{"id":463464,"date":"2026-05-28T00:06:16","date_gmt":"2026-05-28T00:06:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/463464\/"},"modified":"2026-05-28T00:06:16","modified_gmt":"2026-05-28T00:06:16","slug":"16-rising-stars-shaping-the-art-design-and-architecture","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/463464\/","title":{"rendered":"16 rising stars shaping the art, design and architecture"},"content":{"rendered":"

Monocle has always sought out and celebrated fresh talent in everything from design and diplomacy to art and hospitality. Here, we spotlight 16 people who are challenging the way that we work and doing things a little differently. In a world beset by thorny problems and negative news, we\u2019re putting forward folks with passion, energy and good ideas. From a Latin American musician finding international success to a self-taught Japanese designer with a mastery of fabric, new talent continues to flourish across the globe. We meet emerging stars in the fields of art, politics, architecture and more. Each has the potential to shape their industry, shift the norm and graduate to something even greater.<\/p>\n

Sofia Xanthakou
The ambitious designer bringing fresh ideas to one of the world\u2019s oldest cities.
Athens<\/p>\n

\"Architect(Image: Marco Arg\u00fcello)<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m a young architect so my work still feels fluid,\u201d says Sofia Xanthakou, the founder of Athens-based practice Local Local. \u201cThere\u2019s room for exploration.\u201d Prior to setting up her own office in May 2025, Xanthakou studied at Harvard University\u2019s Graduate School of Design and the Pratt Institute School of Architecture, before working for firms in London and New York. \u201cIn big offices, you can only be in charge of a small part of a wider project,\u201d she adds. \u201cIn Athens, I work across a variety of projects, from residential and commercial to something totally different, such as a university building or a hospital.\u201d<\/p>\n

Xanthakou and her four-strong Local Local team have completed the design of Melas Martinos art gallery in Athens\u2019 Monastiraki neighbourhood. Another project consisted of the renovation of a 19th-century townhouse in Plaka. \u201cIt\u2019s important to observe the site of a project, to understand its history,\u201d she says about her approach to new commissions. \u201cI\u2019m not a loud person and want things to be refined. I like it when people enter a space and don\u2019t necessarily understand what is old and what is new. It means that a project is well rooted.\u201d To achieve this, Xanthakou works with local materials and craftspeople. <\/p>\n

As an architect operating in one of the world\u2019s oldest cities, Xanthakou spends a lot of time contending with Greek bureaucracy \u2013 something that she says requires equal parts tenacity and patience. \u201cIt\u2019s hard to know which rules to obey and which are the most current \u2013 and obtaining permits is exhausting,\u201d she says. \u201cBut creating something unique within these restrictions iiis an interesting challenge. And the wait for permits allows us the time to design carefully.\u201d <\/p>\n

The ambitious Xanthakou is poised to help transform her home city and beyond, with projects under way in the capital as well as in the mountains of northern Greece and the country\u2019s islands. \u201cIt\u2019s not that I don\u2019t want to do things as they have been done in the past but it\u2019s good to spice things up.\u201d <\/p>\n

Jos\u00e9 Luis Barquero
The Spanish painter captivating collectors and causing a stir.
Barcelona<\/p>\n

\"Painter(Image: Anna Huix)<\/p>\n

In the salons of Barcelona, there\u2019s a growing buzz around Jos\u00e9 Luis Barquero \u2013 known simply by his surname on the nameplates at Galeria Mayoral, a respected Catalan gallery that acts as his local agent. Contemporary art dealer and philanthropist Carmen Thyssen was an early advocate and Barquero\u2019s works are now on the walls of canny collectors in London, Paris and New York. From his studio in the industrial neighbourhood of L\u2019Hospitalet de Llobregat, the 28-year-old graduate of London\u2019s Central St Martins and Pompeu Fabra University in Barcelona paints large-scale canvases of human figures in abstract spaces. Some find them haunting but Barquero insists that his work is optimistic. <\/p>\n

