Porta' Eyes...Our 2010 The Leaders

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Tyler Brûlé
—editor-in-chief of Monocle magazine

Lifestyle magazine Monocle have confirmed they will venture into the world of television later this year launching a half hour TV show on BBC. Hosted by Monocle’s editor-in-chief and founder, Tyler Brûlé, the weekly show will focus on subjects such as “emerging geopolitical hotspots, business personalities, pop culture, the arts, fashion and design.”

At the moment, Monocle possesses a strong readership base of about 150,000 and is distributed to around 60 newsstand outlets across the globe. The cosmoplitan title also runs a weekly radio podcast which started in December 2009 and has opened up several themed retail stores around the world. The reason for Monocle’s current popularity could be down to the fact that they generate particularly open-minded editorial and niche up-market content.

Yet, things aren’t so rosy for the magazine world, in the US alone last year, newsstand sales for 472 consumer titles, declined 9.1 percent to 39.3 million, in the UK the top-selling 100 magazines lost 17 percent of their active sales between 2000 and 2009.

That alongside the fact that electronic readers like Amazon’s Kindle and Apple’s iPad have killed off many other titles for good. This may be the reason why Monocle decided to head to TV land, in order to capitalize on other media opportunities for their future.

Other hobby magazines like Power & Motoryacht and Top Gear have tried similar undertakings, with speculative success; but with the BBC on Monocle’s side, this might prove a successful outing for the savvy Tyler Brûlé.

Pic above is of Monocle’s office taken by Wolfiewolf


Wink/Monocle Zürich office

He's an excellent writer, a seasoned traveler, an impeccable dresser - all qualities that are willing to make me forgive what a good friend of mine calls "enthusiasm for himself".

—MAGAZINE

MONOCLE | Design Note

The cover shot is a paper craft medicine cabinet made by Japanese artist Makiko Azakami.
*Porta's Favorite Cover

—SHOP

Monocle Store, 2A George St, Marylebone, W1 London.

Tyler Brûlé’s Monocle magazine gets more and more interesting. The April edition focuses on the state of retail and talks about what drives retail success in these tough times.

Japanese online magazine Defrag got a chance to catch up with Tyler Brûlé, the Editor in Chief of the famed print publication, Monocle. Brûlé was in Tokyo for the launch of its collaboration project with retailer, Tomorrowland, and Defrag shared a quick conversation with the captain of Monocle. The short interview goes over the brief history of Brûlé, and his initial motivation in starting Monocle. Also the interview takes us behind-the-scenes at Wallpaper magazine, which he launched before the Monocle venture. Brûlé is an incredible mind behind print media and it should be of inspiration for those who want to excel in the publications arena.

Check the full short interview on Defrag.

Monocle pop-up shop in-store

—COLLABORATE

—RADIO PODCAST

You can listen to the broadcasts at The Monocle Weekly website or subscribe to the podcast on iTunes.

—NEWSPAPER

Monocle sums the facts on newspapers from the World Association of Newspapers. Some of those facts:
1. There has been an explosion in the number of new titles, and now a record 11,000 daily papers are produced worldwide.
2. Global newspaper circulation is up almost 10 percent over the past five years.
3. Over 550 million people globally buy one every day.
A summary of this package will not give justice to this great series of stories, so try to get yourself a copy of the November issue of Monocle. It is worth every penny of your $10. I bought the magazine in Amsterdam on my way from a week of work in Finland. It was the best reading on the plane that I’ve done in a long time. One of the best quotes I have read in the article was by Jan Paul van der Wijk the chief of design for NRC Next, “News is free, but information is not — we tell people the news but do more with it.”

—TELEVISION

—MEDIA EVENT

Tyler Brûlé from Bakgård on Vimeo.

—STREET PARTY

party organized by Dopplr

A party was held at the Danish Embassy in London to mark the publication of Monocle’s ‘Quality of Life’ issue in June. Tyler Brûlé, editor in chief, announced that Copenhagen had come top of the magazine’s annual list of the world’s most ‘liveable’ cities. The issue’s survey looked at 25 cities, judged for their architecture, culture and cuisine as well as their politics and international connections. Copenhagen celebrated the win by holding a street party in the City Square with free music, entertainment, food and drink.

Last night Monocle hosted a subscriber event in Lamb’s Conduit Street. Readers were able to visit stores who had gone out of their way to make the evening special – complete with special M cupcakes in front of French’s Dairy to food tastings at Kennards which is a high-quality grocer.

Oliver Spencer offered a free monogram service for shirts as people could also purchase back issues of Monocle. Synphonic Records is a new vinyl only record shop and had great music playing while Persephone opened their doors so we can see their inspiring books. Even Vats Wine bar had a Monocle risotto on offer. After everything was over the Monocle team all had tapas and wine in Cigale to end the perfect evening.

(Photo: Roger Deckker)

Tyler Brule is the editor and founder of Monocle (my favorite feature: the 25x25 city guides - quick one pagers on major cities for work and play), after having sold off Wallpaper successfully. And like any global, paper-loving junkies, we're subscribers. In a recent interview with New York Magazine, Mr. Brule explains that they often use up to 9 different kinds of stock of paper in one issue. Hurrah. I love paper. Not in a wasteful way - in a quality, tactile way. I love that in an age when everything is online (including this blog), he went the extra mile to put out a print issue, that is successful when so many other favorite publications have been shut down. The quality could have something to do with the price - unlike many American publications, a yearly subscription is NOT available for $11.99 - that barely covers the cost of an issue, but apparently, enough people feel the way I do since it's one of the only growing subscription bases in periodicals.

