Salt, a restaurant inside a wooden villa that dates back to 1780, near Porvoo Cathedral. We feast on a simple but satisfying meal of smoked fish, potatoes, courgette, mustard seeds and beurre blanc, served with sweet malted bread. In the kitchen we meet the head chef, Erik Tornberg, a Porvoo-native who went to the city’s culinary school and worked his way up the local restaurant scene. “This is a city where a chef will never go unemployed,” he says, even though many culinary professionals have relocated from Helsinki to Porvoo in recent years, in search of a gentler pace of life and other benefits that small-city living offers. “Don’t get me wrong,” says Tornberg. “You can’t rest on your laurels here.”

The brightest star of Porvoo’s food scene is Vår, which earned its – and the city’s – first Michelin star in 2023. When Monocle visits, its menu includes crayfish, cold-smoked pike, a beetroot vorschmack and malt brioche, served with fennel and cucumber. “We are lucky to be surrounded by independent farms that cater to our needs,” Niko Lehto, the restaurant’s co-owner, tells Monocle as a voileipäkakku (a savoury sandwich cake) is served. “This allows us to source things such as garlic flowers, which are impossible to find even in Helsinki.”

Vår is an example of how Porvoo’s food scene and the wider city is evolving. Following international acclaim, it has started to attract more foreign visitors. “Almost a fifth of our patrons now come from abroad,” says Lehto. This is a challenge for the hospitality infrastructure of a city that is more used to catering to domestic day-trippers.

Thank goodness, then, for Runo, a 56-room hotel designed by Joanna Laajisto that opened in 2021. It’s managed by Erkka Hirvonen, while the bar – an asset long missing from Porvoo’s culinary scene – is overseen by other team members. “We live in one of Finland’s most beautiful cities and this has had an effect on the food scene too,” says Hirvonen of the talent that has been tempted here to set up new businesses. “Good food is about taste and how it is presented. But it’s also about where you enjoy it.”

Late-night tables: Seven after-hours dining hotspots

When the city quiets and the shutters come down, the best late night restaurants are just getting into their stride. Far from greasy spoons or after-hours diners, these are refined addresses where you can still find a crisp tablecloth, an elegant glass of wine and service that never rushes you out the door. Whether it’s a brasserie in Paris serving scallops at midnight, or a Manhattan dining room that hums into the small hours, these spots prove that dinner can – and sometimes should – begin long after dark.

1.
The cinematic stop-out
Le Grand Colbert
Paris

Don’t let its old façade fool you – Le Grand Colbert’s best days are ahead of it. This spot, just north of Palais Royal, is one of the most fêted brasseries in a city that’s brimming with great places to break bread. When Monocle pays a visit, there’s an appreciative hum during evening service and a fleet of smart waiters clip across the floor and between busy tables.

The building dates to 1828 and has had many lives, including becoming a restaurant – a bouillon – in 1900. The current owner, businessman Joel Fleury, took over in 1992. The architecture is a draw: soaring ceilings, mirrors, a mosaic floor and sculpted pilasters all in the pleasing curves of art nouveau. If it all looks a little familiar, it’s perhaps because the dining room has lent that grandeur to several films and TV series, including the 2003 Hollywood hit Something’s Gotta Give with Diane Keaton, Jack Nicholson and Keanu Reeves (shot at table 29).

But film credits and finery only count for so much when tummies start to rumble. People still come to this hallowed dining hall for one reason: to eat. Service here runs from midday to midnight and in a relative rarity for such a traditional joint, it is – as the neon sign outside reads in pleasing Anglo-French – “non-stop” (as in not broken up into sittings).

