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Adopt your own look: The case for dressing in a personal uniform

For New York writer Fran Lebowitz, it’s an Anderson&Sheppard suit, made bespoke on Savile Row. For the designer Rei Kawakubo of Comme des Garçons, it’s a black leather biker jacket and a trademark razor-cut bob. At Milan Fashion Week, Miuccia Prada tends to take her catwalk bow in a pleated midi skirt topped off with some fine knitwear. In a world filled with novelty, a recognisable look, a trademark garment or signature silhouette, can work as a calling card. Think of a uniform as a kind of personal branding. However you choose to dress, the clothes you don are a chance to impress a version of yourself upon the world, to say something to those you meet without speaking out loud. To wear the same item, or a variation on a theme, wherever you go, adds another layer of definition to your image. At the same time, having a uniform removes a layer of decision-making from your morning routine. Perhaps that’s partly why for generations, men in positions of power have relied on the same variation of a well-cut, navy or grey suit. There’s something quite precious about having a signature look: it speaks to an intentionality around getting dressed that requires time and attention – two of the ultimate luxuries of the modern world.  I’ve always aspired to have a uniform, poring over pictures of Diane Keaton as Annie Hall in masculine Ralph Lauren separates and envying peers who built wardrobes around a single designer or trademark piece. Instead, for the majority of my twenties, my own wardrobe was a collection of oddities with no through-line connecting them. In hindsight, I wasn’t ready to pin myself down. My work-life often felt precarious, so I wanted my clothes to act as armour and give me the flexibility I needed to move from one project to the next. That’s one of the powers of clothing, after all – it’s the camouflage an individual needs to gain access to different kinds of context. One morning, I would put on a turtleneck and a smart blazer to meet a new client in a boardroom; another afternoon, I would wear a vintage Laura Ashley dress and trainers to interview an off-duty actor in a neighbourhood café. The single signature style felt like an indulgence that I couldn’t quite afford. A signature style is a way of taking stock of the changes that define us: places, jobs, people, decisions made and regrettedOver time, though, I started defining a uniform and turning particular colours, fabrics and silhouettes into staples. To get there, you can start by tracking down multiple iterations of your favourite styles and silhouettes, the moment you find them. I like slightly wide-legged trousers, men’s shirts, tweed or corduroy layers, knit turtlenecks, a little blue denim, a little white linen and always a dark woollen coat in winter. It’s also better to aim for coherence over strict concurrence and dress for your lifestyle. Out of practicality and a love of walking, I wear my colourful Hoka trainers almost every day. It’s an ever-evolving process, informed by the places we experience and the people we meet along the way. Last year, I moved home to Dublin, fully aware that the cities we inhabit leave traces on us. It’s not that a city comes with its own dress code but it pushes us to adapt to a new set of circumstances. Until recently, I felt myself to be a Londoner and I dressed for the city’s temperamental nature: its rain and morning fog; its influences, from Savile Row and sportswear alike. I was conscious that my neighbours, my colleagues, strangers on the Tube carriage – most of us had not grown up here. We decided to move here of our own volition; like getting dressed in the morning, it was a choice we had made for ourselves, as a way of determining our own lives.Dublin, by contrast, is a smaller city – you can walk across it in an hour or two – with long winters that are reminiscent of the Nordics. It’s why here wool is mandatory and a big coat trumps everything. Since making the move, I’ve started wearing colourful vintage scarves to keep warm. I reach for one almost every day and tie it loosely at the throat. Then I go about my day, just the smallest bit more certain of who I am, where I find myself and why. This evolution is a reminder that signature style is a way of taking stock of the changes that defined you: places, jobs, people, decisions made and regretted.Where to begin to figure out your own style signature? Pinpoint the garments you most enjoy wearing – it might be a blazer with particularly sharp shoulders, a fedora in a specific shade of green or the perfect pair of loafers – and double down. Filling your wardrobe with the items that bring pleasure will shape the impression you leave among acquaintances both new and old.The unmistakeablesMajor players who defined their own look1.Miuccia PradaEmbodying Milanese elegance, Prada is always seen in midi skirts and slim-fit cardigans of her own design.2.Rei KawakuboThe Comme des Garçons designer carries an air of mystery, partly thanks to her all-black uniform and signature bob. 3.Steve JobsNever without his signature Issey Miyake rollneck sweaters, Jobs understood the power of personal branding from early on.4.Fran LebowitzThe writer is known as much for her sharp wit as her flair for boxy Savile Row blazers and brown cowboy boots. 5.Tom FordFord applies his sense of precision when dressing himself in a uniform of slim suits and aviator glasses. 6.Karl LagerfeldA uniform of fingerless gloves, sharp suits and dark sunglasses turned the fashion designer into a pop-culture icon.Monocle comment: Rethink your shopping habits by taking a step back from the fast fashion cycle and returning to the atelier, where you get to meet the makers, learn about the production process and invest in fully personalised items.

Jennifer Miller · Fashion 2026-02-19 07:38:27

Where next for luxury retail?

The debateTowards the end of last year, luxury retail’s long-simmering problems reached boiling point. Global marketplace Farfetch was de-listed from the New York Stock Exchange, only avoiding bankruptcy when South Korean e-commerce giant Coupang bought its assets. London-based Matchesfashion met a similar fate. Valued at $1bn (€924m) just a decade earlier, it was acquired for £52m (€61m) by the Fraser Group, a business with little background in luxury. Meanwhile, Net-A-Porter remains without a buyer and US retailer Neiman Marcus has laid off more than 100 employees while it reportedly considers a merger with Saks Fifth Avenue.At first glance, it might seem as though the luxury e-commerce sector, once known for its innovation and expert curation, fell apart overnight. Yet many of its current problems – overstocking and unhealthy discounting, for example – go back to the 2007 financial crisis and beyond. Breaking bad business habits will take time and many in the industry are taking a wait-and-see approach, as companies restructure under new owners. Yet this is also an opportunity to rethink the shopping experience, build better partnerships with brands and be more creative. Specialist retailers with a clear purpose are rising in popularity again, while labels are taking back control and experimenting with their flagship shops. We speak to experts from across the field to assess what went wrong and what lies ahead.“This is an opportunity to rethink the shopping experience, build better partnerships with brands and be more creative”Meet the panelIda PeterssonThe buyerPetersson started her career as a buyer at Harvey Nichols department store in 2002, before becoming departmental buying manager for shoes, accessories and jewellery at Net-A-Porter. She went on to become the buying director of Farfetch-owned luxury retailer Browns, leading its men’s, women’s and accessories departments.Christopher MorencyThe brand strategistMorency covered luxury fashion and retail as a reporter for The Business of Fashion and editorial director of Highsnobiety, before pivoting to become the chief brand officer of Budapest’s Vanguards Group in 2022. With fellow Highsnobiety alumnus Tom Garland, he launched new creative-growth company Edition+Partners and its sister agency, State of the Art, in January.Georgia StevensonThe investorStevenson is a partner at European private-equity firm Index Ventures, which she joined in 2019. She focuses on consumer and retail investments across the continent, with a particular focus on marketplaces. She previously worked at Deliveroo, launching the service in towns and cities across the UK.Looking at recent developments in fashion retail, what do you think led the industry to this point?Ida Petersson: The first time that I experienced major economic turmoil in my career was in 2008, after the collapse of Lehman Brothers. Everything in the US went on an 80 per cent discount. Our customers were global, so when they saw a product at full price at Harvey Nichols in London, they just went to the US. That’s when unhealthy discounting practices started and I don’t think we ever fully recovered. The second round of problems started at the height of the pandemic, when bricks-and-mortar shops were suffering and put everything on sale. That forced many brands to drop their wholesale partnerships. Meanwhile, e-commerce retailers became overexcited, thinking that they could continue to grow in double- or triple-digit numbers.Christopher Morency: In that environment, the only thing that these companies were competing on was price. They made a stab at community-building for a while but were really betting on price and speed. That’s not good enough. Discounting will only take you so far before you end up with a loss-making business and a lot of enemies. This is why luxury brands pulled out of retailers and only use the consignment model.Does e-commerce still have potential?CM: The media loves a sensational headline – “Is this the end for e-commerce?” No, this is a multibillion-dollar sector. There are so many players out there and the offer is homogeneous, so we’re seeing a consolidation that needed to happen.Georgia Stevenson: At Index Ventures, we have worked with a number of e-commerce businesses as seed investors – Farfetch, Net-A-Porter, Etsy – as well as brands with their own retail networks, such as Glossier or Anine Bing. We’re bullish on the future of e-commerce and excited about what Farfetch is doing, as well as what the partnership with Coupang will mean in terms of logistics and fulfilment. There will, of course, be challenges. In the short term, for example, there needs to be more focus on sustainable value propositions. Do you really need to deliver to the customers’ door in 10 minutes? But such re-evaluation is part of the process. We’re not the type of investors who would back off just because there are challenges.“E-commerce has so many players and the offer is homogeneous, so we’re seeing a consolidation that needed to happen”Will the changing relationship between brands and retailers continue to shape the market in 2024?CM: LVMH and Kering brands stopped discounting and engaging with wholesalers years ago because they wanted to control their stock, pricing and distribution. Now smaller brands are becoming equally fed up and focusing on direct sales and partnerships with boutiques that build more respectful relationships with them.IP: The wholesale model of doing business can create a vicious circle. Many of the big players in that space are just seeking margins. Brands don’t always fully understand what they’re getting into when they sign up to it because they get too excited by a big name. But I’ve recently seen a shift: some brands are choosing to go with more specialist retailers because they are more protective and use discounting far less. And their customer base is loyal and drawn to creativity.“The wholesale model of doing business can create a vicious circle. Many of the big players are just seeking margins”Do direct-to-consumer brands have more power today?GS: As investors, we’re excited by direct-to-consumer brands. These businesses know their customers and connect with them without having to rely on third parties. Across our portfolio, there’s a theme of going back to basics, doing less and focusing on core products. That will continue as a result of the current funding environment. Wholesalers can play a part in a brand’s distribution strategy but you can’t be a hostage to them. Look at Glossier, which has an amazing direct-to-consumer audience and successful shops but, after years of building that ecosystem, recognised that working with [French retailer] Sephora was another avenue.CM: Traditional industry power structures are breaking down. In past decades, a group of about 20 people – retail buyers, sales agents and editors – would determine which businesses would grow. But they no longer have the same influence, so many brands are doing things differently and seeing returns. That also reflects the tools that people now have at their disposal. They can whip up a Shopify page within 20 minutes and start selling.GS: Exactly. A retailer procures, curates and sells goods, and everyone can do that today. So questions around the future of retail remain open. The market is no longer just for big brands or large enterprises.As dynamics shift and brands take back control, have attitudes to investment changed? What are the benefits of raising capital?GS: It’s an opportunity to build a community and retail experience without relying on those 20 or so traditional players to give you access to their customers. End, which is in our portfolio, is a good example: it used investment to become more scalable and move in different avenues.Where do multi-brand retailers fit in this new landscape?CM: The role of retailers hasn’t changed. Wholesale has always been a great tool for brand awareness and discovery. Retailers have always done those two things better than anyone else. They just got distracted by the number of brands that they can work with: Net-A-Porter takes on and drops hundreds of brands every season. Customers don’t need that much choice.Retailers need to return to their role as curators and facilitators for new brands. And these start-ups should see wholesale as marketing channels, rather than as a cash cow. Otherwise, the retailer becomes your boss or, in effect, an unofficial investor.IP: A multi-brand retailer offers customers a way to explore a universe, which can be really magical. Very few people are loyal to one brand alone; most want to be part of the multi-brand experience. That’s why 2024 will be the year of the specialist. And that doesn’t necessarily have to be done on a small scale. It’s about having a distinctive identity. We were successful at Browns when we were clear about who we were. There’s a lesson in that for retailers: there needs to be more collective risk-taking. You can’t just set yourself apart with discounts.“A multi-brand retailer offers customers a way to explore a universe. Very few people are loyal to one brand alone”What should new owners of online retailers do to rescue the sector?IP: The most successful will allow business units to run independently. Groups often try to tie everything together and make everything fit in one box. That’s when brands lose their identity. Look at LVMH: its brands are allowed to be very different. Walk into a Dior shop and you wouldn’t think that the label has the same owner as Loewe. People are obsessed with efficiency but if you have the same team doing everything, you erase individuality and things go wrong.CM: What is it that makes e-commerce enjoyable? When I look at retailers’ “What’s new” pages, it’s often all the same. There needs to be another layer to the experience that’s tailored to today’s customer, whether it’s social commerce or live elements. It should be about more than just offering a product at a good price. You can’t be a big, faceless entity. You have to level with the people who are buying your stuff, beyond your top-spending customers.How do you achieve that?GS: Shops need to be destinations in their own right. You have to be intentional about every touchpoint with customers – online, offline, pre-purchase and post-purchase.CM: People are starting to consider what their business could look like outside of the fashion industry. They want to reach even higher, tapping into hospitality, media and design. We can see that people, including younger generations, still value shopping together. That’s where hospitality spaces come in. On high streets, fewer people are carrying shopping bags but restaurants are full. It’s about understanding how to embrace the social element of shopping: acting as a curator, not just a seller. Then a shop can become a marketing channel. Loewe does this so well: a theme runs through what’s in the shop windows, the products and even the design of the receipt, so a customer is buying into a story.What are the biggest challenges that these businesses face as they attempt to change course?GS: A key challenge will involve supply chains. There’s a lot of volatility right now. On top of that, there’s the need to meet consumer expectations in terms of where a product is made. Successful retailers have to understand how to leverage technology and build better supply chains. That encompasses everything from giving attention to payment terms, setting up new shipping infrastructures and using sustainable packaging.What about new opportunities?GS: One of the opportunities that we are excited about is personalisation. We’re only at the start of this. Brands have been concentrating on the infrastructure of operating online but now it’s about understanding what it actually means to be in this space and to provide a good experience, beyond that “What’s new” page. Artificial intelligence will offer better personalisation in the long term but, in the meantime, there’s a lot of low-hanging fruit. The general theme of being a kind of concierge has a lot of potential.IP: People are shopping very differently and it’s an exciting time to be experimenting. The way in which brands interact with male audiences has changed completely, regardless of their age. Even more traditional men – the kind who would historically come in once a season to do a big shop – have started to become more interested in fashion and be influenced by the news, TV series and social media. This has led to more impulsive shopping. There’s a big opportunity in menswear.“Traditional power structures are breaking down. They no longer have the same influence so many brands are doing things differently”Many of these issues are centered in the West, particularly the UK and US. What can we learn from other markets?IP: In Japan, for example, retailers’ commitment to the shop experience is on another level and I still don’t understand why this hasn’t come to Europe or the US. Whether it’s a boutique or a department store, the Japanese focus on the physical product but also employ things such as art, music and food to create something fully immersive. Mexico City is exciting right now, with so much new retail opening there, and India offers another huge opportunity. If you open your mind and you’re willing to listen and learn, this could be an amazing time. But you have to lose the fear.“There will, of course, be challenges but we’re bullish on the future of e-commerce”ConclusionNot so long ago, online and wholesale models of fashion retail seemed to be the future, offering scale and reach unimaginable in decades past. Yet their focus on speed and efficiency at all costs has proved to be their undoing, as major players struggle to survive and new owners sweep in, promising change. For businesses that are daring enough to reimagine the sector to meet the fast-evolving expectations of consumers, however, new opportunities abound.

