The Forecast 2023

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AT THE FRONT
DESPITE THE CHALLENGES, THERE IS CAUSE FOR OPTIMISM IN 2023Andrew Tuck on optimism for 2023.
WATCH THIS SPACEOur round-up of innovators, fresh thinkers and business mavericks reveals how a storied food movement is transforming farming, what’s causing a stir between the covers in Jakarta, which renowned watch-maker is stirring the creative pot – and just how game the Germans really are.
AFFAIRS
READY FOR THE REAWAKENINGOnce a paradigm of how a failing metropolis could be turned around, New York appears to be backsliding towards the bad old days of violent crime, crumbling services and perilous subways. We meet the residents determined to get their city back on track – and unpack what the headline-making numbers really mean.
LIFE DURING WARTIMEUkrainians are making plans for a victorious future but most accept that peace is still a long way off. In the latest in a series of dispatches for monocle, a Ukrainian writer-turned-reservist reports from the front line.
CALL TO ARMSThe conventional war in Ukraine has been good business for defence firms. But other potential skirmishes could play out in more hybrid warfare in the year ahead.
BUSINESS
WHAT’S IN STORE?The past few years have held little respite for department stores already under threat from e-commerce but a Spanish stalwart is looking for a way forwards.
VILLAGE GREENConstruction is one of the most environmentally damaging industries and, it insists, there will be no greenwashing. In the Danish capital, one developer is trying to lead from the front – and swell its coffers in the process.
WHAT’S ON THE HORIZON?From travel and tourism to fuel and furniture, leading industry bosses expound on the opportunities and challenges that they are ready to tackle in 2023.
ESSAYS
LOOKING FORWARDSPredicting the future is a notoriously tricky game, yet past experiences and current concerns can provide important clues – whether that is charting the success of bold urbanism, learning lessons from cultural controversies or simply imagining new histories.
CULTURE
SOUND AND VISIONMany tech companies have tried to be crowned kings of the podcast market but no single leader has emerged. We meet the visionaries at Podimo, who hope that their hyper-local approach will help them rise to the top.
FUTURE PROJECTIONSWant to know where your next favourite book, film or TV series will come from? We speak to a host of industry insiders from around the globe to uncover the passion projects and critically acclaimed releases that will be exciting audiences in 2023 and beyond.
DESIGN
DESERT DWELLERSIn an unforgiving landscape, we meet the architecture students building on Frank Lloyd Wright’s ethos of ‘learning by doing’ – even if that means getting their hands dirty and dodging the odd scorpion.
MAKING THE CUTThe landscape of the furniture industry is changing: global supply chains are strained, making access to materials difficult and consumers are demanding products that enhance their wellbeing by being designed, produced and supplied transparently. We profile five brands rising to these challenges.
FASHION
MATERIAL EFFECTRenewing a heritage brand takes a special kind of vision. As the newly installed head of fashion house Hugo Boss, Daniel Grieder explains how he is balancing traditional tailoring with innovative technology to create a business fit for a new age.
TALKING SHOPBlondie Tsang, president of Lane Crawford and Joyce, reveals how post-pandemic luxury retail is changing. The group is enticing customers back with upgraded interiors, edgy new brands and bespoke shopping experiences.
ON THE NOSEWith Byredo, fragrance came first and only then did founder Ben Gorham start looking at other ways to grow the brand, by collaborating with everyone from workwear manufacturers to audio engineers.
WALK THIS WAYUnbeknown to many, a region in southern Spain has a pep in its step thanks to decades of experience producing speciality footwear. Now the world’s premier shoe brands are striding towards its factories and keeping its industry running
STITCH IN TIMEOur annual gaze into fashion’s crystal ball reveals how 2023 is shaping up to put the classic and personal at the centre of loose-fitting looks. And for those who prize ethical style, it’s not just the silhouettes that will be timeless.
FOOD AND TRAVEL
WINDS OF CHANGETempted by the quality of life and swept along on Atlantic crosswinds, everyone from kitesurfers to fashion entrepreneurs are altering the outlook for mainland Europe’s southernmost outpost.
UNPEELING SUCCESSThe fragrant sharpness of the yuzu citrus is a distinctively Japanese flavour – so what inspired entrepreneur and farmer Niels Rodin to grow the fruit in a mountainous district of Switzerland? Here’s how a zest for counter-intuitive decisions can seed steady business growth.
ON THE CASEThe wine market is slowly moving towards more sustainable practices and finally getting over the idea that natural wine needs to smell and taste like a farmyard. Here are our picks to keep your whistles wet for the months to come.
EXPO
SMALL FORTUNEMoving somewhere compact needn’t mean closing the doors of professional or personal opportunity. Life in small cities can give you the best of metropolitan life, only with greater access to nature and a more relaxed pace. Our annual index surveys those that do it all and do it best.