LSN : News : Need to Know 07 : 06 : 18

1. Moncler builds hype around its latest collections

Moncler Genius, Milan

Milan – Italian fashion brand Moncler has launched Genius, a new project that will capitalise on product hype through a series of limited-edition outerwear collections.

By deviating from the seasonal fashion calendar, Moncler will instead offer monthly, limited product drops, echoing the style of product launch typical of streetwear brands. To build hype around the Genius project, Moncler is collaborating with a selection of eight designers and creatives to reimagine its signature down jackets. First to launch is 7 Moncler Fragment Hiroshi Fujiwara, created by Japanese street-wear designer Hiroshi Fujiwara. A further seven collections will drop throughout the remainder of 2018. Accompanying the product releases, Moncler will showcase the eight Genius collections in selected monobrand boutiques worldwide and dedicated pop-up stores.

2. Queen V encourages young vagina care

Queen V, feminine hygiene

US – The new feminine hygiene brand, which launched last month, provides vagina care products for young women.

Despite many brands opening up the conversation around vagina care, founder Lauren Steinberg was discouraged by the number of outdated products and the use of chemical ingredients. Queen V aims to simplify intimate care with a three-step regimen that is formulated with a 3.8-4.5 pH to match the body’s natural chemistry.

Tapping into the mindset of younger women, the brand plays on words associated with youthful, pop-culture dialogue, with products including the ‘Swipe Right Wipes’, ‘Make it Reign Body Wash’ and ‘P.S I Lube You’. Through this creative use of language, Steinberg notes: ‘Everything is written in a way that is easy to understand. We’re taking a simple approach to a topic that is so confusing,’

3. MIT develops inflatables for future car design

US – MIT’s Self-Assembly Lab is partnering with BMW to develop inflatable materials for use in future automotive design.

The group working on the project have pioneered a new way for a 3D printer to producecomplex, inflatable forms that are made from 100% silicone rubber, and can morph and move on their own. The process, called Liquid Printed Pneumatics, injects liquified material into a tank of gel, which is then left to harden. Whilst hardening, the gel holds the material in place, preventing it from collapsing under the weight of gravity. Once formed, the chambers can be filled with air and programmed to inflate and deflate.

The project presents various opportunities for inflatable elements within car design, particularly for interiors. Martina Starke, head of brand vision and brand design for BMW explains: ‘We have more possibilities to use the interior of the space for different kinds of seating. For that, we think the interior could be modular. This material brings a lot of opportunities.’

For more innovations that will help shape the future of the mobility sector, see our far futures series.

MIT Inflatables, US

4. Snapchat’s dating mini-series moves to TV

Phone Swap

US – Fox Television has announced that Phone Swap, a Snapchat mini-series dedicated to dating, will debut on its channels this summer.

After transforming its Discover section into a place for premium video content, Snapchat has streamed a variety of shows including BBC’s Planet Earth. However Phone Swap, a reality dating show, will represent the first time that a social TV series moves from a mobile platform to mainstream television.

Phone Swap invites two strangers to exchange their phones in order to inspect each other’s digital content and portrayal of themselves, before deciding whether to go on a date. ‘It is a profound social experiment that speaks to the need to find love, to what we hold close to us and this phone being the repository of everything in our lives,’ says Stephen Brown, executive vice-president of development for Fox Television Stations.

5. Consumers surprisingly positive about data sharing

Despite recent scandals breaching data privacy, most consumers are taking a practical approach to the new General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR), which came into force on May 25. A new survey reveals that 51% of consumers across 10 global markets are what is described as ‘data pragmatists’, proposing they are happy to share personal data with businesses on a case-by-case basis, as long as the benefits are clear.

‘It will be a challenge to see how businesses can capitalise on this positive consumer attitude and ensure that consumers’ relationship with the data economy does not end with a reluctant acceptance of its existence’, says Chris Combemale, GDMA board member and CEO of the Direct Marketing Association.

6. Thought-starter: How upcycling is getting a luxurious makeover

Luxury brands are stepping into the circular economy with innovations that transform waste materials into covetable creations.

While some brands are exploring ways to speed up or streamline their manufacturing processes to get products to market faster than ever, others are looking to upcycling as a means of creating limited-edition, luxury collections. Vetements designer Demna Gvasalia and his team select vintage Levi’s to transform into fresh designs in a collaboration titled Vetements X Levi’s. Each new pair of jeans is made from two pairs of vintage Levi’s that are picked apart and restitched according to Vetements’ proprietary patterns.

Fashion isn’t the only luxury sector embracing upcycled materials, however. Luxury interior and homeware brands are also stepping into the circular economy. High-end homeware label Pentatonic, which creates upcycled desks and chairs that cost up to £2,500 ($3,330, €2,846), has won a commission from Starbucks to transform the waste from its UK cafes into upcycled editions of its signature Bean Chairs. The upholstery, frame and legs of the chairs are fashioned from waste bottles and cups, with Starbucks positioning the chairs as part of its continuing commitment to reduce its carbon footprint.

Read the full listicle here.