Sarah Smith · Fashion 2026-02-14 00:51:02

Interview: Nuria Cruelles, Loewe perfumer

Over the past decade, Loewe has transformed from a dormant Spanish heritage brand into one of the world’s most relevant luxury houses. This is largely thanks to its creative director, Jonathan Anderson, and the many ways in which he has revitalised the house’s fashion business, with mesmerising runway shows in Paris, a growing range of accessories and a commitment to artisanal production. Now, customers are equally excited about discovering the brand’s perfume and home-scent collections. Driving the momentum is Nuria Cruelles, the nose behind Loewe Perfumes. Cruelles, who also trained as an oenologist, grew up smelling the delicate floral notes of Loewe Aire on many women in her native Spain. Today, she has been working to give the brand’s original perfumes a new lease of life, as well as creating fresh hits. Much like Anderson, she has a flair for rule-breaking and is known to experiment with the most unconventional ingredients. She tells monocle about the new formulas that she has been concocting and explains how she created one of the most sought-after home fragrance lines using nothing but the humble ingredients in her kitchen.What drew you to the world of perfumery?As a child, I always found myself trying to guess what perfumes people were wearing. Over time, it became an obsession. I started by studying chemistry because being a perfumer is all about blending different ingredients and understanding chemical reactions. A perfume is alive. I spent some time travelling around Europe and, when I returned to Spain, Loewe called. It’s a dream to work for the only luxury Spanish brand.What does Loewe and the global recognition that it has received in the past decade mean for Spain?We’re all so proud. Through Loewe, we can show the world who we are, what we can do and the crafts that we specialise in. That’s why we want to highlight ingredients from Spain in our perfumes. Tell us about the new collection that you have been working on and its ties to Spain.The idea was about having a single ingredient define a whole collection. We began by thinking about Spain and how to incorporate more of our values in the perfumes. The country is easily associated with the Mediterranean and aromatic scents but we wanted something even more special so we used rockrose from the south of Spain. It’s a very rustic, balsamic odour. It’s like discovering a rough diamond and having to polish it. When we are distilling it, we choose the cleaner, fresher facets of the ingredient to tailor it to our needs. We turned it into something sophisticated. It’s like gastronomy – a chef can take a few basic elements and create art. Do you try to keep a dialogue going between the fashion and perfume sectors of the business?Jonathan Anderson has always respected my expertise and what I can bring to the table. At the same time, his collections inspire us: the shapes, the colours and the textures of the clothes that you see on the runway all inform the perfumes. Was the process of creating home scents very different to the way that you create perfumes?We wanted to ensure a point of differentiation between the two. I wanted to use singular elements: the leaves of tomatoes, beetroot, cucumber. Translating this type of formula into candles that smell good when you burn them requires real skill. It’s like architecture: the simplest structures are usually the most complex.What scents would you recommend for different moments at home?For relaxing in a bath, try the oregano line – it’s calming, like lavender. If you’re hosting a dinner, go for one of the tomato, cucumber or sweet-pea candles, something that matches the food. For the bedroom, I recommend our wasabi candle and the honeysuckle room spray. Do broader market trends influence your work?We want to be trendy but we don’t follow trends. The key is to choose an ingredient and work around it. Dress it up and use it to create different textures and feelings. The perfume talks to you and it will tell you what it needs. You just need to listen. Could you tell us about the day-to-day process of creating new formulas?To create, you need peace and time. That’s why I recently decided to move from the centre of Barcelona to the countryside. Now I grow tomatoes in my backyard. I wake up every morning to water them and I’m always walking barefoot with my children. You might smell the soil after the rain, along with some patchouli or magnolias that happen to be behind you, and you immediately get inspired. If certain smells work together in nature, I try them in the laboratory.What’s your advice for someone who wants to find their signature scent?At Loewe, we offer a rainbow of options so you can choose different ones for different occasions. You can also combine them and create your own essence. Everyone can be an alchemist.perfumesloewe.com 

Jane Williams · Fashion 2026-02-02 05:16:43

Bruno Pavlovsky on Chanel’s enduring success recipe: ‘It’s brand first’

Ever since Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel designed one of her first garments in 1916 – a belted silk-jersey blouse that looks as current today as it did then – her fashion house has been shaping our understanding of modern luxury and leading the way for the rest of the industry. Its pioneering role has rarely been contested over the past century but in today’s rapidly expanding, globalised fashion ecosystem, the power of the Chanel brand has reached new heights: record-breaking revenues (the company reported a 17 per cent sales increase in 2022), a loyal clientele showing no resistance to increasing prices, a network of some of the world’s best artisans and a recent exhibition at London’s Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A) that broke all of the institution’s visitor records. Chanel moves with finesse between the highest echelons of luxury and pop culture, niche and mainstream, old and new.Hint of limeArt of the patternMany wonder how it has managed to achieve this kind of success at a time when its competitors have struggled to stay relevant and found themselves in a cycle of constant reinvention. For Bruno Pavlovsky, Chanel’s president of fashion since 2002, it all comes down to people: those making collections using age-old craft techniques, the experts selling them, the customers who appreciate them enough to spend money on them and the designers – led by the label’s inimitable creative director, Virginie Viard – weaving new ideas and dreams into every garment. That’s why Pavlovsky has stayed committed to the in-person experience at every level, from the company’s retail strategy and its continued investment in artisan workshops to its ambitious runway shows that celebrate not just new collections but also art, culture and the power of social gatherings. It is Chanel’s respect for fashion’s traditional values that has made it one of the world’s fastest-growing luxury businesses.Bruno Pavlovsky, Chanel’s president of fashionOver the past two years, Pavlovsky and Viard have doubled down on Chanel’s belief in the value of in-person gatherings, flying clients to unexpected destinations around the world and making substantial investments in the cities that host them. The house has always taken its collections on the road but at the end of 2022 it opened a new chapter by flying editors, ambassadors and clients to Dakar to present its Métiers d’art collection. “We are embracing new destinations that we don’t know about,” says Pavlovsky. “And we are clear about the need to understand a place, speak to locals and learn. By going on this adventure, we have also been able to evolve our designs and take more risks. This is important for our customers. Otherwise, our shows would start to look alike and things would feel mechanical. You have to push boundaries and be audacious.”In December 2023 the journey continued to Manchester, where the brand hosted a literary event with novelist Jeanette Winterson, treated guests to a Manchester United match at Old Trafford football stadium and put on a runway show on Thomas Street. The team even went as far as to embroider teapots on lace and scouted young Mancunians from the street to walk the show. “Given the history of manufacturing in the city, its links to music and its creative energy, we thought, ‘Why not?’” says Pavlovsky. “When we speak about energy, we’re not only talking about luxury and beauty but the energy coming from the people, the city and the social changes happening.”This May the house moved on to the French port city of Marseille to present its new cruise collection, an annual range dedicated to all things sunny. “After Manchester, we couldn’t go back to somewhere like St Tropez,” says Pavlovsky. “That would have been too easy, too obvious. It doesn’t mean that we’re not interested in the usual cities but there’s something intriguing about going off the beaten track and connecting with local creatives to build something new together.”In this spirit of togetherness, Chanel and Le19M, the home of the Métiers d’art, held an exhibition in Marseille to highlight local artists, host workshops and spark discussions about the ties between the city’s creative scene and the artisanal practices that inform the brand’s collections. It took place at the Fort Saint-Jean, one of the sites of the Mucem (Museum of the Civilisations of Europe and the Mediterranean), while a runway show was held at the Le Corbusier-designed Cité Radieuse, celebrating the new cruise collection, as well as Marseille’s ties to modernist architecture, its creative spirit and its Mediterranean landscapes.Marseille’s Château Borély, where Chanel hosted a welcome dinnerSuch gatherings build momentum for the cities that they spotlight, with immediate financial rewards. Chanel’s three-day visit resulted in an £8m (€9.4m) boost for Manchester, while local creatives, from chefs to music producers and artists, were given extra visibility. It illustrated how luxury firms can use fashion’s soft power and give back to communities.Pavlovsky, who is also the president of the Fédération de la Haute Couture et de la Mode, French fashion’s governing body, is committed to championing the house’s heritage, which is inextricably linked to the cultural life of Paris and the traditions of haute couture. Twice a year, Chanel hosts the most in-demand show in the city’s haute-couture calendar, with clients flying in from across the globe to place orders. It’s a full schedule and every event has its own purpose in the well-oiled Chanel machine.Backstage preparationsRunway rhythm“Couture represents the brand of yesterday, the brand of today and the brand of tomorrow,” Pavlovsky tellsmonoclefrom his black-and-white Paris office. The house has just staged its spring haute-couture show, an elegant homage to dance and a grand production that included a huge Chanel button descending from the ceiling. “Couture is pure creation,” he says. “It’s instinctive. It’s about doing the best you can. Everything is special: the trailer, the music, the way in which people are welcomed. Though it’s a business that’s limited in nature, it’s huge in terms of its effect on our image, the transmission of craft and our relationship-building with customers. There’s nothing nostalgic about it. You can project the idea of couture onto the future. Chanel wouldn’t be Chanel without it.”Respecting this tradition is also a way for the company to honour its founder, who only used to design haute couture. “You need to understand the beginning of the story,” says Pavlovsky. “There’s always something new to discover, even for us.” He adds that interest in the history of the house has recently infiltrated the mainstream, as proven by the record ticket sales for theV&A’sGabrielle Chanel: Fashion Manifestoexhibition, which explored the founder’s story. There has also been an increasing number of biopics about Paris’s leading couturiers, Chanel included. “There’s interest in our origins,” says Pavlovsky. “There’s a gap where we can share a lot more about the roots of the brand.”He is, however, acutely aware of the macroeconomic challenges facing the sector. “Luxury isn’t protected from geopolitical crises,” says Pavlovsky. But he has no intention of scaling down the house’s ambitions. His aim is to safeguard its future by thinking beyond sales and deepening its relationships with its customers and ambassadors, who range from rapper Kendrick Lamar to actor Tilda Swinton. “It’s about people and finding the right creative synergies,” he says, adding that the company had no commercial ties to any of the cities that it recently started relationships with. “There’s no boutique in Dakar, Manchester or Marseille.”On air at La Cité RadieusePutting commercial interests second might seem too idealistic for a brand in the business of selling luxury goods but Pavlovsky is sure that it’s the right way to go. Chanel has repeatedly proven that it has no issues when it comes to moving product (there are waiting lists for the classic 2.55 flap bags, for example, and its beach and ski collections are always in high demand) so its teams can focus on staying creative. “If the customers feel comfortable, they’ll shop,” says Pavlovsky. “The first objective of a boutique is to help them engage with our collections, develop relationships with our shop staff and understand why our products are unique, why they are sophisticated – and why they’re expensive. Selling comes second.”La Cité RadieuseApartment inside Le Corbusier’s modernist havenThis is also why he has stayed committed to the physical boutique experience, forgoing online retail, even when the latter model was at its zenith. Pavlovsky must surely feel vindicated now that the cracks in the e-commerce sector are showing and companies are rushing back to physical sales. “Going into a shop gives you the opportunity to talk to our experts and better understand what our products are about,” he says. “That can’t be replicated on a screen. When you’re selling bags at €10,000, this is crucial. You need to be able to talk about the craft, the design and the sophistication. If you just go online and click a few buttons, you’re not respecting the work that went into the product.”Customers of all ages have embraced the in-store experience, visiting Chanel shops in every city that they travel to, and many are willing to wait in long queues to enter. “It’s a good problem to have but I’m not sure that it’s the best experience,” says Pavlovsky. “We want our customers to feel privileged, so we’re talking with our teams around the world to understand what we’re doing right and what needs to be improved. The way to address issues in London won’t necessarily work in Hong Kong or New York: you’re dealing with different numbers, crowds and cultural preferences.” The answer might lie in new service propositions, rather than simply rolling out new boutiques. “A shop is the physical representation of the brand,” says Pavlovsky. “We often talk about the idea of ‘one boutique, one story’, which is something that takes a lot of effort to achieve. We want to protect that, rather than opening a lot of doors and becoming accessible everywhere.”Reclaiming the streetsChanel’s temporary roof over a section of Thomas StreetThe opening of Le19M in 2022 gave Chanel another way to engage with its audience in a physical space. The new building in Aubervilliers, on the outskirts of Paris, was designed by Marseillais architect Rudy Riccioti. It houses 12 artisan workshops that Chanel has acquired over the years, including embroiderer Lesage, specialist shoemaker Massaro and milliner Maison Michel. There’s also a gallery space where visitors can sign up to attend craft workshops and view exhibitions.“It was the right moment to establish a unique location where you can see all of the different crafts that support the creation of fashion,” says Pavlovsky. “In just two years, we have been able to recruit more than 200 people, train even more and start a dialogue with other countries [about craft]. People can come into the gallery, feel welcome and participate. It’s a place with good vibes. And after such a successful opening, we have been thinking even more about what comes next and the transmission of these skills.”Catwalk at DakarCelebrating Senegal’s craft traditionsThe future is looking bright for Chanel and its many ventures. It’s only a matter of time before more artisans move into Le19M, more memories are created in cities around the world and more clients go on the hunt for the perfect quilted leather handbag. Pavlovsky makes it all look effortless but running “a place with good vibes” is no mean feat, especially today, when brands across the industry are grappling with issues such as excess inventory, overexposure and executive exits.But just as it did in the early 20th century, when it championed the jersey over stiff corsetry, Chanel is charting its own path, offering a different perspective on what it means to be a brand of the future – it has to do with treating people well, committing to quality and opening up to the world. “People are changing and the world is too,” says Pavlovsky. “So you have to respond with creativity, and by being the best that you can possibly be.”chanel.com

