Monocle on Design

Our recap of the Monocle Quality of Life Conference in Istanbul. We meet Maltese architect Richard England, and talk to the founders of fashion label Nackiyé and design studio Autoban. Plus: the creative force behind Hungarian brand Nanushka. 

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Monocle’s Stella Roos reflects on the stylistic choices found on the road signs that pepper Europe’s highways.

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We visit Northern Italy, stopping first in Murano to learn about the island’s glass production today, then across to Lombardy to reflect on the outstanding works on show at the Lake Como Design Festival. Plus, what are the challenges of designing bespoke interiors fit for the sky? We meet the founder of a luxury brand, Unique Aircraft.

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The world leading auction house has opened its new Asia-Pacific flagship space in Hong Kong. Monocle’s Asia editor, James Chambers, takes a tour with its interior designer, Betty Ng.

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Architect and author, Nick Newman, explains the connection between the built environment and activism in his new title. Plus, design writer Katie Treggiden discusses the makers that are paving the way when it comes to crafting consciously. 

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Monocle’s Alexei Korolyov reports from the 18th edition of Vienna Design Week. 

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The Monocle team rounds up highlights from this year’s edition. Expect Design Innovation Medal winner Natsai Audrey Chieza, the landmark pavilion ‘Vert’ and a visit to Kindred record store. 

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At the temporary pavilion in London’s Olympia we meet woodworker and designer Rio Kobayashi, along with structural engineer Steve Webb, to discuss their collaborative project.

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Since 1881, Iittala has been a pioneering force in artistic and artisanal glassmaking. It’s a legacy the Finnish heritage brand is continuing under the creative direction of Janni Vepsäläinen. In this special episode of ‘Monocle on Design’, we unpack the brand’s workmanship and look at how it bridges the gap between its history and today. 

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Highlights from London Fashion Week and a report from the Habitare trade fair in Finland.

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The annual Open House London architectural festival opens its doors this Saturday 14 September. Rayan Elnayal and Heba Tabidi of design studio Space Black discuss their guest-curated third spaces at this year’s edition.  

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Interviews from the recent Maison et Objet trade fair and Paris Design Week. 

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Network of Design CEO Therese Hillman discusses the advantages of building a community of design brands.

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We leaf through the pages of the magazine’s latest mobility special, including our dream for the perfect train – all aboard the Monocle Express. Plus: we meet the international duo behind Milan-based design studio Objects Are By. 

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The pop-up exhibition at the South London Gallery asks designers and artists to reinterpret the traditional birdhouse. Designer and exhibit curator Andu Masebo, along with creative director Ollie Olanipekun, share more about the project. 

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German architect Ole Scheeren joins us in the studio, and we discuss the importance of simplicity and utility in design with London-based studio Industrial Facility. Plus: the last instalment of our summer series. 

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The current exhibition at the Made In Situ studio in Lisbon features a series of handcrafted, ornamental stools. We hear from the gallery founder and designer Noé Duchaufour-Lawrance.

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UK-based minimalist architect John Pawson and Eva-Marie Prineas, the founder of Australian firm Studio Prineas, join us in Midori House. Plus, another instalment of our summer series. 

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Gregory Scruggs looks at the design essentials that can elevate camping to a way to connect with the natural world in comfort

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We reflect on Copenhagen Fashion week, continue our summer essentials series and highlight an exhibition that focuses on unusual book-spine design. 

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Genevieve Bennett, head of design at Liberty Interiors, shares the in-house team’s approach to pattern and colour when producing new textile collections.

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We discuss the life and legacy of Italian silversmith and designer Gabriele Devecchi and meet the team at Portuguese wool specialists Burel Factory. Plus: we kick off our series of this summer’s design highlights.

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Finnish summer houses can be overlooked treasure troves, filled with a wealth of classic mid-century designs. Monocle’s Petri Burtsoff reflects on some of his favourite vintage finds.

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Science fiction and design collide at the Vitra Design Museum in this week’s episode. We also discuss Singapore development with correspondent Naomi Xu Elegant, as well as the ideas and legacy of Dutch landscape designer Mien Ruys.

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A collaborative installation by UK brand Toogood and Danish firm Frama was on show during the recent 3 Days of Design festival in Copenhagen. Nic Monisse met the creative team. 

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A new title celebrates a milestone anniversary for Danish lighting firm Louis Poulsen and the Roca London Gallery showcases nature-based design solutions. Plus: we meet a Guatemalan design duo working with artisans to bring traditional craft to contemporary audiences. 

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The Brazilian architect shares why he strives to avoid repetition in his projects and practice architecture without ego.

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We mark the launch of Monocle’s new paperback, ‘Fifty Ideas for Building Better Cities’, by discussing adaptive reuse with Jonathan Tuckey and find out how a Danish supermarket brought art and design to the masses. Plus: two exhibitions bringing contemporary craft to London offices.