\u201cThese figures might not have a fixed gender \u2013 they\u2019re somewhere in between \u2013 but they have intention, a sense of purpose,\u201d he says. \u201cEven if they\u2019re struggling, they\u2019re moving forward.\u201d <\/p>\n

Barquero tells Monocle that, for him, living and working in the same space is a crucial part of producing original ideas. \u201cThe short distance between my bed and the studio is important,\u201d he says. \u201cI can start working without rationalising anything. The ideas are raw, not yet shaped by the day. I also keep my library close and take reference from my books. There\u2019s a dialogue between what I read and what I paint.\u201d Literature also offers refuge when painting becomes too much. \u201cWhen I need a break, I go to the books and then back again.\u201d <\/p>\n

Travel is another important influence on his work. \u201cBarcelona is my base but I\u2019ll spend a few months in New York and Paris this year,\u201d he adds. \u201cTravel opens you to completely different environments with unfamiliar inputs. Though social media connects artists globally, it\u2019s not the same as living in another city. Going to places brings new colours, forms and ways of working. You see how other artists approach things and it pushes you out of your comfort zone.\u201d <\/p>\n

Where to see Barquero\u2019s paintings
Barquero is in New York between June and August under the Cabin residency programme at the Kevin Kramer Gallery before returning to show at the Mayoral Gallery in Paris later in 2026.<\/p>\n

Clara Vitaggio
The winemaker reimagining the taste of a terroir.
Sicily<\/p>\n

\"Winemaker(Image: Roselena Ramistella)<\/p>\n

Mention \u201cmarsala wine\u201d and palates will be prepped for the familiar fortified tipple from the westernmost tip of Sicily. But 28-year-old Marsala native Clara Vitaggio wants to show that there\u2019s more to her region than the sweet stuff, and attract thirsty connoisseurs in the process. <\/p>\n

Though small in scale, Vitaggio\u2019s namesake winery produces about 10,000 bottles a year using indigenous white grapes, including grillo and catarratto. \u201cI\u2019m interested in identity and quality, and want the terroir to be felt in the glass,\u201d says the winemaker, who recently earned a doctorate in oenology from the University of Palermo, where she currently teaches. <\/p>\n

After a two-year stint in the M\u00e2connais region of Burgundy, where she focused on ageing white wines, Vitaggio returned to tend her family\u2019s plot. Today she\u2019s preparing for her fifth harvest. Her goal is to produce wines that are \u201cclean, focused and instantly recognisable\u201d. For her red Gloria, which she makes using nero d\u2019avola grapes, she removes the skins to avoid heavy, jam-flavoured variants. <\/p>\n

Before releasing her bottles to the public, Vitaggio\u2019s vintages are stored at the winery inside a naturally cool grotto that dates back centuries \u2013 a place that hints at the importance of honouring the past as we dash towards the future. Soon she hopes to have new additions made from overlooked grapes such as lucignola and inzolia nera, older Sicilian varieties that she believes will become increasingly useful as the island faces hotter temperatures and droughts. \u201cNative varietals know the land better,\u201d she tells Monocle. \u201cThey are part of our past but can help in the future.\u201d <\/p>\n

With her wines, Vitaggio is reminding the industry that tastes change, as well as practices. Today\u2019s experiments could well become tomorrow\u2019s mainstays.<\/p>\n

Tong Hann Goh
The restaurateur spicing up a city\u2019s dining scene.
Singapore<\/p>\n

\"Restauranteur(Image: Juliana Tan)<\/p>\n

The first thing that struck Tong Hann Goh after he returned from New York to his hometown of Singapore was how restrained the city-state\u2019s restaurants could be. \u201cClean, modern and minimal \u2013 there wasn\u2019t anywhere I wanted to linger,\u201d he tells Monocle. So, at the age of 26, he opened seafood restaurant Marcy\u2019s. With its maximalist interiors steeped in Old-World charm \u2013 think drapes, tiered chandeliers and gilded mirrors \u2013 it offers a confident vision of how dining in a global city can look. <\/p>\n