Emily Williams · Fashion 2026-02-26 06:38:30

You’ve got male: Brands to keep an eye out for in 2024

MaglianoItalyItaly is known for storied fashion houses but emerging designers such as Bologna-born Luca Magliano are bringing new energy to its menswear scene. After winning LVMH’s Karl Lagerfeld Prize last year, Magliano presented his new collection in Florence at Pitti Uomo.Offering a take on classic dressing updated with subtle draping, he also collaborated with some Pitti Uomo heavyweights. One was Kiton, creating a suit cut in a Neapolitan silhouette. “Kiton’s drastic hand-sewn approach allows it to reach the highest standards,” he says.magliano.websiteDrôle de MonsieurParis“It’s hard to launch a brand when you’re not in a major city but we wanted to show that it’s possible,” says Dany Dos Santos, who co-founded Drôle de Monsieur with Maxime Schwab in Dijon in 2014. Embracing their outsider status, the duo made a name for themselves with casualwear bearing slogans such as “Not from Paris Madame”, a phrase that became a rallying cry for entrepreneurs in second-tier cities across the country. In 2023, however, Drôle de Monsieur finally opened its first bricks-and-mortar shop in the heart of the French capital.The boutique evokes an elegant 1970s hotel lounge, with art deco-style walls and a till that resembles a bar counter. “Hospitality and fashion have a lot in common,” says Dos Santos. “Both aim to make clients feel at home.” Alongside casual items bearing playful graphics, you’ll find a range of more formal designs: we recommend the elegant trench coats and shearling jackets.droledemonsieur.comBrioniItalyUnder design director Norbert Stumpfl, Brioni has been quietly evolving into one of the key premium menswear labels in the market, offering meticulously crafted garments made using featherlight, natural materials and rare couture techniques. Stumpfl tends to favour minimal designs and neutral colours, letting the quality of his clothing do most of the talking. But when it comes to evening wear, he also makes a point to sprinkle the right amount of glamour on his designs. A firm believer in the power of a sharply tailored jacket, his latest evening wear creations, presented in Milan’s Circolo Filologico, included tuxedos and dinner jackets featuring elongated lapels and earthy colours, nodding to the work of Spanish artist and designer Mariano Fortuny.You’ll also find jackets in the brand’s signature herringbone cloth that feature a layer of barely visible glass beads. Then there are one-of-a-kind pieces including a silk tuxedo jacket (pictured) with glitter embroidered underneath the fabric to add a faint sheen: a testament to the Brioni artisans’ impressive skills and Stumpfl’s commitment to “the culture of the human touch”.brioni.comThe Elder StatesmanLos AngelesAt Pitti Uomo, popular looks usually make themselves clear as soon as you start approaching the Fortezza da Basso, where the event takes place. This year, there was a colourful mood when it came to attendees’ accessories. The buyers, editors and stylists still wore the tweed coats and monochrome suits they are known for but also added woollen beanies in an array of bold colours.On the runways of Milan and Paris later in the month, show guests kept their hats on to stand out and break up all-black winter uniforms. The accessory also made its way into brand showrooms – the luxurious styles by LA-based label The Elder Statesman, in mood-boosting yellow and green hues, were among our highlights.elder-statesman.comCeline X Master&DynamicGlobalFashion brands are now aspiring to connect with customers when they are eating, drinking and listening to music, not just when they are getting dressed. The result is a host of cross-sector collaborations, from Valextra’s tie-in with Bar Basso’s baristas to Bottega Veneta’s partnership with Korean kite artisans. This season, headphones were regularly spotted in brands’ showrooms, displayed next to hats or footwear. We have our eye on a pair by Celine in tan leather or black calfskin, made in collaboration with Master&Dynamic.celine.com;masterdynamic.comAcabaParisLeather gloves have become designers’ accessory of choice this season. Silvia Fendi added elegant pairs in saffron, burgundy, all-grey and khaki for Fendi – inspired by countryside living and hunting outfits worn by the UK’s Princess Anne. Giorgio Armani played with textures, juxtaposing velvet coats with padded leather gloves.This is an easy styling trick: pick an eye-catching shade, from deep red to green or yellow, pair them with wardrobe staples like denim or monochrome suits – and if you get too warm, fold them over the belt of your coat. We like stocking up at Paris-based Acaba, a storied glove-maker whose shop at the Palais Royale is filled with handmade gloves in every shade.acaba.frcommentLooks promisingNatalie TheodosiFor the menswear industry, the year starts with a medley of shows, presentations and social gatherings in Florence, Milan and Paris. The fast-paced schedule offers an opportunity to gather inspiration and take the temperature of the market. This year the mood was cautionary, with brands and retailers forecasting that, after three years of explosive growth, the luxury sector might finally find that its clients are bulging less.However, challenging economic times encourage creativity and necessary course corrections. In this case, brands are slowing down, returning to their founding values and thinking about new ways to connect with customers. Some are doing so by raising quality standards, sourcing premium materials and partnering with artisanal manufacturers. Others are increasingly thinking beyond fashion: to keep customers interested there’s a need to create richer experiences.For Gucci, for instance, success has become equated as much to people singing along to its remix of the 1970s Italian classic “Ancora, Ancora, Ancora” as buying into its new minimal aesthetic. In the same spirit, fellow Italian label Valextra joined forces with Milanese institution Bar Basso on a leather case and a pair of cocktail glasses, while in Paris, Louis Vuitton used its runway show to debut new music, including a collaboration between its creative director Pharrell Williams and folk band Mumford&Sons. This marks a new era for branding – expect to see fashion brands pursuing more partnerships with chefs, architects, musicians and hoteliers this year.How will these shifting dynamics translate into the way we dress? Given the higher stakes, designers are suggesting that we too need to raise our standards and start dressing the part. There was a collective celebration of formality and the power of dressing up: smart brogues replaced trainers, sporty parkas were swapped with tailored coats and neck ties made a firm comeback, particularly at Prada, where the catwalk was transformed into a series of chic cobalt-blue office cubicles. We round up our highlights on these pages.Theodosi is Monocle’s fashion director

David Miller · Fashion 2026-02-17 15:16:51

A Bangkok food emporium’s recipe for success

Gourmet Market’s flagship in Bangkok is a giant food emporium found inside the city’s premier shopping mall, Siam Paragon. Every morning, staff form a line at the end of each aisle to greet the first customers of the day with a cheerfulsawadee. This sizeable welcoming party makes food shopping feel like a royal visit. A repeat performance after lunch involves dancing to music.“An exceptional customer experience is crucial to food retail because there are so many options,” says Ploychompu Umpujh, who heads up Gourmet Market’s 17 branches and the rest of the food department at The Mall Group, one of Bangkok’s leading mall operators. “We have to consistently improve and think beyond what the customer wants.”Supermarket shopping might have been boiled down to an exact science in many parts of the world but in Thailand the pie charts and schematics come with five-star service and lashings of entertainment. At Gourmet Market, a handful of floor staff are trained to guide customers through fresh produce and groceries, giving ordinary items the star treatment usually associated with fine wine and premium cuts of meat. Then there’s the “you hunt, we cook” scheme, with chefs on hand to whip up a recipe for customers using ingredients sourced from the supermarket.“Food appreciation is in our DNA,” says Umpujh, before rattling through a shopping list of supporting reasons. These include Thailand’s diverse cuisine and cooking styles, a service mindset, the dominance of agricultural exports and the central role of food in daily life. “Have you eaten?” is a popular way of saying hello. And the likely response is, “Yes, I have but I’m starting to get peckish.”Beyond the fun and frivolity, putting food on Thai plates is big business. The department that Umpujh leads contributes the largest slice of the Mall Group’s overall revenue and Gourmet Market plans to double in size in five years, primarily via shop expansions. It’s fair to say that Bangkok’s premium supermarkets are home to some of the freshest concepts in food retail.From left toright:1. Adithep Saomok, Sales representative, fruit,“Durian season begins in April – I can’t wait.”2. Napaporn Wongmas, Assistant general manager, Gourmet Eats,“Joined Umpujh’s team a year ago but she has been with the company for more than 15 years.”3. Thanida Limsirivallop, General manager of merchandising, Gourmet Eats,“When international food brands come to Thailand, she’s in charge of bringing them to us first.”4. Rewadee Arunyakanont, Assistant manager, Gourmet Market,“She handles promotions and the planogram system; in other words, how products are placed on the shelves.”5. Yarnintorn Temiyaputra, General manager of operation, Gourmet Market, Siam Paragon,“He looks after all of the operations at the flagship store, from customer service to controlling the area where suppliers come to drop off products every morning.”6. Pongsak Oransuwanchai, Group general manager, supermarket merchandising (food),“He goes to the local street-food stalls to convince the owners to come into malls.”7. Pakawat Chintacanun, Group general manager, supermarket merchandising,“Industry veteran who knows everything about the fresh department and seasonal products.”8. Watsakarn Pongsanguansuk, Group general manager, supermarket merchandising (grocery),“A proven executor. When asked for different merchandising from abroad, she always makes things happen.”9. Saknarin Kamphrommee, Sales representative, fruit,“Fresh fruit and vegetables generate the most sales.”10. Rapeepan Sawangchang, Section manager Gourmet Fresh,“Apples are our biggest sellers and cherries sell really well on promotion.”11. Panita Haritaworn, General manager, marketing, Gourmet Marketand Gourmet Eats,“Very creative, a good leader and not scared to try new things.”12. Chidchanok Boonchamnan, Assistant general manager, marketing, Gourmet Market,“She mainly looks after Gourmet Market’s many events. End of the year and Songkran in April are the most important.”

Emily Jones · Fashion 2026-02-14 11:41:10

Apotheke, the Athenian natural cosmetics brand taking beauty back to basics

“This is all about bringing back a liberating simplicity to people’s lives,” says Eva Papadaki, as she moves through 10am Apotheke (Greek for “storage room”), her new concept shop in Athens’ vibrant neighbourhood of Gazi. Just beside the boutique – where Papadaki picks a collection of homeware, cosmetics and culinary ingredients – is a garage that repairs old cars. There’s a link to these unlikely neighbours: both are focused on preservation.The idea for Apotheke (as it’s usually known) was born in the basement of the brutalist, concrete 10am Lofts building where Papadaki, for the past seven years, has based her talent management agency for photographers and artists. “It feels like I have given birth to this project and there’s so much sentiment attached to it for me,” she says, looking up towards the space’s incredibly high ceilings. Minimalist shelving units line the walls, displaying limited-edition products that Papadaki promises are sustainable all the way down to the manner in which they are transported from her native Crete to Athens.On the wall, a film projection of the inky blue, sun-scorched Aegean landscapes and whitewashed houses captures the very essence of Papadaki’s new brand – a conscious movement back to simple living, inspired by the ways her Greek grandparents lead their lives. It’s why she has sourced limited-edition ingredients from Cretan producers who she has known since childhood. Olive oil, honey, handmade soaps, beeswax candles (just like the ones used in Greek Orthodox churches) and moisturising beeswax balms that can be applied all over the body. Most products fit in a beauty cabinet as much as they do in a kitchen pantry and will inspire you to rethink your beauty rituals – replacing complex formulas with natural ingredients and finding joy in the process rather than just the result, from applying a soothing balm on your pulse-points to lighting incense.Minimalist living was the guiding principle for the shop fit-out but Papadaki also wanted to pay homage to the history of the building. “This was once a warehouse for dried foods,” she says. “I love the word ‘Apotheke’ because it also refers to our inner, metaphorical storage rooms, where we keep our memories, our feelings, our spirit.” Her own spirit remains firmly in her native Crete. “It’s where I’m from and it’s where I will always go back to,” she says, referencing the sounds, scents and landscape of the island, which inspired all the products now available at Apotheke.Her commitment to local sourcing was also guided by her experiences growing up on the Mediterranean island. “So many people talk about sustainability but no mass-produced product is really sustainable,” she says. “Here, products are not made in huge quantities. The honey and the oil might run out. It’s whatever nature can give in that moment. I always want to be in tune with and respectful of what nature has to give me.”Papadaki travels to Crete to pick up the products herself and ensure that she maintains an ongoing dialogue with the producers she collaborates with. Her ultimate aim? To transport people to Crete, every time they light the Apotheke incense or use the wild herb soap that has been made using her grandmother’s old recipe.Every Saturday, Papadaki opens the heavy doors of Apotheke to Athens’ ever-growing community of artists, designers and photographers, making the most of the airy space as a gathering spot as well as a shop. Nodding back to her previous job as a talent agent, the idea of Apotheke Saturdays is to create opportunities for creatives to come together and inspire each other with conversations about art, creativity – and, of course, the best natural beauty remedies.“I want to offer a space for artists to showcase their work, so we have this weekly gathering that is interlinked with the ethos of Apotheke,” she says. “It’s all about returning to your roots.”10amapotheke.com

Jane Jones · Fashion 2026-02-04 13:53:05

Scandinavian minimalism with an inviting generosity

In an industry as fast-paced as fashion, the value of long-term collaboration can easily be forgotten. But some creative relationships deserve to be more than just flings. Stockholm-based luxury fashion label Toteme has called on design and architecture studio Halleroed for 10 years to help create a visual identity for its offices and shops. What started as a commission to design the label’s first office in New York has flourished into a global partnership. Toteme’s co-founder Karl Lindman and Christian Halleröd, his counterpart at Halleroed, have worked together to design shops in London, New York, Los Angeles, Shanghai and Seoul, establishing a design language that is as recognisable as the brand’s signature outerwear and contrast-stitch knits. They have proven that architecture and good interior design can help to define a label. “Our shops have become the physical expression of Toteme as we develop into a global business,” says Lindman.When Monocle visits Toteme’s Stockholm headquarters in the Stureplan neighbourhood, we find Halleröd sitting across from Lindman – a position you’ll find him in whether the duo are sharing design references or plotting their next project. “With every new shop, we’re getting closer to what Toteme stands for,” says Halleröd. “As interior architects, we try to align with the brands that we partner with by following their work and putting in the research.” When the pair envision a new space, they try to capture Toteme’s aesthetic with neutral palettes and playful antique finds that add warmth and signal that this is far from your average Scandinavian minimalist label. “We want to be generous to our customers,” says Lindman (pictured, on left, with Halleröd). “Their time is important.”The first design reference that Lindman and Elin Kling, his partner and Toteme co-founder, shared with Halleröd was the work of Donald Judd, the US artist known for his clean colour palettes. “Looking back, I think that it was the first hint of what we would develop together,” says Lindman. A sense of restraint has come to define every boutique that they have since worked on, starting with the brand’s flagship on Stockholm’s Biblioteksgatan 5, designed to resemble a townhouse, complete with a lounge, a walk-in wardrobe and a bedroom. In New York, they went on to design an even more distinctive space in which metal shelving is placed next to striking patterned sofas by Austrian architect and artist Josef Frank. Customers come to replenish their denim and silk shirts but equally to see the vibrant patterns on Frank’s sofas up close and take in the interiors. “The design always remains pure and minimal to reflect Toteme,” says Halleröd.More recently, the pair worked on the brand’s first London opening. In a Queen Anne revival building on Mayfair’s Mount Street, you’ll find a marble statue from the 1900s by Swedish sculptor Carl Milles, a steel sofa by Australian industrial designer Marc Newson and various items by designers from the 1930s Swedish Grace aesthetic movement, including a coffee table by Otto Schulz and a couch by Olle Engkvist. “Every new project starts with a site visit and broad conversations about the city and Toteme’s place in it,” says Lindman. “The physical space that we work on needs to reflect where the brand is at that given moment. I’m not interested in applying a formula. Every city and neighbourhood is unique and should be treated accordingly.” For Toteme’s co-founder, this process of applying the brand’s design values and Swedish heritage in different contexts is the most exciting part of the retail-expansion process.Toteme’s next and biggest outpost will open this spring on Melrose Avenue in Los Angeles. Meanwhile, the original Stockholm flagship is currently under renovation and doubling in size. You can expect more Marc Newson pieces; the designer is a fixture in all of the brand’s flagships. For Stockholm’s, Lindman bought a sleek silver cashier desk from the 1990s that was designed for the Skoda boutique in Berlin. And he has become fond of a little ceramic statue of leaping zebras; so far, he has acquired two of these at auction and they are now installed in Stockholm and London. “If you come across another one, please get it for me,” he says.Halleröd nods, understanding what types of objects appeal to Lindman. “That’s the beauty of our collaboration,” he says. “We have built a common understanding of what we like. We share memories and references so, if I mention a zebra, for example, Christian immediately knows which one I mean.”As in any long-term relationship, the key to their success seems to be communication. “It’s our job to move different ideas forward, be it materials, techniques or architectural elements,” says Halleröd. “We’re always in dialogue.” According to Lindman, this type of open exchange between trusted partners is “part of evolving the brand while retaining our dna”. “Sometimes the best way to move forward is to be consistent,” he says.Toteme and the Halleroed studio also share a sense of pride about their Swedish roots, which, in typical Scandinavian fashion, their joint design projects express discreetly. “Eight years ago we found a sofa by functional designer Bruno Mathsson for the first Toteme flagship in Stockholm,” says Halleröd. “We are still finding new pieces from Scandinavian design history. Stockholm is quite clean in terms of lines and colour palettes. It’s not like Paris, where there are decorative layers to the interiors.” Further nods to their homeland can be found in details such as pewter railings made by Swedish ironmongers or the Milles statue in the London boutique. “We want to bring a minimalist Swedish aesthetic to different parts of the world and highlight the country’s design and art whenever we can,” says Lindman. “These shops are like embassies for us. We put our hearts into these spaces to leave room for emotions and discovery.”toteme-studio.com

