The return of Tyler Brule. Now, it's serious

Tyler Brule, the Winnipeg-born founder of Wallpaper*, which he launched when he was 27 and soon sold to Time Inc., is to launch a magazine called Monocle in February.

Where Wallpaper*'s unique selling proposition for readers was the illusion of hanging out in a lavish pad talking about design and stuff with self-involved international jet-setters, the new magazine is being modelled more after fat, German magazines like Stern. It is said to be aimed at the same sort of people as its predecessor, but they seem to now have an interest in cultural affairs and business content; it has archly already been dubbed a "trendy Economist".

Cynics might say that Brule puts out a heckuva bow wake, but has no staying power. Wallpaper* lost bags of money before being bought by Time. For Monocle, he is reported to have raised about£5 million from investors to pay for the launch. The magazine will have 150,000 circulation worldwide (so have some cachet for magazine mavens) and a £5 cover price (C$12).