Bonjour from a sun-drenched yet fiercely chaotic Paris, where the biannual whirlwind of Fashion Week is currently in full swing. The French capital is experiencing its unique, paradoxical brand of daily life: a postponed Pride parade is snaking through historic streets, student protestors are actively burning bins and smashing windows, riot trucks alongside muscular police officers are deployed in full force, and a distinct hint of tear gas lingers in the autumn air.
Yet, for the average Parisian, this is merely business as usual. Locals continue to master the art of navigating societal friction with unflappable composure, effortlessly striding from one elegant event to the next while looking impeccably chic. It is a striking contrast to the meteorological and star-studded conditions experienced just 36 hours earlier in Abu Dhabi, where the thermometer soared and the city buzzed with anticipation for the Livex urbanism conference. There, fellow Canadian Ryan Reynolds commanded the stage, offering plenty of talking points that are set to be unpacked later in the week.
As the northern hemisphere officially shifts into its cozy seasonal rhythm, the time has arrived for a beloved tradition: the autumn quiz. Participants who have joined in previous seasons will find the mechanics familiar, while newcomers need only tackle a targeted series of ten questions and ensure their responses land in the editorial inbox no later than midday Zurich time on Monday. The three sharpest minds will be rewarded with a copy of Sophie Grove’s hot-off-the-press publication, Konfekt: A Guide to Generous Hosting, alongside a selection of curated surprises. Entrants are simply asked to include their current base and indicate whether their first name and the initial of their surname may be published when identifying the readership’s top intellects.
The first challenge transports respondents straight to the hospitality sector in the United States. Picture yourself seated in a bustling restaurant with colleagues, battling a potent combination of thirst and hunger. Amidst a flurry of staff members weaving purposefully between tables, you engage in amateur acrobatics just to catch a server’s eye. Eventually, an apron-clad employee approaches your group, offering an expression that sits uncomfortably somewhere between a wince and a smile. The question facing quiz participants is simple: what is the most grating, annoying phrase that this server could possibly utter to your table?
The second scenario keeps respondents stateside, focusing on the corporate rituals of the modern technology sector. Imagine arriving at the reception desk of a major US corporate headquarters accompanied by a colleague who plays the role of hospitality incarnate—all smiles and fresh cookies—while secretly harboring the steely disposition of a battle-tested French riot officer. For corporate visitors navigating these heavily guarded spaces, the task is to identify what precisely has become the most tiresome aspect of being formally welcomed at a modern tech campus.
Shifting from corporate architecture to the ever-shifting landscape of high fashion, the third question addresses the enduring sartorial endurance of barrel-leg trousers. Despite dominating retail rails season after season, this voluminous silhouette presents distinct styling challenges. While the look flatters those blessed with particularly long limbs, it frequently risks transforming anyone under 165 centimeters, or five feet five inches, into a spectacle reminiscent of a circus act. The puzzle for fashion enthusiasts is to forecast precisely how many more weeks, months, or years this polarizing silhouette will manage to endure on the global stage.
The fourth inquiry remains anchored in Paris Fashion Week, challenging observers of the luxury sector to name the next major maison poised to carve out and define an entirely new commercial and aesthetic space at the very top end of the global luxury market.
From the runways of Paris to the peculiarities of modern vernacular, the fifth question targets the most bothersome and overused buzzword in the English language. Despite arguably wearing out its welcome and deserving a permanent retirement from everyday conversation, this particular term stubbornly persists, carrying a distinct hint of geometric orientation.
International headlines provide the basis for the sixth question, which dissects a dramatic incident aboard a Flydubai flight earlier in the week. Following reports of a rogue and potentially radicalized co-pilot who was successfully wrestled and restrained mid-flight, observers are asked to consider the true identity of the men who intervened. Were they genuinely random civilian heroes stepping up in a crisis, or did their tactical efficiency suggest a more professional background—perhaps resembling extras straight out of the political thriller series Fauda?
The seventh question tackles a broader geopolitical and economic puzzle within the luxury goods sector. Despite boasting immense purchasing muscle, unmatched manufacturing prowess, and sophisticated supply chains, China has yet to produce a dominant global luxury brand that captures the international imagination on a grand scale—or has it quietly achieved this milestone away from the traditional spotlight?
Closer to home, the eighth question invites readers to look ahead at the enterprise’s physical expansion, asking for the specific location and opening timeline of the next international café outpost.
Automotive enthusiasts are addressed in the ninth question, which focuses on a European automotive group currently ramping up production lines to satisfy surging demand for a surprise four-wheel success story. The vehicle in question notably bridges the gap by being shared across two distinct brands within the same corporate family.
Finally, the tenth question looks toward the hospitality sector, asking for the identity of what promises to be the most sought-after hotel opening of the final quarter of the year. Ambitious respondents can secure a bonus point by correctly naming the visionary designer behind the project and demonstrating the proper pronunciation of their surname.
As the deadline approaches, hopeful intellectuals are invited to compile their thoughts, ready their pens, and dispatch their answers directly to the editorial team in Zurich.