Jane Smith · Fashion 2026-02-17 21:06:00

The Agenda: How the Olympics could jeopardise the French capital’s ‘bouquinistes’

Retail: ParisFinal pagesJulia Webster Ayusoon the Olympian threat looming over the iconic booksellers on the banks of the Seine.“There’s the Louvre, the Passerelle des Arts, the Vert-Galant garden.” Jérôme Callais is pointing to the different monuments he can see from his workplace, a book stall on Paris’s Quai de Conti. “When I finish in the evening, I walk across the Pont Neuf and watch the sunset.” For the past 400 years, booksellers such as Callais have lined the banks of the Seine. They are as intrinsic to Paris as the Eiffel Tower or Notre-Dame but in recent years their existence has come under threat. First there were thegilet jaunesprotests and transport strikes disrupting their trade, then came the coronavirus lockdowns that forced them to close. Now they face an existential challenge: citing security concerns, city hall announced in July that the booksellers’ iconic green boxes must be removed in time for the opening ceremony of the 2024 Olympic Games, which will take place on the river. Thebouquinisteshave never left their spot and are worried that they won’t survive the move.“The authorities are supposed to promote the city and its monuments, and now they want to make one of the biggest symbols of Paris disappear,” says Callais, who is the president of the Cultural Association of Booksellers of Paris. “It makes no sense.” He explains that most of the wooden boxes were set up 50 years ago or more and risk falling apart if moved. The authorities have said that they will pay for the temporary relocation of 50 per cent of the booksellers to a “literary village” in Bastille and offered to replace any damaged boxes. But thebouquinistesdon’t think that this is viable and it’s unclear when they will be allowed back – if at all. Callais, who makes no more than a few dozen euros a day from sales, says that depriving thebouquinistesof their place by the Seine could deal a final blow to those who are already struggling. “Nobody does this for the money,” he says. “I would make much more if I stayed at home and sold my books online. But this is a different ethos: you meet people, you share things, you watch the world go by. Sitting in front of a computer, that’s not life for me.” When Monocle visits on a sunny Monday afternoon, an elderly woman stops to reminisce about her youth, a student lingers for a chat about music (Callais had a previous career as a double-bass player) and a book dealer arrives to offer his selection of old editions. Most have heard the news and offer their support.Thebouquinisteshave survived previous attempts to ban their practice, including by Baron Haussmann, the architect of modern Paris. Today the 233 sellers don’t pay rent but are assigned a space by local authorities where they can set up five boxes, which they must open at least four days a week (if weather allows). The majority of what they sell must be made up of secondhand books, prints or magazines, though they’re also allowed to sell some souvenirs. Everybouquinisteis a bibliophile and some are specialists. All are a human lifeline in the age of Amazon. On the other side of the bridge, Véronique sells mostly comics, and a few steps upstream from her, Gilles Morineaux focuses on rare books. Though mostbouquinistesare retirees, young people also see the profession’s appeal. Among them is 19-year-old history student Fanfan Derai, who works as an assistant on Morineaux’s stall, a role known as anouvre boîtes(“box opener”). “It’s a fantastic profession,” she says. “You meet all kinds of people.” Could she see herself here in the future? “I would like to have a different career first, and then return to the quais,” she says. Hopefully thebouquinisteswill still be here.Julia Webster Ayuso is a journalist and Monocle contributor based in Paris.

Michael Brown · Fashion 2026-02-14 05:02:25

How Catalan creatives are drawing on Spain’s design history to create new collections

Barcelona is a city built on the riches of its manufacturing heritage. For much of the 19th century, Catalonia was known as “the factory of Spain” and the wealth generated by its booming textiles industry helped fund the development of Barcelona’s cultural scene and its impressive architectural landmarks.The city might no longer be quite the industrial powerhouse that it once was, but it has retained a reputation as a hub for innovation and cultural taste-making. There are still manufacturers to be found in and around the city, producing small batches of premium quality wares, while in the neighbourhood of Poblenou, warehouses and factories have been transformed into all manner of creative studios filled with young Catalan designers who are determined to make their mark on the international fashion landscape.Here, we round up some of the most noteworthy regional designers who remain committed to producing their collections in their hometown.1.Shoulder seasonÖlendÖlend co-founders Adriana Dumon and Fran Rios first crossed paths while working as filmmakers in Barcelona. After taking a diy backpack-making course together, they started creating their own designs. Encouragement from friends and family inspired them to officially launch Ölend in 2012 and start selling commercially. “Our initial inspiration was Nordic aesthetics, with very geometric shapes,” says Dumon. “But over time we evolved and began incorporating more colours and organic shapes.” Today, Ölend produces totes, backpacks and shoulder bags in lightweight nylon, all designed in its Poblenou atelier. All bags come in bright colours, with internal and external pockets. “City life requires designs that are functional and versatile,” says Dumon. olend.net2.Hidden gemAprès SkiFounder Lucía Vergara and her team design Après Ski’s jewellery collections in the brand’s small shop-cum-atelier down a narrow side street in El Born. A few years ago, she started making her own clothing for models to wear in her jewellery campaigns. Customers expressed interest in buying the full look, prompting Vergara to add unisex shirts, jackets and hats to Après Ski’s collection. Pieces are limited, as they’re mostly made using vintage fabrics. “I search for fabric everywhere, from flea markets to auctions,” says Vergara. apresski.es3.Material rewardsBieloBielo founder Josep Puig Romeu’s family has been producing premium knitwear since the mid-1980s. From the small town of La Llacuna, its manufacturing business has used state-of-the-art Japanese knitting machines to create designs for the likes of Marni and Balenciaga. “Since the age of 20, I was gaining experience across all departments: knitting, programming, finishing,” says Puig Romeu. “I also worked closely with various luxury brands and their designers.” With all this experience under his belt, Puig Romeu set up Bielo in 2013 to experiment with techniques and materials. His creations are a mix of the minimal – chunky wool cardigans, simple grey sweaters – and the eccentric, from patterned capes to reversible jumpers. The Admo navy cardigan (pictured) will make a great layering piece as you transition into spring.bielo.cat4.Trunk callBassalIt was a visit to Kyoto that inspired Pol Bassal to open his own shop in Barcelona. “I kept noticing all these really well-designed stores selling Japanese brands,” he says. “I thought that’s what my city is missing.” His eponymous, multi-brand shop opened next to La Pedrera-Casa Milà in 2020, stocking mostly Spanish designers with the odd high-end international label thrown in. There’s also a range of swimwear designed by Bassal himself, ranging from one-piece suits for women and swimming trunks for men featuring upbeat colours and graphic patterns. “I noticed a lack of swimwear made using premium, European-sourced materials and thought it was time to do something about it,” he says. bassal.store5.Body of evidenceRodaMarta Jubero Domènech took an unconventional route to becoming a beauty entrepreneur. The Barcelona native was working in San Francisco for an aerial-software company when she realised that she could take what she had learned in tech and use it in cutting-edge cosmetics. “I’d come into contact with the ways in which data science could be applied to health,” she says. “I noticed that beauty was missing the modern way of formulating products.” In 2020, Jubero Domènech returned to Barcelona, where she set up Roda with her brother, Virgili. Their first step was to create a database of more than 10,000 ingredients and 2,000 dermatological studies. They then analysed the data using AI-assisted techniques to develop the product formulas. The result is a concise range that prioritises ingredients from the Mediterranean region.  rodacosmetics.com6.Delivering the goodsManuel DreesmannAfter graduating from his design studies in Germany, Bremen-born Manuel Dreesmann headed to Barcelona to forge a new life for himself. “I instantly fell in love with the city and its vibrant atmosphere,” says Dreesmann, who took on various freelance design jobs before launching his own leather goods brand in 2018. “Initially, I was just making things for friends and family. As more and more people started showing interest, I decided that this could be the project upon which I build my career.” In 2021 he opened an atelier and showroom in the El Born neighbourhood. It’s here that Dreesmann and his small team of artisans create their wares, cutting and stitching with precision to create a range of bags, belts, wallets and laptop sleeves. “We carefully select only the finest, vegetable-tanned leathers,” he says. “Most of it comes from renowned tanneries in Igualada, just a stone’s throw from Barcelona.” manuel-dreesmann.com7.Working classBastidaBastida is known for its unisex range of workwear, made in workshops along Barcelona’s industrial fringes. You’ll spot Bastida-designed uniforms in some of Spain’s most elegant establishments, from Seville to Madrid, but its heavy cotton T-shirts and loose trousers work just as well in day-to-day life.bastidaforwork.com

John Brown · Fashion 2026-01-30 14:11:51

The agenda opener: Updates from our correspondents and a conversation with Chris Black

How to live – UniformsSmart chanceTyler Brûlé on why dressing the part is about more than just self-expression.It was 2008. To mark the recent launch of Monocle, we had decided to host a dinner for our advertisers and bought crisp, white waiter jackets from Hakuï in Japan for the occasion. All was going to plan on the night until I overheard one of the serving staff tell her manager that she wasn’t happy with the jacket that she had been given.“What’s wrong with it?” asked the manager. “It looks good on you.”“It inhibits my creativity,” said the woman. “I need to express myself.”What a curious comment, I thought. Had she been booked for the wrong event? Did she assume that there would be a dance component to the evening? Maybe some acrobatics? The exchange continued for another minute or so before the gent in charge told her that therewasan alternative outfit for her: the coat that she had arrived in, which she should collect on her way out.I didn’t recognise it at the time but that exchange was a taster of what many companies now have to contend with: staff putting their own freedom of expression before what’s best for the company. Firms must stand up for what is right for the brand, the customer and corporate culture.In this fashion-and-hospitality-themed edition of Monocle, we highlight a few hotel brands that understand the power of giving their staff uniforms that make the wearer proud, while also allowing guests to identify who is staffing the lobby or bar. The vogue for putting everyone in polar fleece cannot be the solution for banks, airlines and courier companies. If you don’t like the uniform of a potential employer, you might want to reconsider applying.Reporting from…Monocle has a network of correspondents in cities around the world. This month, our brief updates feature greased wheels in London, a buzz above the streets of Tokyo and a wet’n’wild festival in Bangkok.TokyoHoney trapGinza might be famed for its high-end shops and restaurants but less well known is that the area is home to five volunteer-run rooftop beehives. The Ginza Mitsubachi Project started in 2006; today 250,000 bees make two tonnes of honey every year. Tours are available, as is the sweet stuff.BangkokMaking a splashHeading to Bangkok in April? Be prepared to get wet. Annual water festival Songkran is set to unfold over the entire month as part of the government’s push to promote Thai soft power. The festival’s global ambitions mean that it might one day rain on even the Easter bunny’s parade.LondonPedal powerIs London in a golden era of cycling? Ridership is up 20 per cent on pre-pandemic levels, while cycling trips make up the equivalent of a third of all Tube journeys. Transport for London says that more than eight million motor-vehicle journeys a day could be biked instead.The InterrogatorChris BlackCo-host, ‘How Long Gone’Chris Black is the New York- and Los Angeles-based co-host of podcastHow Long Gone, as well as a cultural commentator and fashion consultant for brands such as J Crew. Alongside his co-host, Jason Stewart, Black offers a refreshingly honest take on the fashion, entertainment and hospitality industries, and regularly interviews high-profile musicians, restaurateurs and journalists. Here, we ask him about his media habits and what it takes to be a skilled conversationalist.Chris Black portraitWhere do you get your news?Newspapers such asThe New York Timesand theFinancial Times. I’m a big Puck person. I go to Mediastar for media news, Hits Daily Double for music and Vogue Business for fashion. I like to be in the know about all of these industries. Being informed helps my career and show. I never feel exhausted by keeping up with the news. Music, fashion and media are businesses that are constantly in flux.What’s on your sofa-side magazine stack?I have so much stuff.Apartamento,The Gentlewoman,Fantastic Man,Middle Plane,Staf,The New Yorker,The Paris Review,System,Epoch,L’Étiquette,Popeye,Slop. And then I have a lot of old issues ofIndex,The Face,Dazed & ConfusedandGQ. I have the first issue of Monocle.‘How Long Gone’ doesn’t pull its punches when it comes to making fun of the industries it covers. Why do you think this approach has worked for you?It’s fun and it comes from a place of respect. When you record three hours of yourself talking every week, you care less about what you’re saying and it’s easier to be honest. You’re not thinking about repercussions. Most people who listen to the show know that there’s a tongue-in-cheek element to it.Do you think the cultural conversation is ready for a little more cheekiness?People revel in doom and gloom. They make that an identifying feature. Yes, there are ills in the world. And maybe it’s worse now than it used to be. But you can’t let every little thing affect you. And humour or honesty still shine through.What are your tips for being a good conversationalist?Be curious. We are so used to talking about ourselves. Our culture rewards it. When it comes to conversation, the only way to make it interesting is to ask genuine questions. On our show, we have an hour with someone and we want to make it fun for all of us. And everybody likes talking about themselves.Key messagesWhile it’s true that we’re bookshop and newsstand aficionados here at Monocle, even we are prepared to admit that some shopping experiences can be a tad mirthless. Luckily, Lisbon retailers Luis Cunha and Arturas Slidziauskas might have found a solution: humour. Our editors recently visited the pair’s shop, Under the Cover, in Bairro Azul. There, we discovered the art of canny copywriting flourishing in an unlikely place: on keychains, emblazoned with arch, oddball slogans. Was it Kant or a keyring that first said, “My cat is right about you”? You get the idea. Sure, it’s not quite Pessoa but it certainly sends a message: words matter and the best ones ring true. And it’s also a reminder that a little humour here and there can be as key to reading as it is to retail.Three things you’ll learnMonocle’s correspondents have brought back insights into design, world leaders, education and more. Here are just three things you’ll learn in this issue.1.Kyriakos Mitsotakis doesn’t mince his wordsThe Greek prime minister isn’t amused by a recent report about press freedom in his country. “May I be a little blunt?” he asks Monocle contributing editor Andrew Mueller, who he spoke to at the Munich Security Conference. “This report is a joke.” The EU’s report – not ours, we hope. Read our Q&A for more on Greek equality, defence and how to handle the neighbourshere.2.Not everyone needs (or wants) a university degreeEducation rates are rising but university courses can lead to debt and not always to jobs. That might be why a growing number of US students are choosing to take a hands-on approach. We visit North Bennet Street School in Boston to see what the next generation is making of the opportunity to learn a tradehere.3.Paris is home to tens of thousands of state-owned design treasuresFrench diplomats have a secret weapon when it comes to showing off Gallic design: Mobilier National. Since the 17th century, this Paris-based workshop has decked out embassies, repaired priceless antiquities, dressed rooms and provided fittingly grand backdrops for statecrafthere.Tipping pointUS tipping culture is on the march and could soon be coming to an after-dinner bill,facturaorRechnungnear you (writes Christopher Lord). I have always preferred not to complain about what is an unavoidable fact of dining out stateside, even if it confounds most visiting Europeans. Yet I have started to see its influence spreading: a percentage point added to the bill in London restaurants, for example, and a growing pressure to fork out. Most Americans recognise that tipping is out of control. Gratuity has become gratuitous.Point-of-sale (POS) machines – those devices at the till on which you tap your card, digitally sign your name and select a tip percentage – have become ubiquitous. Adding 20 per cent was once a solid recognition of good service in the US but some pos machines now urge you to add more than 35 per cent to your bill – all before you get your coffee. How do you know that the service will be any good?For daily opinions, analysis and insights, subscribe to The Monocle Minute, our free email newsletter, atmonocle.com/minuteWild blue yonderIt has been almost 42 years since Argentina lost its war with the UK over the Falklands. It has been 11 years since the people of the Falkland Islands voted – 1,513 to three – to remain an overseas territory of the UK. Argentina has never taken the hint. Perhaps the only Argentinian political orthodoxy observed by its eccentric new president, Javier Milei, is the belief that the Falkland Islands are in fact Islas Malvinas and should be returned.The dispute has nevertheless long been at a fairly low simmer: even the combustible Milei has ruled out another war. However, the standoff is bad news for the South Atlantic’s sea creatures. Wedged between the UK’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ) surrounding the Falkland Islands, and Argentina’s EEZ, which borders Argentina, is a rich but lawless realm that has become known as the Blue Hole.Trawlers in South Atlantic blue holeThe area has been overrun by trawlers (many of them Chinese), drawn by the area’s extraordinary diversity of marine life, as well as by the fact that there’s nothing to stop them from harvesting as much of it as they can carry. Reports suggest that many of the trawlers turn off their tracking systems, further liberating them from oversight.A possible solution would be the establishment of a Regional Fisheries Management Organisation (RFMO) but that would involve Argentina co-operating with the UK – therefore implicitly acknowledging that the UK gets a say in the matter. It is quite the diplomatic conundrum but reaching a compromise would be (marginally) easier than persuading the local squid to avoid the area.

