Since February 2007, Canadian-born Tyler Brûlé—the luminary who plastered the world with Wallpaper* magazine and the branding work of agency Winkreative—has been quietly pushing out Monocle, a grown-up magazine covering “global affairs, business, culture and design”. Brûlé‘s track record of aesthetically superior* production stays fast, as Monocle is equal parts eye- and brain-candy.
Pieces range from handy tips for failing countries to fashion pages—or you could turn to the pull-out manga-style comic in the back, featuring a heroic, ass-kicking Japanese / Scandinavian industrial designer. Of course.

—Chris Noble, 03 July 2009