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First published more than 50 years ago, Henry Dreyfuss’s ‘Symbol Sourcebook’ remains a key text for graphic designers. Emily Orr, associate curator at New York’s Cooper Hewitt Smithsonian Design Museum, explains why it’s the focus of a new exhibition and how symbols have changed over time.

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What is the role of design museums today? We look at projects exploring what these spaces could be, from architectural competitions to exhibitions seeking to curate a nation’s design culture.

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Since its founding in 1964 by Terence Conran, Habitat has brought contemporary homeware and European flair to UK shoppers. Emma Nelson reports.

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We find out why this international festival in Hyères and Toulon continues to be a boon for young designers. 

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Design Museum Denmark’s new permanent exhibition explores the evolution of furniture design in the Nordic nation in the past century. Monocle’s Michael Booth reports from Copenhagen.

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How do we design for timelessness? And how do we strike a balance between human-centric design features and technical innovation? It’s a topic that V-Zug are unpacking in this special episode of ‘Monocle on Design’ featuring a panel of creatives including David Thulstrup, Josephine Akvama Hoffmeyer and Thomas Ibsen.

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Monocle’s fashion director, Natalie Theodosi, rounds up recent fashion weeks from Florence, Milan and Paris. Plus: we hear from UK tailoring titan Paul Smith. 

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Stina Gam and Enrico Fratesi, co-founders of the Copenhagen-based design studio, GamFratesi discuss their collaboration with Japanese lifestyle brand Koyori and Michael Anastassiades.

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At the Museum of Brands in London, this exhibition considers how refillable, returnable and repurposed packaging has changed over time. Lucrezia Motta reports.

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The Monocle team reflects on Copenhagen’s 3 Days of Design festival. We visit the Danish capital’s showrooms, galleries and exhibitions, where a host of leading designers and brands are presenting their latest and greatest wares. We hear from the likes of Kasper Simonsen, Maria Bruun, Bill Amberg and Paula Day.

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The 18th edition of Design Miami is under way at Basel’s iconic Messeplatz. We meet some of the award-winning exhibitors whose work is on show this week. 

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How do we design for timelessness? And how do we strike a balance between human-centric design features and technical innovation? It's a topic that V-Zug discusses in this special episode of ‘Monocle on Design’ featuring a creative panel of Jay Osgerby, Simone Farresin and Tosin Oshinowo.

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The team meets some of the participants hosting events, walks, exhibitions and open studios across the metropolis. 

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The Milan-based designer shares some of the principles central to his design process. 

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Architect David Rockwell reflects on his 40-year career, during which he has created a sense of drama through design, both on and off stage. We also meet emerging designers turning seafood waste into glassware and fashion. Plus: product-and-furniture designer Tom Fereday shares how the Australian industry continues to flourish. 

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We meet some of the designers participating in the second iteration of the citywide event. 

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How do we design for timelessness? And how do we strike a balance between human-centric design features and technical innovation? It’s a topic that V-Zug discusses in this special episode of ‘Monocle on Design’, featuring a creative panel of Andrea Caputo, Philippe Malouin and Sabine Marcelis.

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A look at some of the stories hitting the newsstands in Monocle’s June issue. We visit a cinema in Switzerland that has undergone a restoration and share interviews with creative giants Samuel Ross and Sabine Marcelis. 

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Monocle’s US Editor, Christopher Lord, shares some highlights from this year’s edition of the design festival. 

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We pay a visit to London’s Victoria & Albert museum, where a new exhibition is dedicated to the architectural style. We also reflect on the work of Sri Lankan practitioner Geoffrey Bawa. 

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We visit the inaugural edition of the public exhibition, which is taking place as part of this year’s London Craft Week.

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How do we design for timelessness? And how do we strike a balance between human-centric design features and technical innovation? It’s a topic that V-Zug discusses in this special episode, which features a creative panel of David Thulstrup, Llisa Demetrios and Rikke Frost.

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The furniture shop and brand Aram celebrates its 60th birthday and we meet Jesse Lee, Design Miami’s newest owner. Plus: we head to Copenhagen where a new exhibition examines the relationship between architecture and the senses.

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How has a plank of wood with four wheels ollied, kick-flipped and carved itself a space in design history? The team considers the humble skateboard’s effect on the industry.

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James Chambers profiles the varied roster of work produced by the Thai practice, which includes architecture, furniture and fabrication. 

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Highlights from this year’s edition of the Monocle Design Awards, celebrating excellence across all disciplines.

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The founder and deputy editor of the Milanese platform discuss what radical design means today, as well as the company’s approach to translating stories from the printed page into physical space.

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In the second edition of our Milan Design Week special, Oki Sato and Sophie Lou Jacobsen join us at our pop-up studio. Plus: we discuss a new title that reproduces the final notebook of architect Louis Kahn and explore an astronomical-inspired work by Benedetta Tagliabue for lighting specialist Artemide. 