Michael Brown · Fashion 2026-01-29 00:18:55

Five top hospitality uniforms from our editors’ travels

Some shudder at the mere mention of the word “uniform”. Done badly (read: off the peg and on a budget) a staff fit-out can mean plasticky jackets and clumpy black shoes. But it needn’t be that way. A deftly cut dinner jacket, airy shirt that breathes in the midday sun or dramatic dress can add theatre and flair to proceedings. It’s these considered, well-designed outfits that inspired us to ponder the attire that sets the best tone and helps staff to stand that little bit straighter. We visit Carlyle&Co in Hong Kong, Potato Head Beach Club in Bali and the Mandarin Oriental in Bangkok, followed by pit-stops in Europe at The Largo in Porto and Château Voltaire in Paris – fine properties that commissioned a fitting welcome.1.Hot stuffMandarin Oriental Bangkok’s doormen sport silk trousers, a long-sleeved “raj pattern” shirt and silk wrap at the waist. Sometimes a green-and-gold helmet too. The cut and fabric are made for the heat.2.Something fruityIndonesian company Potato Head’s Seminyak Beach Club uniforms are made from naturally dyed batik fabric from a factory in the village of Pejeng, outside Ubud. 3.Formal offerAtelier Franck Durand helped Château Voltaire define its look, from a mid-length wrap dress for female receptionists to the bellboys’ double-breasted blazers.4.Fresh threads“Uniforms are often poly blends for durability and ease of cleaning,” says Verena Fiori of The Largo hotel. “Ours are hemp and cotton for Porto’s humid summers.”5.Something refreshing“It’s easy to wear and made locally,” says Potato Head co-founder Jason Gunawan.6.Table serviceCarlyle&Co’s get-ups come courtesy of Hong Kong firm The Armoury and are made by tailor Ascot Chang.7.Best bar noneThe gentlemen’s double-breasted blazers at Carlyle&Co come in burgundy and navy.

