LSN : News : Need to Know 04 : 06 : 18

1. Louis Vuitton unveils first men’s fragrance

Les Parfums by Louis Vuitton

Global – Following the launch of its first fragrance in 2016, the luxury fashion house has dedicated its new range, Les Parfums, to men.

The five scents move away from the traditional wood bases of masculine fragrances and instead embody lighter tones such as grapefruit and citrus. L’Immensité combines the bitterness of grapefruit with ginger, labdanum and ambroxan, while Sur la Route blends Calabrian citrus with a very special grade of cedar. The other fragrances, Nouveau Monde, Au Hasard and Orage all embrace warmer scents.

In line with our New Masculinity series, brands are exploring ways in which they can address male consumers who are not wedded to traditional masculine ideals.

2. De Beers launches lab-grown diamond jewellery

Lightbox by De Beers, US

US – Diamond manufacturer De Beers has unveiled its new Lightbox collection in which all of the diamonds are man-made.

Backed by research suggesting young consumers have a particular interest in lab-grown diamonds due to its affordability, the new collection will cater for this generation of spenders. Compared to the high price of mined gems, the jewellery will retail from £150 ($200, €170) for a quarter-carat stone to £600 ($800, €680) for a one-carat stone. It will also offer more fashion-based designs, featuring pink, blue and white diamonds in a selection of earrings and necklaces.

De Beers’ continuing effort to make its mark in the industry is demonstrated in its recent use of blockchain to provide assurances of authenticity and provenance along the diamond supply chain.

3. Bupa Global prioritises wellness in the workplace

Global – Bupa Global, the international insurance arm of the healthcare giant, has recently announced a new online service that will help businesses evaluate their health and wellbeing programmes.

As employee health becomes a growing concern for companies, the tool will enable employers to create an inventory of health and wellbeing practices. A scorecard survey is used to assess health factors such as participation rates and organisational support, which can be analysed to establish the effectiveness of current programmes in place and used to develop new practices.

‘With half of the world’s population in work, employees increasingly expect their employer to play an active role in their health and wellbeing, yet some businesses still don’t appreciate the commercial and strategic value of workplace health initiatives,’ explains Patrick Watt, commercial director for Europe at Bupa Global.

Live OS by Herman Miller, US

4. Walmart streamlines shopping with text message service

Jetblack by Store No 8, New York

New York – Following rumours in January, Walmart incubator Store No 8 has launched the new personal shopping service Jetblack. For £37 ($50, €43) a month, members can request items via text to be delivered the same or the next day.

Co-founded by Jenny Fleiss, the service combines the convenience of e-commerce with the customised attention of a personal assistant. Much like Amazon Dash, the system recognises the user’s most frequent purchases and offers quick delivery for these essentials. If a particular item cannot be found, users can send a photo or screenshot and the system will find it. In addition, customers can request recommendations for gifting occasions, and the device will respond with various options and deliver them pre-wrapped with a card.

‘With Jetblack, we have created an entirely new concept that enables consumers to get exactly what they need through the convenience of text messaging and the freedom of a nearly unlimited product catalogue,’ says Jenny Fleiss, co-founder and CEO of Jetblack.

5. Teens recognise their excessive technology habits

A recent report exploring the social media and technology habits of teenagers found that the generation’s internet usage has nearly doubled since 2015, when only 24% of respondents answered similarly.

The findings suggest that although young people recognise their dependency on smart devices and the internet, they’re unable to control their addiction. Now brands are beginning to take measures to encourage more responsible consumption. Instagram is tackling compulsive zombie scrolling with a new feature that is designed to alert users after they have viewed everything on their newsfeed.

6. Thought-starter: How is luxury travel being executed on the ground?

Companies are embedding the airport with luxury services to make the time waiting for a flight more enjoyable.

While airlines are focused on amplifying their first-class offering to attract wealthy fliers who are settling for business class, the luxurious flying experience cannot solely be catered for in the skies. Now, companies are going the extra mile to create services before boarding that make better use of one of people's most valued luxuries – time.

Opened in 2017, The Private Suite is a VIP terminal at Los Angeles International Airport that enables members to skip the chaos of traditional departure halls, and access services such as private dining and entertainment facilities and BMW rides to their plane. This year, the terminal worked with Four Seasons and Ritz-Carlton to create lounges designed in the hotels’ aesthetic, offering complimentary access to high-spending guests.

Another way to establish the airport as a covetable destination is by rolling out items exclusively available through travel retail. Cartier has tapped into the lucrative market of Chinese Duty-free Retail shoppers for a collaboration with Hong Kong-based travel retail specialist DFS Group. The jewellery brand has developed a collection of luxury watches only available to buy in Cartier’s airport retail spaces.

For more on first-class travel, read the full report here.