Chef Fabrice Cornée uses seasonal produce to prepare classic French cuisine with a modern twist. But the result is anything but anodyne: just-so sole meunière, tender coquilles St Jacques (scallops) or blanquette de veau (veal stew) are all the tastier – and yes, perhaps a little cinematic – when consumed under the establishment’s golden lights and fluttering palm fronds. 
legrandcolbert.com

2.
The whimsical wonder
Bemelmans
New York

In the late 1940s, Ludwig Bemelmans, the US writer and illustrator of the beloved Madeline children’s book series, made a deal with a friend. In exchange for a protracted stay at the swanky Carlyle Hotel on the Upper East Side (of which his friend was fortuitously the manager), Bemelmans agreed to paint the walls of the hotel’s new bar. He opted for a fantastical depiction of nearby Central Park –giraffes with parasols, besuited bunnies and even an appearance by the famous Madeline character and her school chums. The murals remain vibrant to this day and add a touch of whimsy to the sumptuous, leather-and-wood snug that still bears Bemelmans’ name.

If you can snag a table (walk-ins are welcome, though there is sometimes a queue) then come hungry. The bar fare is no-nonsense and decadent: caviar, oysters, charcuterie and cheese, plus finger foods such as beef sliders, mini tuna tacos and andouille sausage pigs-in-a-blanket.

Bemelmans has accomplished a rare feat: staying perpetually popular while preserving the charm and atmosphere that made it so irresistible to late-night patrons when it first opened in 1947. The glamour is understated, the red-jacketed bartenders discreet and the martinis stiff. There is live music every day until closing – Emmy Award-winning pianist Earl Rose’s weekly performances are a treat – and on raucous nights guests have been known to crowd around the Steinway and join in.
35 E 76th Street, New York, NY 10021

3.
The trusty trattoria
Rosy e Gabriele 1
Milan

As bars and restaurants come and go in Milan’s Porta Venezia, Rosy e Gabriele 1 remains, well, number one for late-night dining. Established in 1967 (at one point there was a second, hence the name), the trattoria has been run by a Serbian-Montenegrin family for four decades. The restaurant, which opens for lunch and dinner, is marshalled by brothers Cedo and Cuca Mikic, with the all-male waitstaff entirely made up of family members.

The restaurant has a timeless and slightly kitschy air. There are paintings of Rome and Pisa on the walls, a world map above the fish fridge and a hanging wooden Montenegrin insignia, with a wolf in its centre, which was gifted to Cedo. There are brightish lights – the true mark of an old-school joint in these parts – and 1980s and 1990s Italian ballads on the stereo. The large dining room is busy on the Thursday night when Monocle visits, as patrons drink wine and plump for something from a menu of some 300 dishes, featuring everything from fish crudo to pizza. The piano at the far end of the bar is regularly tinkered on in the wee hours by a maestro from La Scala.

One thing that’s kept Rosy e Gabriele lively is the diverse crowd. When Monocle visits, a politician is here, as well as a group of footballers. An architect takes a pew at the same table that he’s been eating at for the past 40 years and by 22.30 several young fashionistas sit down. There’s an air of bravado about the crowd that’s echoed in the owners’ pride in the place. “All the most famous people have come here – actors, politicians, sports stars,” says Cedo. “Maradona was here.” Yet he seems a little saddened that people aren’t dining as late as they once did. “Before the pandemic, people would eat here at 02.30 like it was 20.30,” he says. Still, he adds, there’s no problem showing up at the restaurant at midnight. “Just give us a call.” 
26 Via Giuseppe Sirtori; 139 02 2952 5930

4.
Good for a yarn
Snob Bar
Lisbon

It’s a new era for Snob Bar but thankfully one marked by little obvious change to this legendary Lisbon restaurant. “My goal is to keep things as they’ve always been,” says Miguel Garcia, who took over the Lisbon address last year from its previous owners’ 50-year custody with a promise of safekeeping and continuity. “There are places that simply cannot disappear. They are part of a city’s history.”

Opened in 1964, Snob belongs to a special strain of establishments known for a discreet, closed-door policy, behind which lie dimly lit wood-panelled interiors and the possibility of late-night dining. Founded by an illustrator at the O Século newspaper (whose newsroom was nearby but shut in 1977), Snob continues to draw in a clientele of journalists, writers and politicians. “We want Snob to remain primarily a Portuguese house, with regulars who recommend it to the new generations through word of mouth,” says Garcia.