David Williams · Fashion 2026-02-10 23:41:45

The Fashion Top 25

When Monocle stops by, the conversation turns to the intricacies of a suit, from the benefits of half-linings and single darts on jackets to top-stitched seams. “We both feel that in Florence they are making the sort of suits that we like to wear,” says Marsh. “And I like my suits to be properly worn, not left hanging in a cupboard.”Speciale’s knitwear offeringAny collar you likeThe tailoring studio in the back of the shop is where jackets and trousers are cut, shaped and altered for customers who often come to invest in their first made-to-measure suit. Ready-to-wear is also on offer, with shirts made in Naples, jeans cut in north London, knitwear from Wales and ties from Florence. “We source the very best when it comes to materials,” says Marsh. “Pure cashmere jumpers, pure cotton socks; even if that means stocking fewer items.”speciale324.comGeorge Marsh (on left) and Bert Hamilton Stubber1.Feet firstSocks & shoes, GlobalSocks offer the quickest way to introduce a flash of colour to any look. To do it right, pick a shade that complements the palette of your base garments. A pair of blue-toned socks by Marian will bring cohesion to crisp white trousers and a blue shirt. If you’re bolder, opt for a striped Paul Smith pair featuring similar shades of blue. On sunnier days, a pink T-shirt with floral pink-and-green socks. It shows consideration from head to toe.paulsmith.com; marimekko.comsocks byThunders Love, shoes bySebagosocks byAnonymous Ism,sandals byBirkenstocksocks byTrunkbyTabio, shoes byJohn Lobbsocks byRototo, loafers byKlemansocks byUniversal Works, sandals byLoewesocks byIvyEllis, trainers byNew Balancesocks byBeams Plus, loafers byGuccisocks byBaserange, loafers byJMWestonsocks byThunders Love, sandals bySuicoke2.Solar flairLa Paz 3 Lunettes Alf, Portugal & FrancePortuguese brand La Paz and France’s Lunettes Alf have teamed up for a line of sunglasses to mark the start of spring. The line was inspired by vintage snow-explorer glasses, according to La Paz co-founder José Miguel de Abreu. “We were amazed by the high quality of Alf’s materials,” says de Abreu. “The frames are made in France with Japanese acetate, riveted hinges and mineral lenses that darken when exposed to sunlight. It’s classic with a contemporary twist.”lapaz.pt;lunettes-alf.comt-shirt byRóhe,trousers byLa Paz3.Physical spaceCiele Athletics, CanadaA decade ago, designers Mike Giles and Jeremy Bresnen launched Montréal-based cycling and sports apparel brand Ciele, known for its colourful technical headwear favoured by the city’s cyclists and runners. Now Ciele has opened its first flagship in the Griffintown neighbourhood. The vast space was designed by MRDK and serves several functions: there’s a warm-up area and locker rooms for members of its in-house running club, office and design studios, and a retail space stocking Ciele’s first clothing line. Giles and Bresnen tell Monocle more.Ciele Athletics, CanadaWhat did the opening of Ciele’s first shop add to the business?Jeremy Bresnen: The idea of creating a physical space, where people can roll into, meet up and find out what races are happening, felt essential to us.Mike Giles: It has created a real sense of community. We probably have between 200 and 300 runners in the space on a weekly basis. We host events, movie screenings, product launches.blouse bySoeur, trousers byBaserangeHow did you approach its design?JB: We wanted this to feel luxurious, warm and inviting. We chose a mosaic entrance that was based on a pattern by one of our artists – a beautiful thing that can’t be replicated.Is it important that every part of the brand is now under one roof?MG: You come in in the morning, see everyone and get a better sense of the part that you play in the company.cieleathletics.com4.Formal approvalDior Homme, FranceDior Homme is doubling down on tailoring, with a new capsule collection that will become part of the label’s permanent line-up. The range celebrates the return of formality, with eveningwear pieces rendered in dandy-esque velvet and silk, as well as looser blazers and chinos in signature Dior colours, such as pewter grey and sky blue, which are more suitable for wearing in the day.Kim Jones, creative director of Dior Homme, looked to the label’s founder, Christian Dior, for inspiration. Dior was known for always wearing an elegant, slim suit to work and he constructed the famous Bar Jacket (a tailored, hourglass style for women) after the Second World War. Jones has often looked to the Dior archives to inform his menswear designs and he launched this capsule to further highlight the house’s rich heritage in tailoring.Look out for intricate details in the collection, from the subtle curves on the sleeves of double-breasted jackets to the buttons that resemble the ones on the original Bar Jacket.dior.com5.Labour of loveLa Blouse de Lyon, FranceLa Blouse de Lyon’s Prussian-blue shopfront on Rue Gérando in Paris’s 9th arrondissement offers a subtle clue as to what you will find inside. The deep pigment has long been a symbol of workwear, the type of clothing that this small boutique has specialised in for decades. Ever since it opened in 1937, city carpenters, mechanics and gardeners have been coming here to stock up on hard-wearing overalls, aprons, berets and worker’s jackets.Inside the storied boutique on Rue GérandoIn the bagNicolas le Jeune and Gwendoline van OpstalShearling vest by its in-house labelSome of the shop’s accessoriesThough the shop has changed hands over the years, its dedication to offering the best in workwear remains undiminished. Gwendoline van Opstal and her partner, Nicolas le Jeune, are the current owners, having taken over the boutique in 2019. While preserving the soul of the place, they have expanded its range by sourcing from manufacturers globally. A well-stocked inventory includes shirts by German brand FHB, pruning shears by Japanese gardening specialist Niwaki and clogs by Sweden’s Troëntorp. “We have identified a new category of clients that I would call ‘new artisans’: natural-winegrowers, farmers who work in sustainable agriculture, cheesemakers or chefs searching for meaning in what they do,” says Van Opstal. “They are the people we dress.”lablousedelyon.com6.Great lengthsMan on the Boon, South KoreaSouth Korean clothier Man on the Boon has been helping men upgrade their wardrobes since 2011. Today the retailer has refined its strategy to reflect shifting tastes, stocking relaxed yet handsome pieces that work both on and off duty. “Customers want to know how long a piece will last,” says Rick Hwang, general merchandising manager at Shinsegae International, the fashion house in charge of the franchise. “Impulsive purchasing is out.” The retailer is working with Italian manufacturer Maglificio Gran Sasso to create high-quality pullovers, polo shirts and turtlenecks, suitable for easy layering. Further investment in bricks-and-mortar retail is also on the agenda, with a new flagship set to open in Cheongdam soon.boontheshop.com7.Unity of purposeLabrum, UKLondon-based designer Foday Dumbuya stands out in the world of menswear for his ability to merge traditional British tailoring and West African design, instilled in him during his early childhood in Sierra Leone. Here, he talks to Monocle about the power of purposeful clothing.Foday DumbuyaHow have you been utilising fashion’s soft power?When you bring two cultures together, it ignites a conversation and helps to empower communities. We collaborate with artisans and designers from West Africa as well as British tailors. By mixing their skill sets, there is opportunity for exchange. I brought designers from Sierra Leone over to London to look at how the designers work here, how we create patterns. This cross-cultural conversation is crucial today because it promotes diversity and innovation.Tell us about exploring the issue of migration through your work.Migration has been the theme of the brand for a decade. How do people accept each other? We’re not talking about fantasy, these are people’s real life stories. How do people move 5,000 miles away from home to start a new life and embed a new culture within their own heritage? We look at what is currently happening in the world and what needs to be highlighted. I want to push this in a mainstream [context] because when I was growing up, it was difficult to be African and proud of it.How has London influenced you and your designs?Every day I walk out of my studio and I am inspired by the people and their dress codes. My aesthetic is rooted in time-honoured techniques and stories that people connect with here.labrumlondon.com8.Reinventing the feelLoro Piana, ItalyThis spring, Loro Piana is launching a new fabric, denim silk, to create the world’s most luxurious jeans. The innovation is part of a collaboration between Loro Piana’s in-house artisans, based in Piedmont, and denim-manufacturing experts from Japan. The result is a featherlight material, made up of 59 per cent cotton and 41 per cent silk, that was used to create five-pocket straight-cut jeans and collarless, double-breasted jackets.Loro PianaAccording to Varianini, the launch of denim silk reflects Loro Piana’s determination to invest in textile innovation. “We’re committed to research, excellence and innovation in textile craft,” she says.loropiana.com9.Pump up the volumeBottega Veneta, ItalyBottega Veneta’s creative director, Matthieu Blazy, has quite literally been expanding the Italian house’s range of accessories for spring 2024. Inspired by travel, he has created oversized shoulder bags and vast duffles that travellers can carry anything in, from souvenirs to newspapers and a change of clothes. We recommend this extra large tote, rendered in the brand’s signature “Intrecciato” leather, woven by a single artisan over the course of two days. The laidback, slouchy shape of the bag will fit all of your essentials while on the road.bottegaveneta.comBottega Veneta10.Time honouredWatches, GlobalTies between the fashion and watch industries are becoming tighter, with luxury fashion houses making ambitious investments in the sector. Watch brands too have been opening their doors to fashion designers to renew signature models and create limited-edition items. But the beauty of a timepiece lies in its longevity and you can’t go wrong with a classic design. We have rounded up some of our favourites.Cadenas watch byVan Cleef & ArpelsMademoiselle J12 La Pausa watch byChanel WatchesAlpine Eagle watch byChopardRM 67-01 Automatic Extra Flat watch byRichardMilleOcto Finissimo Tscan Copper watch byBulgariCape Cod watch byHermèsTank Louis Cartier watch byCartierforWatches of SwitzerlandVictoria Beckham watch byBreitlingSeamaster Aqua Terra watch byOmega‘Snowscape’ Hi-Beat watch byGrandSeiko25h watch byGucci11.Connecting threadsSignal, USASignal is a new retail development in Los Angeles’s Arts District. It brings together several smart multi-brand shops. New York’s by-appointment showroom M5 has opened an outpost here; LA concept-shop stalwart Please Do Not Enter has also moved in, to be joined by multi-brand retailer Departamento. California bon vivants Flamingo Estate are open and there will soon be a café by Berlin’s Concierge.Bryan Calvero, founder of Period Correct at SignalBefore the pandemic, this post-industrial area of LA was booming. Dover Street Market had set up shop and the presence of galleries such as Hauser&Wirth attracted a reliable, well-heeled footfall. Signal’s co-founders, Paolo Carini and Raan Parton, say that the project is tapping into the area’s potential for revival.Homeware and sundries by Flamingo EstateAll smilesFlagships by M5 Shop“There are pockets of LA with natural foot traffic,” says Parton. The site has now been reimagined by LA-based Klein Agency, with shopfronts evoking porticoes and stone lanes that run between the buildings. “Parts of LA have natural foot traffic,” says Carini. “But there hasn’t yet been a big idea to anchor many elements under one roof.”signal-la.com12.Top of the formRóhe, the NetherlandsRóhe was founded in 2021 by Marieke Meulendijks and Maickel Weyers, who set out to honour German-US architect Ludwig Mies van der Rohe and his “less is more” design approach. To achieve that, they built a team of experts in fabric sourcing, draping and construction – quickly making the brand a go-to for seasonless, modern tailoring. “We deconstruct blazers and piece them back together to reinvent classic shapes,” says Meulendijks. Retailers quickly responded to the Dutch label’s timeless approach and started putting in orders. “We want to focus on the old way of making: we use vintage finds to create new lapels, collars and sleeves, where modern meets classic.”roheframes.com13.Natural fitPlay Earth Park, JapanTokyo’s new Meiji Park opened to the public in January in the shadow of the National Stadium. The project aims to bring nature to an overlooked corner of the city by planting a “100-year forest” and making a park for the community. Among its retail tenants is Play Earth Park Wonder Store, an outdoor shop from sports-apparel company Goldwin. It’s stocked with clothes and accessories from Goldwin’s stable of outdoor labels, as well as original Play Earth Park products and a line of gardening gear from Garage Green Works.Play Earth Park logo T-shirtsLight-filled shop floorGoldwin will focus on its environmental responsibilities by offering everything from children’s bike rental to a line of recycled garments; a large park and campsite are set to open in Toyama in 2026. “This shop is a trial but the idea is to be doing something good for the planet,” says Goldwin’s Naoki Sugi. “We want to create spaces where people can experience the outdoors.”playearthpark.goldwin.co.jp14.Quality controlIsa Arfen, UKIn 2019, Italian-born designer Serafina Sama stepped back from the fashion industry’s relentless pace, reassessing how she wanted to run her womenswear label, Isa Arfen. “We’re a small operation but I was still conscious of too much fabric and samples being left over every season,” says Sama. She is now back on her own terms. The label’s launches are limited to individual items or small capsule collections. “It’s about pieces that can be added to your existing wardrobe, not new collections,” she says. Sama restarted her label with a range of striped, knitted capes, produced in small quantities in a factory near her west London studio.Serafina SamaThe capes can be layered over a T-shirt and jeans, or styled for more formal occasions, in line with Sama’s conviction to only offer “realistic, relatable and useful” items. “There’s a decadence to the silhouette but it’s very comfortable. I wanted it to feel like something you turn to again and again. That’s what makes good clothing.”isaarfen.com15.Heart on sleeveESC, JapanBefore he set up his lifestyle company Elephant Street&Co (ESC), Shinji Komine had been working in brand marketing for some of the world’s biggest corporations, including Apple, Nike and Dyson. “I knew that when I set up my own company, it would have to have a strong ethical dimension,” he says. Two years on, ESC has released its first capsule collection: an easy-to-wear line of T-shirts, hooded waterproof jackets, painter trousers and totes.ESCKomine works collaboratively with a small group that includes a fashion-loving doctor, a designer with experience at top brands, and small, Japanese producers. They make garments using natural materials and artisanal techniques. The brand’s core fabric is a traditional Takashima canvas made in Shiga prefecture using unbleached organic cotton, while the dyes come from natural herbs and minerals. Boxy cotton T-shirts are manufactured on shuttle looms in Shizuoka, while the Anthracite nylon collection uses a technical fabric (with a plant-derived coating), developed by Japanese fabric maker Seiren.ESC’s ethical credentials are impeccable but Komine always keeps fashion central to the project, with streetwear-inspired silhouettes.esc-tokyo.com16.Kick startHigh Sport, USACalifornia-based womenswear label High Sport’s Kick trousers might not appear newsworthy at first glance: a classic, cropped silhouette that comes in an array of colours, from neutral black and navy to more playful gingham patterns. But the flattering silhouette, thick stretch-cotton fabric and absence of hardware – it took founder Alissa Zachary more than four years to perfect the fit – has captured the attention of shoppers who prioritise quality and elegance. Despite the $860 (€795) price tag, Zachary has proven that there’s little price resistance for this versatile design; the trousers tend to sell out as soon as they make their way into shops worldwide. “High Sport has created a pair of trousers that are the perfect luxury staple,” says Clemmie Harris, head of contemporary buying at Harrods, one of the brand’s stockists. “The fact that they come in multiple colours is even better, as customers tell us that one pair isn’t enough.”High Sport luxury trousersAs the brand grows, Zachary is staying committed to only adding items that are as useful as her original Kick design. Along the way, she is creating a business to be reckoned with.high-sport.com17.Redefining luxuryEtro, ItalyItalian fashion house Etro is thinking beyond its bohemian paisley patterns and diving into the made-to-measure tailoring business, with a new space in its hometown, Milan. Discreetly located behind its flagship boutique on Via Montenapoleone, the shop is accessible only by appointment. “The men’s fashion world is changing,” says Etro’s CEO, Fabrizio Cardinali. “January’s menswear shows gave us a clear message about a return to formalwear. At Etro, our connection with tailoring has always been very strong, so we created this space to continue our dialogue with our customers through a personalised service.”Etro, ItalyYou can now work with Etro’s in-house team of tailors to create fully customised garments. You start by choosing a silhouette; you then adjust them to your tastes by picking from a wide range of fabric swatches, button types and linings. The tailors cut the clothes to a slim, regular or looser fit using materials manufactured by Etro’s partners, including cashmere from Piacenza 1733 and wool from Biella-based manufacturer Drago Lanificio.“Etro was founded in 1968 as a textile company,” says Cardinali. “Many of our fabrics come from our archive, as well as from our important collaborations with these textile companies.” As the fashion industry continues in its efforts to redefine modern luxury, the return of made-to-measure services and in-person interactions between artisans and customers are steps in the right direction.etro.com18.Delivering the goodsLouis Vuitton, FranceAs Louis Vuitton’s creative director of menswear, US singer and producer Pharrell has been adding humour, colour and plenty of whimsy to the French label’s collections. In his debut range, which has landed in shops just in time for spring, you’ll find playful touches, such as the way that this leather clutch references the shape of a humble paper lunch bag.Louis Vuitton, FranceThis might represent a new direction for the French luxury house but its commitment to craft remains unchanged. Every clutch is made from soft cowhide leather in a warm, tan shade and is finished with the label’s logo and an electric-blue fastening.louisvuitton.com19.Reform and functionWe the Knot, PortugalLisbon-based label We the Knot set up shop in the city’s Alfama district at the end of 2021. “The area has many souvenir shops and restaurants but a distinct lack of high-quality fashion ateliers,” says co-founder Filipe Cardigos. A former graphic designer, Cardigos launched the menswear brand more than a decade ago with fashion designer Sérgio Gameiro, after upcycling an umbrella and turning it into a pair of swim shorts. Since then the duo have worked with Portuguese manufacturers to create a capsule collection of cargo trousers, sweatshirts and chinos made with deadstock materials or organic cotton, recycled nylon and vegan leather sourced from Portugal and Italy.Sérgio GameiroLisbon shopLabels on the brand’s minimalist silhouettes are displayed on the outside of clothing, some printed with a map of the shop’s location; others featuring a Japanese haiku. “We don’t like slogans or branding, so we wanted to show our cultural influences through other means,” says Cardigos.wetheknot.comSplash of colourAll in the bag20.National fabric100 Hands, the NetherlandsLaunched in 2014 in the Netherlands, 100 Hands is on a mission to showcase the finest Indian craftsmanship. Akshat and Varvara Jain, the husband-and-wife team behind the label, drew inspiration from Akshat’s family, who are involved in India’s textile industry.100 HandsStarting with a small team of 18 artisans in a manufacturing atelier in Amritsar, 100 Hands now works with more than 300 artisans. While expansion is in motion, the original dedication to craft and focus on the classic shirt remains unchanged; the label produces one of the widest ranging collections of shirts on the market, using materials such as linen, poplin and cashmere-cotton. Every shirt takes between 16 and 34 hours to make and is completed entirely by hand.So far the Jains have focused on working with specialist boutiques globally, including Stockholm’s Lund&Lund, but the brand is now expanding its scope and beginning to partner with bigger department stores, such as Harrods. Monocle plans to replenish its wardrobe with the washed Japanese chambray style from the label’s new spring collection.100hands.nl21.Pulse of the cityUni Form, South AfricaLuke Radloff, Uni Form’s founder and designer, is endlessly inspired by Johannesburg. “The true style of Joburg is gritty workwear mixed with a lot of traditional clothing,” says Radloff. His studio overlooks a taxi rank where people offer a snapshot of the city’s style as they come and go. “It’s an industrial city and it’s built by the industrial workers,” says Radloff. For Uni Form, he creates workwear-inspired clothing for women: oversized stark white cotton shirts, draped trousers and slinky mohair dresses made using almost entirely natural fibres sourced and produced in South Africa. “I want to promote luxury production in Africa,” says Radloff, who worked for Italian label Marni before moving back to South Africa to launch his own brand in 2019. “I want to push the narrative of Joburg as a style capital.”Uni FormThough many people might not view Johannesburg as a fashion city or recognise the country’s potential in high-end manufacture, Radloff wants to shift that narrative by highlighting regional craft. The brand collaborates with craftsmen who work with everything from hand-woven cottons to mohair, silver and even textile waste, proving that South Africa has a lot to offer when it comes to top-end textile production.uniformza.com22.Shirt storiesChava Studio, MexicoVillanti worked in magazines for years in New York before moving to Mexico City in 2019, where her in-laws run a business importing European fabrics from select mills, such as Alumo in Switzerland, to supply the best Mexican tailors. “They had amassed a lot of deadstock, including cashmere and silk, which I began to work with,” she says. To create her pieces, Villanti works with seasoned seamstresses at the family-run atelier, next door to the historic studio of Mexican modernist architect Luis Barragán. “There’s a balance in each of our pieces between very formal elements, such as a cocktail cuff or French cuff, mixed in with a cutaway collar,” says Villanti, pointing to her love of easy, draped silhouettes and lightweight poplin fabrics.Chava Studio’s founder, Olivia VillantiFabric swatchesChava Studio now has clients across the US and Villanti is starting to work on unisex pieces, with plans to turn its showroom in Mexico City into a retail space. “Having a shirt made for a man is a coming-of-age story,” she says. “I wanted to take this experience and feminise it but do it in a way that’s unfussy. That word embodies what we’re trying to do.”chavastudio.com23.High flierMKDT Studio, DenmarkCopenhagen-based label MKTD Studio, founded by Chinese-Danish designer Mark Kenly Domino Tan, is known by its admirers for its sharp tailoring and flair for classic designs. It has begun a new chapter under its creative director, Caroline Engelgaar, expanding into menswear and setting global ambitions. “We want to offer a long-lasting wardrobe for both men and women,” she tells Monocle. “Our customers collect our pieces in the same way that they collect furniture.” She took inspiration from legendary American pilot Amelia Earhart for her latest collection, which features classic aviator jackets, trench coats and loose tailoring. “The range has a retro feel,” she says, explaining how significant the 1920s were for women’s fashion. “It takes you back in time to when women were coming out of skirts, wearing trousers for the first time and developing a new identity.” We recommend one of the brand’s collarless, light-grey suits for a smart spring look.mkdtstudio.comMKDT Studio24.Men of the clothSpeciale, UKMenswear label Speciale, founded by George Marsh and Bert Hamilton Stubber (both pictured), has brought some Florentine tailoring nous to London’s Portobello Road, home to its studio and flagship shop. Hamilton Stubber leads the retail arm, while Marsh heads up the bespoke business, having trained as an apprentice in Milan and Florence under famed tailor Antonio Liverano.When Monocle stops by, the conversation turns to the intricacies of a suit, from the benefits of half-linings and single darts on jackets to top-stitched seams. “We both feel that in Florence they are making the sort of suits that we like to wear,” says Marsh. “And I like my suits to be properly worn, not left hanging in a cupboard.”The idea was to combine the comfort of traditional denim with the elegant draping of silk. “By introducing silk into denim, Loro Piana aims to redefine the boundaries of denim,” says Alessandra Varianini, the brand’s product development and collection merch director. “It is elevated beyond its casual image to a fabric of exquisite refinement and luxury.” She explains that it can take up to a day to produce a mere 50 metres of denim silk, given the complexities involved.

Robert Miller · Fashion 2026-02-03 22:13:09

Pitti Uomo: 97th edition

The year is young but the menswear industry has already wrapped up one of its key events: the autumn/winter edition of Pitti Uomo. The menswear tradeshow, which took place this week in a crisp yet sunny Florence, is now in its 31st year and continues to occupy a unique place in the fashion world: it is by far the biggest and most impressive tradeshow, for men’s or womenswear. Some 30,000 buyers and editors flocked to the hallowed halls of the Fortezza da Basso and attended off-site runway shows by Jil Sander and Stefano Pilati’s young label Random Identities. Although official figures have yet to be released, according to fair CEO Raffaello Napoleone, this season there were increased buyer numbers from every nation except Russia and Italy. (The Italian market continues its decline when it comes to internal consumption of clothing.) Here are our Top 15 picks from the fair: these items will hit shops from August but now’s as good a time as any to start making your winter wishlist.