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Rodrigo Caula and Enrico Pietra are the co-founders of Nuova, a California-based research and innovation luxury-design practice. At this year’s Milan Design Week, they took over Milanese bistro Via Stampa for their immersive installation emulating 1970s Americana.

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We’re in Italy for Milan Design Week. At our pop-up Monocle Radio studio we meet Giopato & Coombes, Matteo Thun, Yves Béhar and Orior Furniture’s Ciaran McGuigan.

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The sculptural lounge chair fashioned from powder-coated steel and leather has had a revival thanks to French furniture brand Objekto. Stella Roos considers its history – and its designer – Brazilian architect and artist Flávio de Carvalho.

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We meet French interior architect and furniture designer Marion Stora and the founders of multidisciplinary studio Spacon & X to discuss their collaborations with fashion. Plus: The Good Plastic company shares how we might use recycled forms of this much-maligned material.                

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Grace Charlton reflects on a recent trip to Amsterdam – a city often hailed as an oasis, where those on two wheels rule the streets. But does this emphasis on bikes make traversing the metropolis any better for pedestrians?  

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Nic Monisse presents highlights from recent panels held at V-Zug shops in London and Hong Kong. Architects and designers discuss the notion of timelessness and how this informs their practice. 

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Why does timber perform a key role in the country’s economy and how has the raw material shaped the nation’s creativity and furniture-making? Monocle’s Helsinki correspondent, Petri Burtsoff, joins Nic Monisse to discuss.

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We meet Los Angeles-based jeweller Suzanne Kalan and renowned designer Ileana Makri in Athens. We also speak with Fernando Jorge, who shares details about his travelling exhibition with Sotheby’s. 

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An exhibition at the Letterform Archive in San Francisco delves into the improvisational and playful processes of Bay Area printer Jack Stauffacher, who demonstrated the creative potential of the letterpress.

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Glassblower John Pomp and luxury bag designer Marina Raphael join us in the studio. Plus: we meet Maxime d’Angeac, the architect reinterpreting the historic Orient Express.

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Writer Grace Charlton laments why boring redesigns often rob cafés, restaurants and homes of a sense of place.

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We visit a sculptor’s studio in Vermont and meet UK architect and exhibition designer Jayden Ali. Plus: we discuss the benefits of wool and leather with two Canadian brands. 

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We visit the contemporary craft and design fair celebrating its 20th anniversary at Somerset House.

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Maggie’s centres have provided cancer care in uplifting, design-led architectural environments for the past 28 years. We visit the newest site designed by architect Daniel Libeskind. Plus: a new title from the Royal Institute of British Architects profiles practising women architects. Tom Ravenscroft and Monika Parrinder, the book’s co-authors, join Nic Monisse in the studio. 

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The late sculptor and furniture maker Wendell Castle is the focus of an exhibition at the Carpenters Workshop Gallery in London. 

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We meet Glenn Adamson, artistic director of Design Doha, and visit The Eames Archives in California. Plus: a reflection on this year’s Ralph Saltzman Prize.

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This exhibition at the Danish Architecture Center in Copenhagen explores alternatives to building with concrete. Monocle’s Michael Booth meets with Eva Ravnborg, a partner at Henning Larsen, to hear more about how straw and other bio materials can become large-scale building resources of the future.

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As the citywide event celebrates its 40th anniversary, British Fashion Council CEO Caroline Rush reflects on its growth and importance. Then: designer Emilia Wickstead talks us through her work, which is inspired by the street photography of mid-century New York, and plans to design uniforms for Air New Zealand. Plus: we share some of our highlights from the runways this week. 

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The institution’s buildings have been built by some of the world’s best-known architects. Monocle’s Tomos Lewis tours the site with university architect Rod Lenhertz.

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In the final instalment of Monocle on Design’s partnership with Copenhagen International Fashion Fair (CIFF), we broadcast from the heart of its 62nd edition in our pop-up studio. To assess the growing strength of Copenhagen as a fashion capital, we wrap our series with CIFF with a packed line-up, including Bruce Pask, senior editorial director at Neiman Marcus Group; Celine Aagaard, founder, CEO and creative director of Envelope1976; and Rebekka Bay, creative director at Marimekko.

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Multidisciplinary designer Bethan Laura Wood shares her contribution to the National Gallery of Victoria Triennial. Plus: we visit a net-zero fire station in Canada and meet architect Mario Cucinella. 

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The Japanese camping brand showcases the electrochemical process of anodising at Copenhagen International Fashion Fair. 

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We report from Copenhagen International Fashion Fair and meet brands such as Soulland and By Malene Birger.

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We meet the founder of Canadian scarf brand Life Liveth in Me at the Copenhagen International Fashion Fair.

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