The intimate decor of red carpet, leather seats and books on shelves has remained the same but the place has been given a facelift. The tin on the table lamps and the wooden ceiling and walls have been polished and the sofas reupholstered in their original bottle green. The food is the same as always, with croquettes and “Snob steak” with fries as the calling cards. This said, the drink selection has been jazzed up with classic cocktails, a careful selection of spirits and a good line-up of whisky. What feels different is the absence of the previous owner, Albino Oliveira (who almost single-handedly served while managing Snob’s door policy). However, the hope is that a new staff of eight can offer on-point service while keeping some of the place’s time-tested allure. The aim? To become part of the furniture.
snobbar.pt

5.
Get the ball rolling
Kaniya Honten
Nagasaki

A quick stop for an after-dinner onigiri (rice ball) is common practice in Nagasaki these days but the origins of this ritual started with one restaurant. “My father opened Kaniya in 1965 when there were no conbini (convenience stores) and fewer restaurants,” says current proprietor Hideki Fujikawa. “This was the first onigiri speciality shop in Nagasaki and once it opened, it became part of the local culture to have an onigiri after a night of drinking. People started saying, ‘Nondara Kaniya’, which means ‘After you drink, it’s Kaniya.’”

On any night, Kaniya is rammed. The onigiri are made to order with A-grade Koshihikari rice from Niigata, seaweed from Ariake and Hakata salt from Ehime. “We’ve always prepared each onigiri at the counter in front of the customers,” says Fujikawa. “Regulars often say that the taste hasn’t changed but it has. Customers have a more sophisticated palate today so we always try to make subtle improvements and use the best ingredients.” A Kaniya onigiri is small enough to wolf down quickly, allowing diners to try more of the 33 variations on the menu.

Popular orders are iwanori (seasoned seaweed), takana (pickled mustard leaves) and the signature shio-saba (salt-grilled mackerel). “Unlike convenience-store versions, we carefully remove the bones by hand and grill each piece without any additives,” says Fujikawa. A bottle of Asahi Super Dry and the popular akadashi red miso soup complete the picture. The convivial hum is the sound of a room full of satisfied customers of all ages. “We are seeing a lot more younger people lately, alongside our loyal regulars,” says Fujikawa. The Kaniya tradition looks set to continue.

6.
The spot for a singalong
El Primo Sanchez
Sydney

In a 1940s pub on Oxford Street, Paddington, on Sydney’s eastern fringe, is a colourful Mexican haunt that’s a go-to for a late bite. Serving drinks until 02.00 with a resident DJ in the corner, the technicolour decor, old-school Mexican music and a private karaoke booth make it an ideal spot for a late-night margarita, mezcal or a plate of tacos and a singalong.

Bartender Eduardo Conde oversees the shaking and stirring, showcasing his talent with a menu of creative and curious cocktails. With a focus on tequila and mezcal, the extensive drinks list includes adapted classics, such as the negroni made with raicilla (a Mexican spirit distilled from the agave plant) and the viva la vida, a piquant take on the humble margarita that arrives with lashings of mango, mint, a kick of Ancho Reyes chilli liquor and native lemon myrtle.

Head chef Diego Sotelo’s menu includes tostadas with diced raw tuna served with edamame, while the pick of the tacos are the al Pastor (pork belly with pineapple) and the campechano (with smoky brisket, chorizo and salsa). Desserts run to piping-hot churros with dulce de leche for dipping and brown-butter madeleines dotted with white chocolate and Australian wattle seed.

For a more intimate experience, venture into La Prima, the private speakeasy within the bar. This cosy space, its walls adorned with colourful Mexican prints and lit by candlelight, also has a dedicated bartender service. Barkeep, another viva la vida, por favor!
elprimosanchez.com

7.
For the grown-ups
The Dover
London

After 15 years as COO at Soho House Group, Martin Kuczmarski amassed an enviable amount of experience and inspiration from the bar and restaurant world. The Dover, his instant classic in London’s Mayfair, is the distillation of all that he’s learned – a meticulous amalgam of Kuczmarski’s favourite late-night establishments and his design-led philosophy.