Jennifer Miller · Fashion 2026-01-28 22:09:47

Hul le Kes proves that small-city manufacturing can be the right choice

Historically, the city of Arnhem was known as an industrial centre and a focal point for Dutch-German grain trading. But more recently the city, in the east of the Netherlands, has blossomed into a creative hub – a development triggered by the opening of the ArtEZ academy in the early 2000s, which offers courses in fashion design, dance and fine art, alongside a host of other creative disciplines. A number of homegrown labels and boutiques, such as Judith ter Haar’s Jones, have helped build this reputation even further. Co-founders Sebastiaan Kramer (on left) and Sjaak HullekesFor designers and ArtEZ alumni Sjaak Hullekes and Sebastiaan Kramer (who follow in the footsteps of other famous ArtEZ graduates, such as couturiers Iris van Herpen, Viktor Horsting and Rolf Snoeren), the city’s compact size and sense of community offer an opportunity to return to traditional ways of making clothes and building a fashion brand. In their world, a customer can easily drop by the atelier to ask for an alteration or a repair and know the makers by name. Linens are often sourced from French flea marketsHullekes and Kramer, who were disillusioned with the fashion industry’s waste footprint, founded their label, Hul le Kes, in 2018 with the goal of returning to the basics. Working in a small workshop in the Van Oldenbarneveldtstraat area next to the Rhine, the duo is committed to producing every piece that they design within their atelier’s four walls. More than 90 per cent of the materials that pass through the workshop are recycled and given a new lease of life.What we would buy:The Cremer jacket:Crafted entirely from upcycled vintage woollen blankets sourced from donations in the Netherlands.The Abramovic jumper:This oversized garment made using recycled cotton from an interiors company was inspired by the raw edges often found the work of Serbian artist Marina Abramovic.The Rodin shirt:A modern silhouette created from deadstock linen pays homage to the iconic Parisian sculptor.Inside the workshop, sewing machines hum with activity as the Hul le Kes team of 50 tailors, pattern makers and apprentices painstakingly sew, stitch and steam natural or recycled fabrics. “We wanted to get back to the knowledge of manufacturing that is almost non-existent in the Netherlands,” says Kramer. “Arnhem doesn’t traditionally have a strong textiles know-how. The city is known for its fashion and design prowess but not for manufacturing – that tends to happen in India and China. This is the craft that we are trying to renew.” Streamlined production allows Hullekes and Kramer to see the process through from start to finish, meaning that their craft is evident in every small design detail, from the hand-crocheted edges on the pockets of parkas to the loose cuts of their trousers, a nod to old sailor uniforms. “The Hul le Kes style is informed by an antiquarian aesthetic, reminiscent of the old-money style of dressing, but reimagined for the contemporary wearer who seeks practicality,” says Kramer.“The city is known for its fashion and design prowess but not for manufacturing. This is the craft that we are trying to renew”The names of the garments pay homage to the likes of Dutch author Jan Cremer, US painter Jackson Pollock and French philosopher Simone de Beauvoir – a testament to the designers’ penchant for honouring the past. In the same vein, antique markets are the perfect hunting ground for the duo, who are always scouring French flea markets to find old linens (which often come embroidered with family initials), unwanted tablecloths, blankets and deadstock from the fashion industry, which is most often discarded because of minor defects. Arnhem’s recycling initiatives and The Salvation Army also donate unwanted materials to the brand, as do the locals. As the reputation of the label has grown, Arnhem’s residents now make sure to save yarns from old pieces of clothing and make regular stops at the Hul le Kes atelier to drop them off.Hul le Kes showroom is in a former ironmonger’sPieces nod to the duo’s penchant for artThe dyeing processOnce the recycled materials are secured, a natural dyeing process follows, using onion peel, avocado skins, rust and walnuts collected from forests and restaurant kitchens, giving each piece its own identity. It’s a lengthy undertaking – the studio only manages to produce some 150 pieces a month – but they’re in no rush because the Hul le Kes ethos doesn’t revolve around trends. Instead, collections are painstakingly developed with both the previous owners of the materials and the brand’s future consumers in mind. “Knowing where your clothes have come from is an important part of the recycling procedure,” says Kramer. Each piece comes with its own passport, documenting its place of origin, the date it was completed and the origins of the fabric. Once ready, pieces make their way to the brand’s flagship boutique, which opened last summer. Located in a former ironmonger’s within walking distance of the atelier, the airy boutique also has an events space, where the brand’s creative clientele – a mix of film producers, architects, graphic designers and gallery owners – get together to host panel discussions, see exhibitions or celebrate their own milestones. Opening up their space to others is part of having a “regenerative mindset”, say the duo, so they make sure that part of the shop is always available for clients to hire.Though Hul le Kes is slowly building up its business – it participated at Florence’s Pitti Immagine Uomo this January – it only plans to work with a handful of retailers who share the same passion for craft and artisanal manufacturing methods. “We like to compare ourselves to a family business where you know people personally,” says Kramer. “We don’t want to lose the sense of where Hul le Kes started.” In many ways, the brand has gone back in time by running a business that is so intricately connected with its local community and with slow, handmade production. It is a bold statement that is also decidedly modern.hullekes.com

Sarah Brown · Fashion 2026-01-31 01:21:41

Jil Sander is bringing its modern, understated aesthetic to London

The house of Jil Sander operates in a world of its own, divorced from trends, the fashion industry’s rigorous schedules and expectations for seasonal renewal. Not that it ever really sought to be part of the collective. When founder Heidemarie Jiline Sander presented her first womenswear collection in 1973 in Hamburg, she wanted to address professional women like herself with pared-back, modernist designs: the smartest wool trousers, the most elegant outerwear and the sharpest white shirts. Her debut collection instantly sold out and, soon after, women the world over couldn’t imagine buying wardrobe staples anywhere else.In the 1980s, Sander decamped to Milan, finding ways to participate in the city’s fashion week on her own terms: her shows were always early morning affairs, her models were fresh-faced and dressed in pared-back looks that could be taken straight from the runway to the streets. She disregarded editors’ preference for late-night events, supermodel appearances and loud design, even if it meant that she rarely made front-page news. She was more interested in making clothes that enhanced the day-to-day lives of men and women – and did just that throughout the 1980s and 1990s, often referred to as the brand’s heyday.The pair favour simplicity in designThe 2000s were less stable, as Sander stepped down as creative director (she returned briefly in 2003 and 2012). The business changed many hands: from the Prada Group to private-equity firm Change Capital Partners, then Japan’s Onward Holdings Co and finally the current owner, OTB Group. Under OTB, the brand has reclaimed its individualist spirit and, along the way, regained cultural relevance and legions of new, loyal customers. This is thanks to Luke and Lucie Meier, who took over as co-creative directors in 2017. The husband-and-wife team didn’t set out to revive Jil Sander by following the usual branding playbook, often requiring a new logo, a highly publicised ad campaign and drastic change in design direction. They chose to focus on looser interpretations of Sander’s original independent spirit and sense of pragmatism, building a design language of their own – one that is based on intuition, the imagery they are drawn to, the architecture that inspires them and the conversations that they have with each other. “Lucie is always right,” says Luke, jokingly.The designers stress that they don’t believe in hierarchies. In their studio in Milan, there’s always an open dialogue and they encourage everyone to add their own perspective to the briefs they set at the beginning of each season. “Interestingly, we usually arrive exactly where we set off at the beginning but it’s also important to leave the door open for the unexpected and allow a lot of meandering along the way,” says Luke, who applies the same attitude to his own life and career. Born in Canada, he moved from his home in Vancouver to study finance in Washington and business policy at Oxford University, before studying fashion at New York’s Fashion Institute of Technology and Florence’s Polimoda. He became Supreme’s head designer after a chance meeting with its founder, James Jebbia, and went on to co-found the streetwear label OAMC. Lucie, who spent her early years in the Swiss village of Zermatt, followed a more traditional path into the industry, studying fashion marketing at Polimoda (where the two met) and going on to work for some of the most established houses in Paris, including Louis Vuitton and Dior.Spring 2024 designsTheir experience stretches from rarefied haute couture to mainstream streetwear design, from the offices of dynamic New York start-ups to the ateliers of Paris’s most storied houses and from quaint, countryside living to life in urban, fast-paced fashion capitals. But the couple refuse to attach themselves, or Jil Sander, to any labels, instead bringing the full breadth of their identities and rich backgrounds into their work. “You could say that we’re Canadian and Swiss but we moved around so much in our formative years, it doesn’t feel like we’re from one single place,” says Lucie. “Our studio is the same. It’s fully international and everyone brings their own experiences and points of view.” At a time when brands are doubling down on national identity, the Meiers are going against the grain. “That’s an asset, right?” says Luke.“Minimalist” is another label that the pair are eager to shed from the Jil Sander brand. Despite their affinity for neutral colour palettes and timeless silhouettes, including plenty of tailoring, they believe that “minimalism is old and boring”, and opt for simplicity or purity instead. “Even if you do something very bold, the approach can still be simple,” says Lucie, while Luke nods in agreement. “Pure or simple doesn’t mean boring, while minimalism can veer towards it,” he says. “You can have something fully embroidered or something in colour but it’s still a pure version of that design. There’s a bit more energy in this approach.”Accessories in the new boutiqueThis is why they always make a point to sprinkle playful details into their collections. Their autumn/winter 2023 range incorporated splashes of pastels, checkerboard patterns and 1990s-inspired colour-block leather, which took everyone by surprise. “The 1990s were a formative time for us, from the music to the cultural exchange that was happening,” says Luke, who is dressed in a pair of black-and-white leather trousers from the collection. “It felt inspiring and positive. I was studying at Oxford, I lived in New York for a while and felt that there was this open dialogue around the world, while now it seems like things are getting more insular and people want to close borders.” For Lucie, who is dressed in the kind of elegant black-and-white tailoring you would more easily associate with Jil Sander, the element of surprise remains important. “People might already expect something when they come to our shows or our shops but we need to exceed those expectations.”That was also the thinking behind Jil Sander’s new retail concept, formally introduced on London’s Bond Street this year. The aim was to surprise customers by marrying the purist design that the brand is known for with something warmer. “It’s easy to make something simple,” says Luke. “But to do something that’s simple but also has personality, soul and a warm energy is actually very difficult.” “It comes down to considering everything from colour to materials, and the small details such as the curves on the shelving. It all comes together to create this intimacy.”Indeed, the new space feels like a breath of fresh air on Bond Street, where new openings have become less frequent of late. At the door, smiling staff in crisp white shirts set the tone, while inside, the sense of warmth that the Meiers were aiming for is immediately felt through the use of raw travertine, brass poles that create more private, intimate sections and subtle touches of colour, like the pair of silver-blue benches, created using recycled CDs. There’s enough product on display to encourage browsing – a refreshing change from current design trends where shop floors are sparse and boutiques resemble museums. “The idea of slick, quite intimidating spaces is in the past,” says Luke. “There needs to be an element of discovery and you should feel like you’re having a unique experience. The sounds, the interaction with people, need to be at a very high level. This isn’t just a place where you come and pick something up; it’s a place to experience.”Travertine and marble is used throughout the new London shopBench made using recycled CDsDespite the ephemeral nature of fashion, the Meiers apply this long-term thinking to all their projects, whether retail design, their seasonal collections or their ongoing print project, Jil Sander Publishing. Their latest volume,Manchester, was made in collaboration with UK photographer Chris Rhodes, whose portraits of musicians and DJs, such as Jeff Mills, reflect the designers’ fascination with the 1990s. “We don’t like loud, online [communication],” says Luke. “With print there’s a curatorial element: every page deliberately follows the next rather than having a series of hyperlinks that send you into a labyrinth,” says Luke. “Having the perspective of someone like Jeff Mills about the late 1990s was so interesting because there are so many parallels with what’s going on today. Technology was becoming part of people’s daily lives and there was more information exchange – the difference was that there was more optimism back then. We want to encourage people to think a little bit more like that again, instead of seeing darkness everywhere and thinking that artificial intelligence will destroy the world.”At a time of global uncertainty, using creativity to inject a dash of optimism into the world is what the Meiers are ultimately hoping to achieve. “We’re not naive enough to think that what we’re doing is saving the world in any way,” says Luke. “But if we can inspire someone, work with great artisans who care about what they’re doing, that’s really important. In the end, it’s about good materials, good people, good design and a rigorous thought process – that’s our medium for commenting on the world.”jilsander.com

Michael Williams · Fashion 2026-02-13 02:35:45

Spring into action with brand new styles

jacket and trousers byGiorgio Armani, jumper byZanonefromSlowear, shoes byJohn Lobb, scarf byCanalisunglasses byLa Paz3Alf, Seamaster Aqua Terra 150m watch byOmega, bag by Rue deVerneuilJacket and trousers by Hermès, shirt by Massimo Alba, glasses by Oliver Peoples, pen by ST Dupont,Bag by Louis Vuitton, Tank Française watch and Trinity ring by Cartier, glasses case with lanyard by Valextraovershirt byAndWander, t-shirt byCorneliani, trousers bySnow Peak, backpack byPrada Re-Nylonjacket byLa Paz, jumper byBrioni, trousers byAltea, socks byRototo, shoes byHeschung, bag byCanalijacket byMoncler Grenoble, gilet byDe Bonne Facture,jumper byGoldwin 0, trousers bySnow Peak, backpack byAndWanderjacket and trousers byHerno Laminar, jacket byTod’s, t-shirt byCorneliani, bag byA Kind of Guisecoat and t-shirt byBaracuta, jacket byLoro Piana, jeans by ResolutefromTrunk, shoes byParaboot, hat byLa Paz, dog leash, dog pouch and dog collar byHermèscoat byMackintosh, jumper, trousers and bag byGucci, trainers byCQPJacket and cap by Applied Art Forms, sweatshirt by La Paz, T-shirt by BaracutaTrousers by Snow Peak, socks by The Workers Club, sandals by Birkenstock 1774, bag by Rue de Verneuilgilet byMackintosh, apron and garden gloves byNiwaki, shirt byLoro Piana, t-shirt byBaracuta, trousers by Arpenteur, trainers byMoonstar, beanie by Colorful Standardjacket byBoglioliforTrunk, shirt byLouis Vuitton, trousers byIncotexfromSlowear, tie byBigi Cravatte MilanofromTrunkGrooming: Sam BashamModel: Alexis Petit

Robert Davis · Fashion 2026-02-23 12:44:12

Tour accessories label Cinabre’s Paris guest apartments

In Paris’s Cité Bergère, a small and thoroughly charming pocket of the 9th arrondissement, is French brand Cinabre’s treasure trove of handmade silk ties, lapel pins, slippers and dressing gowns, showcased among vintage cocktail shakers, vinyl records, antique furniture and framed drawings. In the entrance is a marquee with blue and white stripes, and bright-red piping, which gives way to a reception area, complete with a concierge’s desk. At the back, a honey-hued, wood-panelled space houses drawers that are brimming with silk “Made in France” wonders. Look closer and you might see an embroidered image of French former footballer Zinedine Zidane on a tie.Cinabre is opulent and a little irreverent, excessive without being overwhelming. It’s high and low. “If you’re a purveyor of bow ties and dressing gowns in the 21st century, you can’t take yourself too seriously,” Alexandre Chapellier, the French-Swedish founder of Cinabre, tells MONOCLE. “I like to modernise what are considered more serious, traditional accessories – and do it with panache.”Alexandre ChapellierTake a seatHandmade tiesIndoor marqueeWhat began in 2011 as a passion project soon gained traction when one of the label’s first clients, Karl Lagerfeld, picked out Cinabre items at the now-shuttered multi-brand shop Colette. The label gained more visibility when it was added to the rails of Parisian department stores Le Bon Marché, Neiman Marcus in the US and Isetan in Japan. US musician and producer Pharrell Williams, who is currently the creative director of Louis Vuitton menswear, was then photographed wearing a textile Cinabre boutonniere fastened to his suit’s lapel.Then the label reached another milestone: in 2016 it was given the opportunity to provide a young politician called Emmanuel Macron with a tie. After winning the presidential election the following year, Macron chose Cinabre as his official purveyor of silk ties. “I thought that it was a friend of mine pranking me when I got that call,” says Chapellier. “For a small, ‘Made in France’ artisanal brand such as mine, it’s the equivalent of a presidential warrant. We went to the Élysée Palace to present our products and since then we have worked with ministers and the French delegation to the UN.” Today the president’s bailiffs, orhuissiers, can be seen in the background of the Élysée sporting Cinabre bow ties handmade from Swiss cotton.“For our small atelier in the Loir-et-Cher department, two hours outside Paris in the French countryside, it’s a huge source of pride,” says Chapellier. “We have third-generation artisans passing down their savoir-faire and the craft of making a tie, which is an extremely technical skill.” Every tie is hand-cut and made using the highest-quality Italian fabric. “We want to bring back a sense of generosity in our products. What’s nice about working with old-school accessories such as bow ties is that people are often purchasing them for an occasion, such as a black-tie wedding or birthday. We’re specialists in items that are no longer obligatory. It’s a choice to wear a bow tie today.”Muted coloursStriped coloursLoud textiles and louder speakersHästens beddingVintage piecesParisian eleganceLast November, Chapellier opened Les Suites Cinabre: two guest apartments above the shop. The brand worked with Paris-based firm Necchi Architecture to create rooms that are a natural extension of the Cinabre brand, with plenty of character, colour and charm. There, visitors are offered the opportunity to embrace the lifestyle of a Cinabre gentleman, complete with velvet-lined slippers. “We wanted to shake up the straightforward retail model,” says Chapellier. “Today a shop needs to offer more than just a product. We wanted to go a level above.” In the coming months, the company will launch a range of perfumes candles, as well as a foray into ready-to-wear with a line of shirts, jackets and trousers. If it’s fit for a president…cinabre-paris.com

Emily Miller · Fashion 2026-02-06 13:36:07

What is the essence of modern luxury today?

