Five Mags.

For some reason I've been going through a magazine addiction period lately. On Saturdays, I can't get to midday without having raided the nearest newsagent for a stack of heavy glossy publications. It seems that magazine editors have found it in themselves to fight back against what was supposed to be an inevitable slide into oblivion in the face of the internet. Art direction, writing and ideas have all seen a noticeable rise in standards in the past couple of years.

The renaissance must have something to do with the very welcome return of Tyler Brule to the magazine market, with his incomparable Monocle. Whatever impact Wallpaper had in the mid 90s, Monocle is set to leave a similar mark. Something tells me Monocle isn't even intended solely as a magazine at all, but a multimedia brand encompassing print, online and TV. I'd place bets on there being a Monocle TV station broadcasting all around the world within 24 months, if not sooner. Mr Brule obviously would not have returned to the market if he was simply repeating himself, and I think we're in for something quite special from the Monocle Group (as I'm sure it will soon be known).

My favourite part of Monocle is the original content; ideas they have. One issue it was the Nordic News Network, an idea for an international Scandinavian-based competitor to CNN and BBC. Another issue was the fictional state of Costazzurra, and Monocle's ideas for branding the new nation. Most magazines are based around one idea: telling you what other people are doing. At Monocle, they do the same, but add to that things they do themselves.

From Sydney, Dumbo Feather is an inspirational read. Started by Kate Bezar, formerly from Saatchi & Saatchi, I'm not sure this qualifies as a magazine at all; it's more like timed-release volumes of a single collection of work. Whereas most magazines go for variety, with different sections and many moods throughout the pages, Dumbo Feather is resolutely consistent between pages. Each issue follows exactly the same format: not much more than a brief introduction from the editor, then straight into five or six very very long interviews with inspirational people: nothing more. It's unusual, and does its stated job of transferring some of that inspiration to the reader. Every time I read it, I grow restless and start planning to do something to one day get into its pages.

I find Fast Company an interesting read. These days, business is often sexier than showbiz; whereas the entertainment industry provides variation only in the kinds of stories it tells, the business world offers innovation on every level. The art direction and the sheer ideas in some of the articles put Fast Company outside of the usual scope of business magazines and stray into all sorts of interesting territory.

I used to spend some part of every month writing angry letters to the editor of Conde Nast Traveller. It was always a beautiful magazine (and I'm sure still is, despite not having bought it in years), but always seemed to limit its coverage to places west of Calcutta. Coverage of Asia was criminally thin. I stopped my regular rants, however, when I discovered Destinasian. Published out of Jakarta, it's a gorgeous, uniquely art-directed magazine, dedicated to showcasing the best of Asian travel opportunities. I've bought every issue for the past five years, and have been delighted every time. This is a title that just gets better and better, and I'm sure it's actually influenced Asian tourism for the better. When hotel operators leaf through the pages, I'm sure they get a sense of what's possible and start to lift their game. Long may this publication continue.

From Thailand, art4d is a magazine that I can never resist buying. For the incredible price of 50 baht, art4d covers art, architecture, design and whatever else you might be interested in, and does it in two languages - Thai and English - to boot. Art4d used to be only available in a select few bookshops, but I noticed it on the shelves of my local 7-Eleven the other night. This can only be a good thing: spreading architectural awareness among the Mekong Whisky-buying classes of central Bangkok is something that ought to be attempted at least once.