\u201cI had always craved the experience of taking two steps from the street into a restaurant and feeling as though I was somewhere else entirely,\u201d says Goh. Rather than relying on time-tested recipes, Marcy\u2019s offers cosmopolitan interpretations of classic dishes, such as clams rockefeller topped with breadcrumbs, Calabrian chilli and Sichuan oil. \u201c<\/p>\n

When we started Marcy\u2019s, most Singaporeans had a specific idea of what a seafood restaurant should be,\u201d says Goh. \u201cThis presented us with an opportunity to expand the palate.\u201d Bite by bite, the business has gathered pace, encouraging Goh to launch a dive bar, Parliament, and Maggie\u2019s, a playful take on a Chinese restaurant. Both capture Goh\u2019s founding idea of crafting new worlds. His latest venture is a daytime deli called Between Buns \u2013 an airy, colourful place serving tasty sandwiches. <\/p>\n

\u201cPleasure is central to everything that we do,\u201d he says, explaining the name of his restaurant group, PleasureCraft. \u201cIt doesn\u2019t have to be cheeky or sensual. It\u2019s about appealing to all five senses. Craft means that we\u2019re always looking for ways to improve. The work is never done.\u201d <\/p>\n

Tong Hann Goh\u2019s rules for starting a restaurant: <\/p>\n

A generous spirit will be remembered long after the moment or meal has passed.<\/p>\n

This is a team sport \u2013 one that starts with how we care for one another. <\/p>\n

It might take time for a great concept to become clear. Keep listening and trust your instincts.<\/p>\n

Tura Cousins Wilson and Shane Laptiste
The architects with an eye on building communities.
Toronto<\/p>\n

\"Architects(Image: Ian Patterson)<\/p>\n

It\u2019s April and the cherry blossoms that canopy a swathe of High Park in Toronto are blooming. In 1959, Toru Hagiwara, Japan\u2019s ambassador to Canada, presented the sakura trees to the city to thank it for being a refuge for Japanese-Canadians after the Second World War. The petals inspired the design of the park\u2019s public pavilion by Studio of Contemporary Architecture, a local practice that architects Tura Cousins Wilson (pictured, left) and Shane Laptiste (right) established eight years ago. \u201cWe\u2019re curious about how architecture can facilitate culture, community and city building,\u201d says Laptiste. The studio has applied that spirit to many settings, including changing rooms for a football pitch in Collingwood and an exhibition space for British-Kenyan ceramicist Magdalene Odundo\u2019s first North American retrospective in Toronto.<\/p>\n

Designing spaces in which people congregate is the studio\u2019s signature. \u201cWe have been fortunate to take on projects that you can spend some time with \u2013 the architecture of spaces that are typically secondary or ancillary in some way,\u201d says Cousins Wilson. \u201cThese are opportunities to showcase how architecture on a more intimate scale can have an impact.\u201d <\/p>\n

A big advantage of being a young studio on the up is the freedom to speculate. \u201cAs a smaller practice, we get to explore how we can make a difference and really cater to communities that we know could benefit,\u201d says Laptiste. Among those is an urban vision for Toronto\u2019s Little Jamaica neighbourhood and a report on reimagining one of the city\u2019s defining urban features: its miles of laneways laced between major thoroughfares. \u201cWe are interested in how they can be used differently, beyond laneway housing or residential suites,\u201d says Laptiste. \u201cPerhaps for little neighbourhood caf\u00e9s, bicycle repair shops or smaller gallery spaces.\u201d<\/p>\n

Margaret Austin and Hannah Rieke
The Brooklyn shopkeepers focusing on in-person experiences over digital distractions.
New York<\/p>\n