The ExpertAlexandra CarlStylist and creative consultantWhile auction houses have long valued the importance of paintings, cars and watches, they’ve only turned their eye to fashion in recent years. “Collecting fashion is a relatively recent phenomenon,” says the Danish, London-based stylist and creative consultant Alexandra Carl. “But that is changing. Now, when you look at catalogues from Christie’s and Sotheby’s, clothes are almost on the same level as art and antiques.”Alexandra Carl, Stylist and creative consultantCarl’s new book,Collecting Fashion: Nostalgia, Passion, Obsession,surveys the wardrobes of the people who pioneered this practice, from French fashion designer Michèle Lamy’s extensive Comme des Garçons archive to Berlin showroom Endyma’s Helmut Lang collection. Carl, who has worked with photographers such as Viviane Sassen and Juergen Teller, spent three years travelling around the world to go inside the archives of the most prolific fashion collectors, including the late Azzedine Alaïa, Chanel sound director Michel Gaubert and Carla Sozzani, founder of Milanese retailer 10 Corso Como. Each collection is filled with stories of “the liaison between past and present, history and the moment, affection and consumption,” according to Italian writer Angelo Flaccavento, who contributed to the book, alongside professor and art advisor Dimitrios Tsivrikos, a specialist in consumer psychology. Together with Carl, they sought to shed light on why and how people buy and keep clothes, as well as our relationship with consumption.Ahead of the publication of her book, Carl sits down with Monocle to talk about her own interest in collecting, her visit to Zaha Hadid’s shoe archive and the process of researching her book and discovering what drives people to fall in love with clothing. When did you first become interested in collecting and in people who collect?I grew up with a mum who was a collector. Though she wasn’t collecting fashion per se, she had an interest in clothes and liked buying to invest and keep. As a child, I got to wear her clothes and her influence – along with that of my grandmother, who taught me how to make clothes – is probably where this all comes from.You are a stylist and creative consultant. Has your job shaped your understanding of collecting?I do meet amazing people who collect and have archives that I use for research when I work with fashion brands. It’s fascinating seeing their relationships with the items they own because it’s so contrary to the ways in which younger generations [treat clothing]. Nowadays, people buy things for exposure and wait 90 minutes for delivery. Everything is so readily available so you miss out on that element of desire – brands don’t really inspire that in you any more. The people I met [for the book] are interested in building relationships with brands; they are more interested in the hunt. They could wait two years, maybe three, for something. They don’t have this sense of immediate urgency.Who in particular comes to mind?Adrian Appiolaza, who is now the creative director of Moschino, was my first introduction to the phenomenon of owning many clothes and not necessarily needing to show them off. People like Appiolaza might only wear  the items they collect a few times but they’re happy to take a bank loan to acquire them or wait two years for a certain piece to be shipped in a special crate from Japan. I’m interested in individuals whose parents didn’t have access to collecting but who developed an emotional attachment to it. And it’s not about status – it’s not like they’re showing off items like Birkin bags. It’s more about dreaming of something [for a long time].How did you go about researching the book? It was commissioned just before the pandemic so I spent most of lockdown researching, even though I was also pregnant at the time. It wasn’t exactly easy getting access to homes so I spent a lot of time reaching out to people. Then we spent eight months or so travelling around. It got easier at some point as we got to meet people who knew collectors and could help out.Did any collections stick with you long after you finished researching the book?Zaha Hadid’s shoe collection was probably the wildest. Apparently there were 5,000 pairs in there but because the archive has not yet been catalogued, that number could be higher. We couldn’t even figure out what brand some of them were: we sent them to Prada and they didn’t know either so I suspect that Miuccia [Prada] had designed some items especially for her. It was very emotional stepping into someone’s life and thinking about what people leave behind.The ModernisersJoël Sraer and François-Cyrille de RendingerCEO and president, APCJoël Sraer and François-Cyrille de Rendinger, CEO and president, APCDid the experience shed any light on the psychology of why people collect? Nowadays a lot of clothes don’t make people feel anything because they don’t have a history. When people have an emotional connection to a piece of clothing and they pass it down, you feel something because [the previous owner] lived a life in it.When Jean Touitou founded French ready-to-wear label Atelier de Production et de Création (APC) in the late 1980s, the irony was that its pragmatic, understated aesthetic was considered somewhat rebellious. In an age of excess, APC was – and continues to be – a simple offering. At the heart of the label are everyday items, free from excess decoration: Japanese selvedge denim, workwear jackets and perfect cotton sweaters. For the past 37 years, APC has never veered too far from these design classics. The Paris-based brand was family-owned until 2018 when outside investor Vesper Investissement bought a minority share, helping the business to send its annual revenues above the €100m mark. Now, Touitou is aiming even higher. It’s why, last year, he sold a majority stake in his business to L Catterton, the private equity firm backed by LVMH (it also has investments in global labels such as Birkenstock and Tod’s), while he and his wife, art director Judith Touitou, are staying on.The ambition is to triple the brand’s revenues with more concerted marketing efforts and new category launches, ranging as far as limited-edition Cornishware, sunglasses and a much-anticipated beauty line called Self-Care, which consists of what Touitou calls “the best possible” cologne, bath and body-care products. “Still, this isn’t going to be a revolution – it’s an evolution,” says François-Cyrille de Rendinger, APC’s president. De Rendinger is among a number of seasoned APC executives who are staying to steer the brand in its next phase of growth, alongside CEO Joël Sraer. In a joint conversation from their Paris offices, Sraer and De Rendinger tell Monocle about their ambitions to grow APC, which is currently sold in 70 countries, into a fully fledged lifestyle brand – and how they plan to do it all without compromising the brand’s distinctly Parisian DNA. Now that APC has a new external partner, what changes have you implemented?François-Cyrille De Rendinger: People have been asking us, “What happened?” But it was a natural process after the pandemic. Jean [Touitou] is in his seventies and he wanted more time to himself. We started to meet private-equity funds and it was very important that whoever bought into APC would share the company’s values. L Catterton understood the three most important elements: the branding, the products and the team’s collective vision. It was quite an easy business plan because APC is a simple company – there’s no ego or politics. Joël Sraer: We plan to spearhead our expansion plans by cautiously finding the right balance between our wholesale and retail businesses. This year we will open four shops: one in London, one in Madrid and two in Stockholm. The company has tripled in size over the past 10 years but there’s still the spirit of the old days. APC’s public image has always been low-key. Have you had to rethink your communications?JS: In the past, the word “marketing” was forbidden at APC. But as the company grows, we understand that there’s a need to adapt so we launched our first marketing department last year. As we get bigger, there needs to be a stronger message about our products and what we stand for as a company. FDR: There has always been a mystery surrounding APC but we do recognise that it’s necessary for people to better understand what the brand represents. The social media landscape is very crowded and when it’s so noisy, we have to ask ourselves, “How can the customer discover APC?” That’s one of our challenges for the coming year: to communicate the brand’s identity without being too explicit. APC has a history of unexpected creative partnerships. How do you pick your collaborators?JS: We release four collections a year and maintain a permanent offering of items that are never discontinued, such as raw denim. On top of this, we generally have three or four “interactions” per year. They are the equivalent of a collaboration but with a more personal approach. They include partnerships with artists across the board, from musicians, designers, actors and photographers to stylists. It keeps things fresh. We’ve also been running a 14-year project with designer Jessica Ogden, who creates one-off patchwork quilts from excess fabric stock. Next, we’re collaborating with [former Chloé creative director] Natacha Ramsay-Levi.Environmental and social impact has been a priority since the brand’s inception. What initiatives are you working on now?FDR: The most challenging one is the reduction of carbon emissions. We’ve just concluded a partnership with Carbonfact, a French start-up that specialises in the fashion sector, which helped us hone our understanding of emissions at every stage of the production chain. Since 2020, APC has also provided financial sponsorship to a programme at Paris’s Sciences Po university that promotes the representation of students from underprivileged backgrounds. Members of the APC team, including myself, engage with students from the programme via a series of mentorships.What is your approach to launching new categories?JS: Last year we designed a Cornishware teapot with Jonathan Anderson [creative director at Loewe and JW Anderson] and we launched APC Self-Care with six core products. Everything is made in France and developed in-house. Next, we’re releasing a collection of sunglasses. That’s the fun part: APC has the capacity to be in almost every field; it’s becoming a lifestyle brand. We’ll never get bored of the possibilities.apcshop.comThe Brand RebootBenjamin ComarCEO, PiagetBenjamin Comar, CEO, PiagetSince becoming CEO of Piaget in 2021, all eyes have been on Benjamin Comar and his ambitious plans to restore the company to its former glory. Founded in the small Swiss village of La Côte-aux-Fées, the company was primarily a movement-maker until a turning point in 1957 when Piaget developed the ultra-thin 9P hand-wound mechanical movement. The 2mm-thick calibre revolutionised watchmaking and Piaget started setting its slim movements into daring watches and jewellery, becoming the go-to maison for the jet set of the Swinging Sixties: Miles Davis, Ursula Andress, Andy Warhol and Salvador Dalí were all fans.In more recent times, however, Piaget has notably underperformed its fellow Richemont-owned watch brands, such as Vacheron Constantin and A Lange&Söhne. According to latest report by Morgan Stanley and consultancy LuxeConsult, Piaget’s turnover is 2023 was CHF278m (€290m), which represented 3.8 per cent of sales at the group (and an implied market share of 0.7 per cent). A seasoned luxury executive, Comar is well-placed to revive the brand. The native Parisian started his career at Cartier Japan and Paris in the early 1990s, eventually rising to head of product marketing. After two years in London as deputy CEO of Dunhill, another Richemont-owned brand, he left the group for Chanel. A 12-year tenure as head of watches and jewellery saw Comar build the fashion brand’s presence in the watch and jewellery space, earning watchmaking legitimacy with successful new launches, such as the Monsieur, Chanel’s first timepiece for men. Following a stint as CEO of the LVMH-owned Repossi, Comar returned to Richemont. He has been galvanising Piaget with a specific focus on creativity – bold designs that bring together the brand’s expertise in both jewellery and watchmaking – and craftsmanship. “Creativity without craft doesn’t mean anything for me in luxury,” says Comar, who has already started attracting the attention of collectors. A new range of jewellery and cuff watches inspired by archival 1969 designs, as well as the brand’s latest high jewellery collection, sold out last year. The industry is equally seduced: in November, Piaget picked up two wins at the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève watchmaking awards – the only house to take home two gongs – in the ladies and artistic craft categories. Monocle caught up with Comar in Gstaad, where Piaget was launching the new Polo 79, a reissue of one of its most emblematic watches.You’re no stranger to reviving heritage brands. How is Piaget different? I learnt a lot at Cartier and Chanel. When it came to Piaget, I was drawn to the brand’s trajectory. It started as a very traditional movement supplier, known for being very rigorous with craftsmanship. It [was expected] to focus on traditional watchmaking but went the other way – towards creativity. When I joined Piaget, I spoke to the family and asked, “What happened to you guys?” They said that they didn’t want to be another watch brand; they wanted to do things that had never been done before. Piaget had collaborations before [they became mainstream] with the likes of Salvador Dalí. I’m fascinated by how this family, from a small village, made something that was creative, bold and audacious. What does Piaget’s 150th anniversary represent?It’s more of a kick-off, a starting point to show what Piaget is about. Not in a nostalgic way but in a forward-looking way. I always want to do more, go faster – but luxury is tradition, it takes time and we’re very happy about that. We’ve set the base for what we want to do and now we have to go and seduce our customers.Why did you choose to launch the Polo 79 now?Piaget is about paradoxes. The Polo 79 is a sports watch but very dressy at the same time; it’s a day watch but works well for evening; it’s a piece of jewellery but also a watch. It’s also a visible yet chic design – a result of our commitment to the traditions of watchmaking and the rigours of alpine culture. Rather than watchmaking’s technical features, there is a strong emphasis on image at Piaget. Why is image so important?You invest a lot when you buy a luxury piece – both money but also spirit, whether that’s love, power or another emotion. It’s about an image you want to show the world or express to yourself. The product has to be exquisite but it is also about the spirit that it represents. You’re buying an experience, a dream, a reward. It’s an emotional purchase more than a technical one. The technique is at the service of the emotion.The Polo 79 is an all-gold watch, reflecting Piaget’s broader focus on high-end, meticulously crafted designs. In a world of growing economic uncertainty, why do you think these pieces still resonate so profoundly?Luxury is steeped in tradition and craftsmanship – it has long been about the same techniques, which is reassuring in a world that’s increasingly virtual. Luxury has its roots in tradition and can act as a go-between, balancing traditional craft and innovation. I recently saw the launch of the Apple Vision Pro glasses, which was great, but at the same time you still need a traditional watch. Do you see Piaget becoming a global brand?We want to grow but we want to grow in our world. We are not a fashion brand and will never be. The values carried by Piaget are strong: this is a true connoisseur’s brand but there are more and more connoisseurs out there. People are getting more interested in luxury and what it represents: life, enjoyment, tradition. We can speak to all those needs.piaget.com

Jane Miller · Fashion 2026-01-28 23:37:09