As Steve Jobs once said, ‘Design is a funny word. Some people think design means how it looks. But, of course, if you dig deeper, it’s really how it works.’ It has to be multidimensional, with all these elements working together. After all, if art is about emotion, good design is about harmony, and function – and there’s no better designer than nature as an example of both.

In this autumn issue we celebrate design and, first off, check out the upcoming London Design Festival, with its displays of public artworks and both consumer-led and ideas-driven work throughout the capital by established and emerging designers and artists, in public spaces, in studios and at the V&A, the festival’s hub.

As No Time To Die, the 25th James Bond film in the franchise is – finally – about to open theatrically (and what better sign of normality returning), we appraise legendary Leica’s new luxurious limited-edition camera that appears on screen and behind, documenting the action, a collaboration that ticks both the suave looks and super tech boxes.

Another luxury brand firmly associated with Bond films is Aston Martin. We discuss the British marque’s return to F1 after 60 years, which could also be about drawing attention to its core business: road cars. Aston Martin has always created handsome, desirable cars and the current crop is no exception, sleek examples of impressive automotive design in how they look and how they work.

A notable two-wheeler that pleases aesthetically and technically is Moto Guzzi, now celebrating its centenary and still producing long, lean motorcycles that we propose have survived because they are truly great. And a designer surely deserving of that description is Giorgio Armani. Renowned for always designing practical, elegant and well-cut clothes for real people, we feature his new made-to-measure suit service for women.

Proving individuality is key, we are proud to feature Brummell’s annual Inspirational Women in the City listing. From rising stars to City thought leaders, the roll call is curated this year from our previous Ones To Watch alumni, a roster of bright young talent chosen as outperformers in their fields. We’ve selected 10 who have continued in their trajectories to demonstrate their considerable drive and energy at the forefront of positive change in the City, while contributing holistically to the organisations they represent. We salute them and look forward to them realising their ambitions with designs on the future.

Like Steve J said, it’s a funny word.

We hope you enjoy this issue.