\"Shopkeepers(Image: Ike Edeani)<\/p>\n

Longtime friends Margaret Austin (pictured, left) and Hannah Rieke (right) opened their womenswear boutique, Outline, at the ages of 29 and 28, respectively. Their goal was to create a classic neighbourhood shop serving the people they grew up around in Brooklyn. It was risky: since the coronavirus pandemic, the fashion industry had been questioning the relevance of bricks-and-mortar shops. Retailers from Barneys to Opening Ceremony (where Austin previously worked) were shutting their doors. But with its inviting interiors and smart selection \u2013 Outline has brought Japanese stalwarts Auralee and Ssstein to New York, as well as Lebanese labels Super Yaya and Renaissance Renaissance \u2013 the space quickly began to draw customers of all ages in search of artisanal design and a more sociable style of shopping. \u201cWhat\u2019s most important for us is catering to our immediate community,\u201d says Austin. \u201cThese are the people we come into contact with every day.\u201d<\/p>\n

As the business evolves, the duo continues to make unorthodox moves that are helping to build customer loyalty. Most recently, they shut down their e-commerce site and created a catalogue to highlight their seasonal picks. \u201cE-commerce didn\u2019t feel very inspiring,\u201d says Rieke. \u201cWe are about the in-person experience. Having a tangible object every season matches the essence of what we do.\u201d Creating the catalogue also opened new opportunities for collaboration with photographers, graphic designers and friends who dabble as models. For spring\/summer 2026, Oscar-nominated costume designer Miyako Bellizzi joined the team as a stylist. <\/p>\n

Trusting your vision makes business sense. Since the duo abandoned e-commerce and introduced the catalogue, sales have gone up. \u201cShops existed before the internet and focusing too much on digital sales has been the downfall of some,\u201d says Austin. \u201cWhy can\u2019t we focus on what we do best?\u201d <\/p>\n

Chlo\u00e9 Ridel
The politician helping to steer her party\u2019s \u2013 and her country\u2019s \u2013 revival.
France<\/p>\n

\"French(Image: Kevin Faingnaert)<\/p>\n

\u201cI came into politics quite late,\u201d says Chlo\u00e9 Ridel, a 34-year-old MEP for Parti Socialiste (PS) \u2013 but she has achieved an impressive amount already. Ridel\u2019s CV encompasses stints in France\u2019s ministry of economy and finance, as well as activism. She co-founded Mieux Voter (\u201cBetter Voting\u201d) in 2018 to push for a more innovative approach to polling. In 2020 she co-founded Institut Rousseau, a left-wing think tank. With its emphasis on consensus building, it prefigured NUPES, the progressive alliance that overcame the far-right in the 2022 French legislative elections, by two years. <\/p>\n

Since her appointment to the role of PS spokesperson in 2023, Ridel has been elected to the European Parliament and helped co-ordinate the ambitious new party programme \u2013 an ideological and policy roadmap designed to guide the PS into France\u2019s 2027 presidential elections and beyond. \u201cThe left has been absent from the second round of French presidential elections three times now,\u201d she says. \u201cMy generation is tired of waiting.\u201d The programme that she worked on is awaiting ratification by PS members but could be the shot in the arm that the party needs.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s built around liberty, which is not a classical notion for the left,\u201d Ridel tells Monocle at the EU\u2019s headquarters in Brussels. As in the US, the idea of liberty has a particular resonance in France. \u201cIt\u2019s a revolutionary promise,\u201d she says. \u201cThe problem today is that we are not equal in front of libert\u00e9.\u201d The programme looks beyond France and touches on European sovereignty. Though she acknowledges that this is a challenging moment for the EU, Ridel is undaunted. \u201cI grew up in the 1990s, when Europe was very positive,\u201d she says. \u201cThen, with the crisis of 2008, everything collapsed.\u201d Despite the political turmoil of recent years, she tells Monocle that her generation remains hopeful and committed to delivering transformative change. \u201cWe\u2019re not nostalgic for the world before.\u201d<\/p>\n