Apart from being editor of the magazine, and writing a column called Fast Lane for the Financial Times weekend edition, it's a bit hard to deduce what Mr. Brule actually does. He also founded Winkreative (a firm I'm dying to work for if we're totally honest), but I don't believe he actually works for them anymore. He does seem to constantly be at an airport or hotel making rants against the use of veneer, or opining about where to pick up the latest skin care products in Finland. Perhaps he's one of those people that just can't exist if he's not in perpetual motion.

In scouting around for pictures of Mr. Brule, I began to notice that he looks nearly the same in everyone. Not quite the same, but let's call it variations on a theme. While some might dismiss this as predictable, I chalk it up to an individual knowing what works for them and then honing the skill of dressing so that they're always in appropriate attire. I say, job well done and lookin' good, Mr. Brule.

Tyler Brûlé's
10 RULES ON PACKING

1. There's no such thing as check-in. Carry-on -- always.
2. You can usually carry on one extra bag if you ask nicely -- at least in Europe.
3. Three days, three months: it's all the same when it comes to packing. Hotels have laundry service for a reason.
4. No logos. Discreet is far superior to bling, particularly in less secure destinations.
5. Always pack a collapsible tote for shopping and in-flight material like magazines, toiletry kits, slippers et al.
6. Overlook bags by Porter, Herve Chapelier, Globe-Trotter, Coperto and Valextra at your own peril.
7. Consider the safari jacket (Helmut Lang or Alberto Aspesi); it is an excellent all-round, all-weather garment.
8. Opt for Peter Geeson knitwear in single-ply lamb's-wool; it's multiseasonal.
9. Always ask your laundry service to fold and bag shirts rather than hang them.
10. Dop kits (nylon over leather) are best kept small, as size imposes discipline.

Life holds few bigger turnoffs than a person who doesn't know how to pack. Wheelie suitcase squeaking, laptop slung around the neck, carry-on bouncing off the thigh and brow moist with sweat are a disturbing and deeply unsexy sight. A perfectly balanced passenger -- valise clutched in one hand, gently swinging tote in the other -- not only is wildly attractive but could also well prove to be a potential partner for life. Sadly, such specimens are spotted with about the same frequency as a clean toilet on an airplane.

I'm not smug by nature, but I do dart through the world's major ports comfortable in the knowledge that I'm a member of that top percentile. I'm not classically trained, but 15 years of moderate travel and another 15 of intense globe-trotting have given me a solid foundation in planning and packing for long-term assignments, 48-hour weekends and 10-day beach vacations alike. As a rule, I have little time for articles that tell readers how to pack because, without exception, they miss the most fundamental rule of travel: packing for three days or three weeks is the same basic exercise. Once you've come to terms with the fact that you don't need 10 kinds of suitcases or steamer trunks for long-haul trips (tamers of tigers, magicians and people with the surnames Dion, John and Twain excepted), you will extend your life by a decade. Add to this a well-edited wardrobe, and you can be packed and curbside in less than 10 minutes for travel as diverse as a three-day meeting with investors in Istanbul or two weeks seeing South Korea by rail.

Some years ago, Puma introduced 96 Hours, which was supposed to tap into an underserved market of travelers who needed a ready-made wardrobe built around stretchy black fabrics. Conceptually, it was a great idea. Puma even managed to recruit the designer Neil Barrett. But the execution was terrible: trousers that looked like black underpants designed for prancing around on a float at a Gay Pride parade, and denim that was more appropriate for playing in a sandbox than for dozing on Cathay Pacific. There were stretchy black tops, a black trench and some black trainers masquerading as loafers. The hard-sided case might as well have had the word ''amateur'' stenciled across it, as informed travelers would know that the carrier had fallen for a piece of marketing rather than a piece of industrial design meant to improve travel.

What you pack in is almost as important as what you pack. This is not to say that I've managed to find my dream bag. I recently came terribly close at Herve Chapelier in Paris, where I picked up a new soft-sided rectangular valise in black nylon. There are no pockets, straps or superfluous hardware on the outside. On the inside, there's just the luxury of volume. It's so generous that there's room for well-worn desert boots, sensible trainers and Church's cordovan brogues, as well as unexpected purchases. The best part is that the streamlined, unadorned profile makes the bag look positively tiny, so it always manages to find a home in an overhead storage bin.

For overnight engagements, I depend on a black nylon bag from Porter of Japan.

Capable of carrying a G4, a specially edited overnight toiletry kit, an Hermes diary, notebooks, at least three daily newspapers, torn-out magazine articles, all kinds of adapters and chargers, two novels, passports and gifts for clients or friends, it features a hidden pocket that accommodates two shirts (usually Richard James or Sovereign House from United Arrows), socks (always Falke), underwear (Calida or JBS) and a single-ply cashmere sweater. The pocket has so far saved me the embarrassment of pulling out my laptop for a presentation and having my briefs on display for all to see.

Though I'm content with my current bag collection, my eyes still wander whenever I pass a luggage shop. My Chapelier could use a well-designed strap, and my Porter could somehow be re-engineered to accommodate sneakers, shorts and a T-shirt. But for now they're the best I've managed to find.

That said, I'm always up for a bit of well-mannered temptation.

Tyler Brûlé's
Ten key attributes in the retail experience according to Monocle are:

1. Service minded, smartly dressed, enthusiastic staff
2. Obsessive attention to detail
3. A memorable welcoming scent in the air
4. Good music in the background
5. Flattering lighting
6. Treats with all purchases
7. Impeccable packaging
8. An inviting façade
9. A unique original product mix
10. A passion to constantly innovate

Monocle

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