Our big Barcelona bash is fast approaching. Let’s talk wardrobe
It’s the final countdown to our annual Quality of Life Conference. And there’s still time for you to say, “Do you know what? I’m going to abandon my family and go to Barcelona this week.” You just need to be in the city by Thursday evening for the welcome reception and then clear your day on Friday as we bring to the stage a host of wonderful speakers. After all of this, there’s a fun dinner party and a spot of dancing too. Oh, and tours and brunch on the Saturday morning (so don’t stay up too late).
This week I received a nice email from someone who is coming to join us as a delegate. It’s their first time at a Monocle event and they had a question: what should they wear?
First, thank goodness they asked me and not our design editor and fellow conference host, Nic Monisse, because while his sartorial decisions work a treat on him, I am not sure how many other folk could sport a koala-patterned shirt, a jaunty man bag and some jungle-themed trousers without causing fashion alarms to sound. Though on Thursday he did vanish during the day, only to return with a very smart “conference haircut”, which he then workshopped with anyone who would listen. (“I think it’s going to settle down nicely by next week,” he said. “Do you agree?”)
My advice to our delegate was simple: dress for comfort and for some late-summer heat. I liked this email because the truth is that I also have these moments of doubt, wondering whether I’m going to look the part or feel wildly over- or underdressed. I have certainly been known to check in with Mr Brûlé before a key meeting or celebration to ascertain whether he will be sporting a tie and perhaps a polished shoe – or are we breaking out the shorts? He usually tells me the truth.
But I also hope that I made clear to our delegate that, in the end, the conference is about something more interesting than your choice of jacket.
One of the many reasons that I enjoy our gathering is that it so quickly moves beyond the superficial and seeks out common ground among people from all around the globe with wildly different life experiences, ambitions and, yes, wardrobes. This is not a trade event where everyone speaks the same corporate lingo. The simple thing that attendees share is that they read Monocle or listen to Monocle Radio, so everyone is keen to talk and is open and engaging. People arrive at the welcome reception perhaps a little wary but, by the final brunch, you would think that everyone had been friends for years. Don’t let wardrobe panic or shyness deter you from joining us this week.
Especially because the talks and panels will be powerful and potentially life changing. We will discuss longevity, how to build sensitively at scale, why designers should deliver dignity to people through their work, how you can turn around a company and when you should quit. We will locate new sources of inspiration for doing things differently and offer up tools for better leadership and diplomacy.
So, come on, make this the week that you set aside any hesitancy about not knowing anyone, stop worrying about what you would wear and join us in Barcelona. It’s time for a change of scenery – and to add rocket fuel to your aspirations.
You can find full details about The Monocle Quality of Life Conference and remaining tickets here. Non-subscribers receive a complementary annual print-digital subscription to Monocle. Use code “JOINUS2025” at checkout.