Winnie Dunn
The writer giving voice and optimism to a long-neglected community.
Australia<\/p>\n

\"Writer(Image: Ed Bourmier)<\/p>\n

Writer Winnie Dunn\u2019s work explores a subject that rarely makes the bestseller lists: the working-class migrant experience of Pacific Islanders in Australia. But her combination of humour and searing honesty has readers hooked. Her acclaimed novel Dirt Poor Islanders was nominated for a slew of prizes, including the prestigious Miles Franklin Literary Award. It showed readers an Australia that lies beyond the glittering blue waters of Sydney Harbour and the much-romanticised bush. The novel is set in the migrant heartland of western Sydney \u2013 just 40km inland from Bondi but, for many, a world away. <\/p>\n

At the age of 30, Dunn has achieved the kind of success that most writers dream of. Still, she\u2019s bemused to be considered an up-and-comer worthy of inclusion on a list such as this one. \u201cIn Tongan culture, 30 is actually considered pretty old and, if you\u2019re not married with kids, you\u2019re seen as a bit of a failure,\u201d she says. <\/p>\n

A third-generation Australian born to Tongan-Australian parents, Dunn grew up immersed in the culture of the Pacific Island nation, thanks to a large extended family. Tonga, an island kingdom not far from Fiji, is known for its tropical beaches and devoutly Christian values. Its already small population is falling as people migrate to Australia and New Zealand for work. \u201cThere are fewer young people to farm the land,\u201d she says. \u201cTonga is now very neglected.\u201d <\/p>\n

Dunn\u2019s suburb had a sketchy reputation for being socially disadvantaged and crime-ridden, which made her all the more determined to tell a fresh story about it. A voracious reader, she started writing in earnest at university and soon became the general manager of the Sweatshop Literacy Movement, which helps would-be writers from her neighbourhood. Dunn is now editing an anthology and working on her second book, a campus novel that is again rooted in the culture of Pacific Islander-Australians. <\/p>\n

About \u2018Dirt Poor Islanders\u2019:
Dunn has said that the title of her debut novel is a nod to Kevin Kwan\u2019s portrayal of the Singaporean high life in Crazy Rich Asians. The defiant work offers a complex portrait of the young protagonist, Meadow Reed.<\/p>\n

Alice Carvalho
The actor whose pitch-perfect performances are scoring critical hits.
Rio de Janeiro<\/p>\n

\"Actor(Image: Rodrigo Oliveira)<\/p>\n

Though best known for her acting career, Alice Carvalho is also a screenwriter and playwright who dabbles in music. She has caught the eye of directors such as Ryan Coogler, who was among those impressed by her role in Brazilian film-maker Kleber Mendon\u00e7a Filho\u2019s Oscar-nominated The Secret Agent. Growing up in Natal in Rio Grande do Norte, Carvalho was hooked by music at an early age. A passion for theatre soon followed. Though her home state isn\u2019t the centre of the Brazilian arts sector, she tells Monocle, \u201cThe alternative scene in Natal is so rich culturally.\u201d <\/p>\n

With job offers beginning to arrive, Carvalho moved to Rio de Janeiro in 2023. Besides her success with The Secret Agent, she has a leading role in Canga\u00e7o Novo (\u201cNew Bandits\u201d). The first season was a global success; the second was released in April. Today she\u2019s working on what is expected to be her biggest role yet: the lead in a biopic about star Brazilian-Swedish footballer Marta Vieira da Silva. The film is set to be released next year, just before Brazil hosts the Fifa Women\u2019s World Cup. <\/p>\n

When Monocle speaks to Carvalho, she has just returned from a training session. \u201cMarta is my dream role,\u201d she says. \u201cThis is certainly the biggest part in my career in terms of challenge and discipline.\u201d It helps that Carvalho is friends with the real Marta. \u201cWe have been talking a lot. She has been giving me advice. The craziest thing about her is that she doesn\u2019t have any notion of how iconic she is.\u201d Couldn\u2019t the same be said about the modesty of this rising star? Carvalho is cautious of praise. \u201cI like to take calculated steps in my life and not to be presumptuous.\u201d <\/p>\n

