Need to Know

London – This digital office allows freelancers to find work, manage projects and carry out business admin in one place.

As a one-stop platform for freelance workers, UnderPinned provides simple tools for portfolio-building, project management, invoicing and automated contracts. The virtual office not only aims to bring together every aspect of a freelancer’s working life, but also helps to tackle common issues, such as late payments.

‘Freelancing offers amazing flexibility and freedom, but establishing yourself in this world can be challenging,’ says founder Albert Azis-Clauson. In addition to the online hub, UnderPinned has opened a physical space in east London where it will host workshop and mentoring sessions, as well as providing members with a co-working space. They will also have exclusive access to counselling, legal advice and tax helplines, and a network of shared working spaces across the UK in partnership with Dispace.

As the number of remote and self-employed workers increases, new opportunities to serve their needs are emerging. For more on the future of work, explore our dedicated Far Futures vertical.

New York – Laws of Motion, a nascent direct-to-consumer womenswear brand, aims to disrupt the apparel industry’s standard sizing systems.

Launching with its Alpha dress, the brand is harnessing data science to ensure a better fit for its customers, offering sizes spanning 00 to 24, with 99 micro-sizes within that range. To achieve this level of personalised fashion, Laws of Motion uses a combination of algorithms, modern manufacturing techniques and data sets. ‘We took a million data points on women’s bodies,’ explains Carly Bigi, founder of Laws of Motion. ‘We got data on 10,000 real women’s bodies, and we aggregated 99 micro-sizes that account for shape and size.’

Those wishing to buy the dress firstly take a fit quiz, submitting details such as their age, height, weight, bra size and other brands that fit them best, before a proprietary algorithm determines an ideal size. A digital pattern of the garment is then laser-cut and finished in under 10 minutes, with each made to order to reduce waste. Laws of Motion is the latest example of how a new wave of digital tools are helping to redefine sizing in fashion.

Many companies are struggling to scale sustainable initiatives, according to the Pulse of the Fashion Industry 2019 report. The annual study from Global Fashion Agenda measures sustainability performance in the fashion sector using its Pulse Score. The most recent findings show that sustainable solutions are not being implemented fast enough to mitigate the environmental and social impacts of the industry, which itself continues to grow.

While the 2019 Pulse Score shows that the industry’s sustainability has improved over the past 12 months, it has done so at a slower rate than the previous year. This year, the fashion sector’s Pulse Score increased by four points to 42 (out of 100), compared with a rise of six points in 2018, meaning that measurable progress has slowed. For a consumer-facing perspective on encouraging sustainability in fashion, read our interview with Dr Daniel Benkendorf of the Fashion Institute of Technology.