Once through the heavy velvet curtains, the softly lit, slender bar is a blur of bartenders kitted out in white double- breasted Savile Row jackets made from the same cloth as butchers’ aprons. The drinks list is long and classic but majors in martinis. The signature Dover martini sums up Kuczmarski’s pedigree: an American drink made with Italian vermouth and Konik’s Tail vodka from Poland and is accented with an orange twist and bitters. Trays of the things float out to the candlelit tables, while a barback selects records to suit the sultry, grown-up mood.

Beyond the bar, a stretch of conspiratorial booths leads to the oblong dining room, which is all sinuous swoops of walnut panelling rising to a glazed barrel ceiling. This club-like space, designed by Quincoces-Dragó, a Milanese architecture practice, takes cues from an age of steam-powered travel and art deco dining cars. Here you’ll find an international set tucking into Italian-American fare of courgette fritti, spaghetti meatballs, hamburgers and beef arrosto, all served on bone china plates and pleasingly bereft of the usually hefty Mayfair price tag for the pleasure. Kuczmarski’s next venture? A hotel in Parma.
thedoverrestaurant.com

The tech rivalry between the US, Russia and China will influence great-power relations

Artificial intelligence (AI), advanced computing, semi-conductors, microelectronics, connectivity infrastructure and sensors have become arenas in which states vie for dominance. Technological competition between the two principal blocs – the US and its allies on one side and China and Russia on the other – has escalated significantly. This intensification is partly driven by Russia’s war in Ukraine. But it is primarily rooted in China’s military modernisation and efforts to establish an independent technological ecosystem.

The US and its partners across the Euro-Atlantic and Indo-Pacific have responded to these threats by strengthening technological co-operation and limiting access to critical components. Yet China and Russia have circumvented Western restrictions through the use of underground networks and third-country intermediaries. Both states have also challenged export controls, while developing retaliatory measures against Washington and its allies.

Russia has shown an ability to exploit weaknesses in the global supply chain by leveraging a network of states across the Middle East, Central and Southeast Asia to acquire critical technology components for military weapons. US-made semiconductors, from appliances such as microwaves and fridges, have consistently been found in Russian weapon systems on the Ukrainian battlefield.

But the threat of China is more concerning. Beijing has heavily invested in the domestic development of industries affected by export controls, particularly microchips. It has also reduced the market share of Western firms by imposing restrictions on critical materials such as rare-earth minerals. China’s use of surveillance and AI to collect data on its citizens is of great alarm to Western strategists. So too is the country’s “military-civil fusion” strategy, which integrates resources in the civilian and defence sectors to advance military development. Beijing is implementing this policy not only through its own domestic measures but also through the acquisition of foreign technologies. This obscures end-use export controls, making it difficult to impose restrictions on items that are supplied to China.

Recent developments in AI have intensified the rivalry between the US and Beijing. In an attempt to weaken China’s ability to train large-scale AI models, the Biden administration introduced trade controls on semiconductors. Though the US has long maintained a technological edge in AI, recent developments suggest that Beijing is rapidly closing the gap. Over the coming years, AI will be one of the biggest factors in altering the balance of power between nation states. Automation could drive economic growth, while advanced AI systems capable of directing weapons could offer military advantages.

Some observers view the narrowing technological gap between the US and China as an opportunity to negotiate an agreement on the use of these systems. Given the current tensions between Washington and Beijing, however, the chances of a deal are slim. If such an agreement were to emerge, it would probably take the form of a bilateral pact rather than a multilateral arrangement. Interstate relations are becoming more transactional, with defence and technology posing complex challenges to co-operation.

Gorana Grgic is Monocle’s security correspondent.