Three performances to admire: <\/p>\n

Dinorah Vaqueiro in \u2018Canga\u00e7o Novo\u2019
Carvalho\u2019s defining TV role, in which her anti-heroine joins a bank-robbing gang. <\/p>\n

Joana de P\u00e1dua in \u2018Renascer\u2019
Carvalho is a revelation in this popular Globo telenovela, playing a woman living a tough life. <\/p>\n

Ot\u00edlia Pellegrino in \u2018Guerreiros do Sol\u2019
Here, Carvalho portrays a woman in the 1920 and 1930s in an intense same-sex relationship.<\/p>\n

Anton Thomas
The artist charting the world\u2019s biodiversity with his hand-drawn maps.
Melbourne<\/p>\n

\"Artist(Image: Sam Biddle)<\/p>\n

It was Anton Thomas\u2019s childhood in the small city of Nelson on New Zealand\u2019s South Island that ignited his curiosity for cartography. \u201cMy town is surrounded by mountains or ocean,\u201d he tells Monocle. Thomas didn\u2019t study art and had toyed with the idea of becoming a full-time musician but today he\u2019s devoted to his beautifully hand-drawn charts.<\/p>\n

In 2011, Thomas moved to the US and Canada, living in each country for about a year. The vast landscapes intensified his fascination with representing the world around him. Are maps meant to be functional or can they be art too? \u201cThey probably are art, as long as they\u2019re made by people,\u201d he says. \u201cMine are covered with illustrations and are all drawn by hand, which is increasingly rare.\u201d <\/p>\n

Thomas works from his home studio in the suburbs of Melbourne. Nearby is Yarra Bend Park, where he can get lost for hours gazing at flying fox colonies or spotting a wallaby or grey kangaroo. Thomas\u2019s work includes a variety of wildlife; his Wild World project features 1,642 species. In an era of environmental pessimism, he says that he remains hopeful. This positivity suffuses his work. <\/p>\n

The hardest animal for him to draw is the giraffe. \u201cYou have to be very patient,\u201d he says. \u201cAll of those patches are time consuming. I\u2019ve also long had an issue with porcupines; I find it difficult to get their quills just right.\u201d And the easiest ones? \u201cCute little birds, especially the round ones, such as a finch.\u201d Travel still informs Thomas\u2019s work. \u201cI have two maps under way: Wild California and Wild Kenya, two places I visited in 2024 and had mind-blowing adventures in.\u201d<\/p>\n

Kiichiro Asakawa
The rising Japanese fashion designer with a keen eye for fabrics.
Tokyo<\/p>\n

\"Japanese(Image: Fuminari Yoshitsugu)<\/p>\n

Kiichiro Asakawa\u2019s first love was vintage clothing \u2013 denim jeans in particular, which he took apart, reconstructed and sold at his multibrand boutique, Carol. Ssstein, his Tokyo-based label, started quietly in 2016 with a handful of garments, all elevated by Asakawa\u2019s eye for fabrics. <\/p>\n

By teaming up with talented technical hands, developing textiles to his own specifications and manufacturing in Japan, the self-taught designer has gradually honed his vision of luxurious minimalism. His collections have grown, attracting a following for their subtle tweaks of convention and effortless elegance. The current season\u2019s pieces include oversized premium cotton shirts and relaxed cashmere V-necks, loosely knitted for a lightweight summer feel. <\/p>\n

Once a word-of-mouth label, Ssstein got its first international break in 2025 when it won the Fashion Prize of Tokyo. This took Asakawa\u2019s clothes to Paris and gave the world a glimpse of his styling. Buyers snapped up the tailored coats and layered looks for the autumn\/winter season; now the brand has 50 stockists in Japan and 90 overseas. <\/p>\n

