LSN : News : Need to know 26 : 02 : 18

1. Koe expands into affordable hospitality

Hotel Koé, Tokyo. Photography by Kenta Hasegawa

Tokyo – Japanese lifestyle brand Koe has this month opened Hotel Koe Tokyo, an affordable hospitality offering for consumers in the region. Marking a shift in hotel openings, which are traditionally instigated by luxury brands, the hotel is said to function under the overarching themes of Stay, Fashion, Music and Food, and features facilities that cater for all of these.

On the first floor a restaurant and bar sits aside an event space, while on the second floor, guests can shop a variety of apparel and lifestyle goods. With the introduction of smart cash registers, retail spaces also run as staffless at certain hours.

By combining a place to stay with retail, entertainment and dining opportunities, it highlights consumer want for experience-led, diverse offerings, something we highlighted in our Destination Retail reports. The hotel’s opening follows the launch of their public cafe, situated in the brand’s head office, and two independent Koe Green restaurants.

2. Steven Tai replaces the runway with AR

LiveCGX at Steven Tai AW18 by ILMxLAB, London

London – Presented in collaboration with the London College of Fashion’s Innovation Agency (FIA) and ILMxLAB, designer Steven Tai’s autumn/winter 2018 presentation blurred the physical and digital through the use of a digital avatar. Set to a backdrop of an AR-enhanced street in China, the digital model, present with real models, switched between pieces in real-time.

‘Immersive technologies are leading us to a new narrative for the fashion industry,’ says Matthew Drinkwater, head of FIA in a statement. ‘Imagine a world where you can augment everything from the clothes that you’re wearing to the environment that surrounds you, in real time’.

It highlighted another move from a fashion brand looking to avatars as a means of enhancing their offering. For more on the opportunities avatars are opening up, from acting as brand ambassadors to helping fashion brands optimise their sizing process, see our Avatar Influence microtrend.

3. China takes a stand against counterfeits

China – According to OECD, the global counterfeit goods market is worth more than £331.8bn. While brands have been taking steps to launch digital tools that counter counterfeits, such as Entrupy’s on-demand authentication system, China has gone one step further by launching an official luxury appraisal centre as part of the China Electronic Commerce Association.

State-owned and the first of its kind in the country, the association allows consumers to check whether the luxury items they have purchased are genuine. An online process can also go as far as to allow consumers to also check whether sellers are running certified businesses.

It comes at a time when China, a region that is expected to have the most affluent households in the world by 2021, has a counterfeiting problem costing foreign firms an estimated $20bn a year in lost sales.

Pop-up by Vetements and DHL, Hong Kong. Photography by Stanley Cheng

4. A new museum opens dedicated to espionage

Spyscape designed by David Adjaye, New York

New York – Situated in Midtown Manhattan and designed by British architect David Adjaye, Spyscape invites visitors to explore topics such as hacking, cyber-warfare and surveillance within a multi-sensory environment.

As part of the museum’s design, former members of renowned hacking groups and directors of intelligence agencies were consulted. ‘[Spyscape] offers a balanced perspective on the big issues – privacy, security, surveillance, and inspires and empowers visitors to seek the truth, form their own opinions and question everything,’ reads a recent press release.

Especially in the face of a Dislocated World, where distrust and disconnect is rife, consumers are looking for brands that prioritise the idea of giving people control, and educating them on technological advances and security-centric topics. It follows the opening of Delete, a similar interactive exhibition launched in Montreal to teach young people about the vulnerability of their personal data.

5. Apple wins big with wearables

The statistic was released as part of a study from analyst firm Canalys, who also found that the surge was caused by the release of Apple Watch 3 in September last year. Compared with statistics from the Federation of the Swiss Watch Company, that states Switzerland exported just under 7m units within the same period, Apple’s market dominance is clear.

Aside from demonstrating Apple’s steady growth however, it also highlights a shift in luxury consumption, with consumers choosing to invest in Apple’s wearable technology over the traditionalism of Switzerland’s watchmaking sector.

6. Thought-starter: Can dental care get a refresh?

Creative Researcher Jessica Smith explores how new dental care brands are transforming our everyday, mundane routines into high-end and accessible products and experiences.

Over the past two years there has been a rise in start-ups injecting excitement into the healthcare and pharmaceutical markets. Now this is happening in oral care – a category that is expected to grow to 20% of the personal care market in 2020, according to Future Market Insights – with brands considering everything from the design to the accessibility of services that have traditionally been the preserve of dental practices.

One such company is Candid Co which offers direct-to-consumer clear aligners, or straighteners, priced at 65% less than traditional braces, in a bid to democratise orthodontic treatment.

For more on the transformation of dental care, see our Dental Rework microtrend.