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Tiffany & Co opens an anti-luxury store

Tiffany & Co Style Studio, Covent Garden, London

London – The Style Studio, in Covent Garden, is a new concept store from jeweller Tiffany & Co that marks a departure from the brand’s traditional luxury retail proposition.

Featuring a fragrance vending machine and on-the-spot jewellery engraving and leather embossing, the store is encouraging a more playful way of interacting with the brand. The interiors are also a far cry from the typical luxury jeweller, with neon signs and walls printed with T logos and the brand’s trademark blue. Employees also have a new dress code – rather than wearing formal uniforms, they are encouraged to dress casually and can even wear sneakers.

The new store is the next step in the brand’s aim to re-imagine luxury for the younger generation. In May, Tiffany & Co created a song in partnership with Spotify to promote its latest collection, which featured 20-year-old actress Elle Fanning and an original rap by A$AP Ferg.

Old Curiosity experiments with colour-changing gin

The Old Curiosity, Scotland

Edinburgh – The Old Curiosity Distillery has created two new gin flavours that change colour when mixed with tonic water.

Expanding on the brand’s first collection of colour-changing gins, which were debuted in February, the two new flavours are Geranium & Mallow – made with juniper, coriander, and winter savoury – and Damask Rose, which includes the distilled petals of the damask rose flower.

Although the gins are clear in colour, they both turn a ‘powerful pink' when the tonic water is added. The limited edition bottles, which are bottled at 46% proof, will be available from Harvey Nichols.

Charles Spence, professor of experimental psychology at the University of Oxford, recently debated the efficacy of clear and coloured drinks, where he acknowledged the Instagrammable qualities of uniquely coloured beverages.

Future UK homes will all have electric car chargers

UK – According to the government’s Road to Zero report, new homes built in the UK will soon be required to include charging points for electric vehicles.

Insufficient charging stations is considered to be a main reason why electric cars have taken so long to be adopted on a mass scale, according to Bloomberg. With this new requirement, alongside a plan to install charging points in lampposts near on-street parking, prospective drivers will be more open to transitioning to an electric vehicle.

In addition, the UK is also introducing a £400 million fund for companies that produce charging points, preparing the country’s infrastructure for a future without carbon-polluting cars.

This requirement will transform the way cities approach mobility, as governments will have no option but to fully invest in the Renewable Energy Market.

Volvo One Tonne House & C30 Electric car

iFly introduces virtual reality to indoor skydiving

iFly Virtual Reality

Texas – The world’s largest indoor skydiving operator is integrating virtual reality (VR) into its flying experiences.

Thrill-seekers at iFly locations across the US can wear a VR headset during their simulated flying experience, combining the sensation of free-falling with hyper-realistic visuals. The usage of VR has given iFly skydivers the opportunity to experience the previously inaccessible locations, such as Dubai, Hawaii, Southern California or the Swiss Alps.

As VR has matured, the medium has struggled to find its place in the home due to the experience being somewhat isolating. However, as iFly exemplifies, the key to its success may lie in the leisure industry and the renaissance of the video game arcade.

The Polish luxury market is booming

According to economic journal Rzeczpospolita, Polish spending on luxury goods is growing twice as fast as its GDP. Although watches, alcohol and cosmetics are contributing to the growth, the fasted growing sector is high-end jewellery, including diamonds, especially from foreign producers. The value of goods exported by Italian jewellery brands to Poland grew 15% in 2016, according to the country’s Central Statistical Office.

Poland’s lucrative luxury market, although underrepresented, is on the rise. Keep an eye on our sector for the emerging luxurians that your brand should know about.

Thought-starter: Is the at-home hair colour kit due a refresh?

Foresight editor Daniela Walker looks at the brands launching at-home kits with salon-quality dyes and precision application tools.

Colouring your hair has never been more popular – in a professional setting. With techniques such as ombré, balayage and rainbow-coloured hues dominating salon requests, at-home colour has struggled to be known for providing anything other than a messy but quick cover-up.

However, this is changing. Celebrity hair colourist Josh Wood launched his eponymous at-home line Josh Wood Colour system in February 2018. The ammonia and PPD-free products can be bought separately or together to build a suite of hair colouring tools and after care solutions.

Perhaps one of the greatest barriers to at-home colouring is the lack of expert help. But as more beauty brands embrace augmented reality, there is the potential to remake hair colouring tutorials. In autumn 2017, Redken collaborated with Perfect Corp to launch 75 professional hair colours through the company’s YouCam Makeup app, which lets users try different hair colours virtually.

Read the full Colour Refresh microtrend here.