The speed of his ascent surprised Asakawa but he remains committed to his principles. He doesn\u2019t feel the need to reinvent things every season and prides himself on his relationships with manufacturers. \u201cWe have taken a careful, conscious approach to expanding both in Japan and overseas,\u201d he tells Monocle. \u201cWe intend to continue at our own pace in delivering our products steadily and thoughtfully to an ever-wider audience.\u201d <\/p>\n

Three Ssstein garments to admire:<\/p>\n

The oversized short-sleeved T-shirt, made in Japan from 100 per cent fine wool for year-round wear. <\/p>\n

The lightweight cashmere V-neck has a loose knit for a summery feel and is ideal for layering.<\/p>\n

The cotton-cashmere sweatpants are made using a one-of-a-kind knitting machine in Wakayama for a soft, plush texture.<\/p>\n

Jessie Willner
The perfumer evoking the thrill of club culture with her scents.
London & Los Angeles<\/p>\n

\"Perfumer(Image: Heiko Prigge)<\/p>\n

Jessie Willner had an unlikely path to the world of scent. The Angeleno taught herself to code at the age of 11 and built websites while nurturing her passion for design and animation. \u201cI started doing freelance graphic design and created my luxury outerwear brand, The Mighty Company.\u201d The inspiration for her fragrance firm, Discoth\u00e8que, came from club culture, which she had soaked up over countless nights out with co-founders Hanover Booth and Whitney Moulton. <\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s hard to find another moment when you feel as free as when you\u2019re on a dance floor,\u201d she tells Monocle. \u201cThe scent business was a passion project that kind of went out of control. We turned it into a brand.\u201d Success came quickly. In 2025 the business grew sevenfold, says Willner, who splits her time between London and Los Angeles. Further growth is expected in 2026. <\/p>\n

Every scent is rooted in a time and place. \u201cCall for a Good Time\u201d is inspired by a jaunt in Tokyo in the 2000s, while \u201cBaise Moi on the Dance Floor\u201d evokes an imagined night on the tiles in Paris in the late 1970s. Today the perfumery is growing rapidly and has a factory outside London, while its candles are made in Plymouth on the UK coast. US expansion is the focus for 2026. \u201cWe have just started working with a factory in the US, so we are now running simultaneous productions,\u201d says Willner. <\/p>\n

The brand\u2019s big break was the launch of its products at Selfridges department store. \u201cThat was monumental,\u201d says Willner. <\/p>\n

What does the company foresee after its US push? \u201cWe\u2019re probably working on 20 different perfumes, though some of them will never see the light of day,\u201d says Willner. \u201cWe\u2019re also launching in some of our favourite shops across the world later this year, in locations that correspond with cities that inspired the perfumes.\u201d Despite the pace of change, she says that growth has been organic and that her focus is squarely on what the company makes. \u201cWe\u2019re a product-first brand and everything is built around making something that we really believe in.\u201d <\/p>\n

Silvana Estrada
The soulful singer taking Mexican music worldwide.
Mexico City<\/p>\n

\"Mexican(Image: Heiko Prigge)<\/p>\n

Listen to Silvana Estrada\u2019s voice and you\u2019ll immediately understand why the international media has dubbed her the Latin American Joni Mitchell. Nature is ever-present in her work. Estrada, who grew up in the Mexican town of Coatepec, composed and sang from an early age, before moving to Mexico City to pursue a music career at the age of 18. \u201cI had no plan and no money,\u201d Estrada tells Monocle. <\/p>\n

