News 22.06.2021

Need to Know

Superflux speculates on resilient planetary health, Haeckels transforms a casino into a brand HQ and Japanese women share their make-up with men.

This speculative installation visualises climate hope

 Invocation for Hope by Superflux
 Invocation for Hope by Superflux
 Invocation for Hope by Superflux

Vienna – Speculative futures group Superflux is inviting viewers to experience the current destructive reality of climate change as well as a hopeful future.

Hosted at this year’s Vienna Biennale, the exhibition – called Invocation for Hope – welcomes visitors to walk through a grid of burned trees to reach a thriving, free-form forest. Upon reaching the centre, viewers are met with a pool that shows a reflection of thriving animals, representing hope, regrowth and resilience.

Superflux worked with forest and fire departments in Austria to source and transport hundreds of trees into the space inside the museum. The burnt trees featured have already been lost to wildfire, offering a tangible representation of climate change. We wanted to tell the story of our journey from current destructive human behaviour towards a hopeful future,says Anab Jain, co-founder of Superflux.

This project reflects the ideas we explore in Planetary Health, confirming the ways that consumers are becoming increasingly conscious of the connection between personal and environmental health. Explore this trend within Synchronised Care.

Libresse’s exhibition tackles period stigma in China

Libresse period campaign Libresse period campaign
Libresse period campaign Libresse period campaign

China – Periodcare brand Libresse is empowering Chinese women to talk more openly about their periods.

This year, the brand’s Stop Hiding Your Period campaign, which has been running for three years in China, focuses on encouraging women to prioritise their own needs over pleasing others to fit with society's expectations. To reflect this, Libresse has launched a private offline exhibition featuring artwork from female artists, with a live-stream available on Taobao.

The campaign is a response to the ongoing shame surrounding periods in China, with 87% of teenage girls in China feeling uncomfortable during their period, according to the Teenage Girls Physiology Health Insight Report. Libresse is also starting period conversations among everyday women through Chinese social media campaign #400 periods, 400 women, launched in line with International Menstrual Hygiene Day.

Find more campaigns and innovations supporting the future of women's health on our dedicated vertical.

Haeckels opens a beauty universe HQ

Margate, UK – Beauty brand Haeckels is taking over a disused casino in Margate, transforming it into a headquarters and brand space open to the public.

The destination, which the brand calls Haeckels Home, will include laboratories, growing rooms, making areas and beehives for creating the brand’s grown-to-order products. Alongside this, editing and recording suites will allow Haeckels to create digital content on-site. Elevating its experimental approach beyond traditional store environments, the brand will allow customers to watch products being mixed and bottled from a restaurant area in the casino’s former bar.

In addition, a beauty academy along with a skincare and fragrance school brings an educational element to the store. ‘For the next stage of Haeckels, we want to show you what we do rather than tell,’ says the brand in a statement.

By turning its brand ethos into an interactive store experience, Haeckels expands on ideas we explore in Elastic Brands – in which businesses are turning their workforces and retail spaces into transformable entities.

 Haeckels Home by  Haeckels

Stat: Japanese beauty buyers embrace gender-neutrality

Ms MIN, China Ms MIN, China

In Japan, changing consumer beauty behaviour suggests a growing opportunity for genderless cosmetics – as identified in a study by Cosme.

The research, which examined women’s attitudes to men’s beauty habits, found that more than 60% of women would be happy to share their cosmetics products with their boyfriends or husbands. This represents an 11% increase from the same survey in 2019, highlighting changing gender norms in the region. Meanwhile, 80% responded favourably to cosmetics brands that choose to feature men in their advertising campaigns.

These findings come at a time when more men are showing interest in skincare and make-up, using products that previously might have only been associated with women. As such, this indicates a major opportunity for gender-neutral cosmetics in the Japanese market.

In East Asia, masculinity is undergoing major change, with men turning to cosmetics brands to fulfil a next-generation beauty ideal of Soft Masculinity.

Previous News Articles
NRF 2025 Retail’s Big Show Europe: Community-centric strategies

News

NRF 2025 Retail’s Big Show Europe: Community-centric strategies

Day two of NRF 2025 Retail’s Big Show Europe continued the conference’s Retail Together theme, with business leaders spotlighting how community eng...
Retail : Community : Streetwear
Ralph Lauren launches AI styling companion with Microsoft

News

Ralph Lauren launches AI styling companion with Microsoft

Ralph Lauren has partnered with Microsoft to launch Ask Ralph, an AI-powered conversational styling tool designed to bring personalised fashion adv...
Technology : AI : Fashion
Stat: Preventative health, wellbeing and stress management drive consumer spending

News

Stat: Preventative health, wellbeing and stress management drive consumer spending

Life expectancy around the globe is set to rise by nearly five years between 2022 and 2050, yet the gap between lifespan and healthy lifespan remai...
Health & Wellness : Health Goods : Medical Services
NRF 2025 Retail’s Big Show Europe: Unified commerce and inspirational entertainment

News

NRF 2025 Retail’s Big Show Europe: Unified commerce and inspirational entertainment

On the opening day of NRF 2025: Retail’s Big Show Europe, the spotlight turned to unified commerce and the evolving role of physical stores in omni...
Retail : NRF : Pop Up Store
The Future Laboratory presents The Synthocene Era macrotrend at Première Vision

News

The Future Laboratory presents The Synthocene Era macrotrend at Première Vision

The Future Laboratory’s co-founder and chief creative officer Christopher Sanderson presented The Synthocene Era macrotrend at the fashion industry...
Global Events : Technology : The Synthocene Era
Gen Z in China are using AI to transform themselves into collectable merchandise

News

Gen Z in China are using AI to transform themselves into collectable merchandise

Gen Z in China are using AI art tools and 3D printing to transform themselves into ‘guzi’ – personalised collectable merchandise.
China : Kidults : Kidult Craze
Stat: Gen Z stay indoors for days as screen time replaces nature

News

Stat: Gen Z stay indoors for days as screen time replaces nature

Two-thirds of Gen Z in Britain confess they can go days without stepping outside, according to new research by Super, Natural British Columbia.
Gen Z : Nature : Health And Wellness
Big W embraces the beautiful chaos of parenting in new campaign

News

Big W embraces the beautiful chaos of parenting in new campaign

Department store chain Big W is shaking up family advertising with a bold new campaign celebrating the chaos, meltdowns and small wins of everyday ...
Advertising & Branding : Parenting : Retail
George at Asda unveils new adult adaptive clothing range

News

George at Asda unveils new adult adaptive clothing range

George at Asda has launched a 28-piece adult adaptive clothing collection, designed in collaboration with the late breast cancer campaigner Nicky N...
Retail : Fashion : George At Asda
Stat: Girls’ sport participation could unlock leadership potential at work

News

Stat: Girls’ sport participation could unlock leadership potential at work

Girls who play extracurricular sport in the UK are 50% more likely to go on to achieve senior professional roles at work, according to Game Changin...
Sport : Women's Sports : Teenage Girls
You have 2 free News articles remaining. Sign up to LS:N Global to get unlimited access to all articles.
BECOME A MEMBER
SIGN IN