Her decision to relocate quickly began to pay off. Today she is celebrated in her home country and across Latin America. Her second studio album, Vendr\u00e1n Suaves Lluvias (\u201cSoft Rains Will Come\u201d), is finding a global audience too. \u201cThis album is really personal,\u201d she says. \u201cI struggled a lot while making it. It\u2019s self-produced and I wrote all of the tracks. It\u2019s an album about trying to find beauty in pain.\u201d She added an orchestra and layered instruments across the album for a fuller, more intense sound. Her favourite track? \u201cGood Luck, Good Night,\u201d she says, describing the song as one in which she laughs at herself. \u201cIt has a cabaret vibe,\u201d she says. \u201cIt\u2019s about a girl waiting for a person who never appears. There\u2019s lots of drama but it\u2019s funny and dark at the same time.\u201d <\/p>\n

Her focus this year is on touring, including in Europe. Expect new collaborations, such as with singer Pablopablo on the song \u201cAntes de Ti\u201d. When asked what she thinks of the Mexican music scene, Estrada says, \u201cIt feels like everything is possible. Artists are mixing different genres, including traditional music. It\u2019s all happening at once. Every neighbourhood in Mexico City has its own scene.\u201d<\/p>\n

Three tracks to listen to:<\/p>\n

\u2018Te Guardo\u2019 (2018)
Estrada\u2019s breakout single is a celebration of the euphoria of new love. <\/p>\n

Milagro y Desastre\u2019 (2023)
Another song showcasing Estrada\u2019s powerful vocals. Here, love can transform and destroy at the same time. <\/p>\n

\u2018Como Un P\u00e1jaro\u2019 (2025)
This Latin Grammy-nominated track, featured on her latest album, was written during the early days of the coronavirus lockdown.<\/p>\n

Keerthana Kunnath
The photographer bringing together multiple perspectives.
London<\/p>\n

\"Photographer(Image: Heiko Prigge)<\/p>\n

For Kerala-born, London-based photographer Keerthana Kunnath, there\u2019s never just one way to look at things. The young artist has been pushed and pulled between continents and styles ever since she first closed one eye and looked through a viewfinder. For Kunnath, this sense of duality is a source of creativity. In London, she works on commercial and editorial shoots, including for Monocle; while in India, she pivots to carefully composing what she describes as \u201cstaged documentaries\u201d. <\/p>\n

Her most recent personal photo exhibition, Not What You Saw, is an examination of female bodybuilders in India that offers keen insights into a little-known community. \u201cI grew up in the same region as these women but they were unfamiliar to me,\u201d says Kunnath. \u201cI strongly wanted to document them and to do it in Kerala. The more rural you are, the more rigid the views of what traditional women should be. The challenge that they\u2019re posing was important to me.\u201d The images\u2019 power partly lies in their depictions of small details: bracelets on ankles, faded tattoos on tensed forearms, flowing dress materials against brown skin. \u201cI could never be a snapshot photographer,\u201d says Kunnath. \u201cI need that sense of orchestration.\u201d <\/p>\n

Her care for the craft goes beyond knowing when to press the shutter. In an age of shoot-from-the-hip smartphone photography, her work offers examples of time-tested technical proficiency. \u201cI shoot medium format on a Mamiya RZ67 and a Pentax 67, and hand-print all of my images,\u201d she says. \u201cBut as I\u2019m getting more exposure, I\u2019m starting to travel more, leading to a lot of experimentation too.\u201d <\/p>\n

ARTICLE CREDITS<\/p>\n

WRITERS:<\/p>\n

Aarti Betigeri
\n Augustin Macellari
\n Fernando Augusto Pacheco
\n Fiona Wilson
\n Grace Charlton
\n Ivan Carvalho
\n Joseph Koh
\n Natalie Theodosi
\n Rory Jones
\n Saul Taylor
\n Tomos Lewis<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Monocle has always sought out and celebrated fresh talent in everything from design and diplomacy to art and…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":463465,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[215637,215638,146,85,46,13367],"class_list":["post-463464","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-entertainment","tag-businesses-to-watch","tag-creative-businesses","tag-entertainment","tag-il","tag-israel","tag-rising-stars"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/463464","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=463464"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/463464\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/463465"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=463464"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=463464"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=463464"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}