News 29.11.2022

Need to Know

WASP proposes a new eco-sustainable housing model, Vestiaire Collective bans fast fashion and US adults are too stressed to function

A decentralised living model inspired by space

Itaca by WASP, Italy
Itaca by WASP, Italy
Itaca by WASP, Italy

Italy – 3D printing specialist WASP, most recently known for its work on Christian Dior’s Dubai pop-up store, is furthering its reputation with the launch of a new housing eco-system.

The project, Itaca, comprises a selection of technical solutions and eco-conscious materials that work cooperatively to create a circular micro-economy. While the first house is yet to be built on a plot of land near Bologna, the proposed model will accommodate up to four people, and enable them to live without electricity, water and gas connections. The alternative system utilises a photovoltaic solar system for energy, geothermal HVAC for cooling in summer or heating in winter, and is capable of harvesting rain water for irrigation and drinking water.

The company hopes the project will be ‘a solution to the social, energy, climate and mass migration crisis’, and uses space as inspiration for resilient architecture. ‘Getting a place as harsh as the Moon to be inhabited is hard to imagine, but science says it can be done. Why don’t we apply the same technologies here on Earth, to get even the most extreme environments to be hospitable?,’ says Massimo Moretti, founder of WASP.

Strategic opportunity

The infrastructure of cities and habitable spaces must be able to accommodate the future needs of our communities and planet. Decentralised housing models could provide food, energy and economic independence while maintaining environmental balance.

Resale platform Vestiaire Collective bans fast fashion

Global – As the resale fashion market experiences a boost, one platform is saying a hard no to fast fashion brands. Paris-based Vestiaire Collective has issued a list of banned fast fashion brands that it believes jar with its certified B Corp status.

Brands on the banned list include Asos, Boohoo, Burton, Coast, Dorothy Perkins, Karen Millen, Miss Selfridge, Missguided, Nasty Gal, Oasis, Pretty Little Thing, Shein, Tezenis, Topman, Topshop (and collaborations) and Warehouse. These are all brands, according to the company, that meet fast fashion criteria of low product quality, poor working conditions for garment workers and significant carbon footprint.

The decision was prompted by a team visit to Kantamanto market in Ghana – the largest for second-hand clothing in West Africa – led by the Or Foundation – which demonstrated how most of the garments are of such poor quality that they are sent to landfill. The decision marks a growing push-back against the wastefulness of fast fashion and towards driving more circular models of fashion consumption, as we detail in Resale Redux.

Vestiaire Collective, France

Strategic opportunity

Brands must create more personalised relationships with consumers through repair or reconsignment messaging, especially when built into e-commerce eco-systems that focus on circularity. Future consumers will demand no less.

More than a quarter of US adults are too stressed to function

Rebranding Mental Health for Refinery29. Photography by Flora Maclean Rebranding Mental Health for Refinery29. Photography by Flora Maclean

US – A poll from the American Psychological Association shows that the average US citizen is facing uncontrollable stressors, with 27% reporting that most days they are so stressed they cannot function.

Conducted by The Harris Poll, the nationwide survey also reveals that big-picture issues such as racial tension and political climate are weighing heavily on citizens. A majority of adults cited inflation (83%), violence and crime (75%), the current political climate (66%) and the racial climate (62%) as significant sources of stress.

There is significant pessimism – and distress – revealed throughout the poll’s results. In particular, 72% of the members of the LGBTQ+ community reported feeling that their rights are under attack, which is a higher proportion than non-LGBTQ+ adults (64%). Younger adult women (aged 18–34) were more likely to report that most days their stress is completely overwhelming than older women (62% versus 48% of 35–44s; 27% among 45–64s; 9% of those aged 65+). Some 75% of Black adults said that the racial climate in the US is a significant source of stress.

Strategic opportunity

There are opportunities for businesses to bridge the healthcare gap and step further into the mental wellness sector through physical locations; for example, as detailed in Retail Therapy. In the Guilded Luxury macrotrend we foresee luxury brands moving further into the medical care field as wellbeing becomes a luxury aspiration.

Previous News Articles
Social media star Kai Cenat launches Streamer University

News

Social media star Kai Cenat launches Streamer University

Twitch sensation Kai Cenat has launched Streamer University, a weekend-long experience for aspiring creators to collaborate, learn and produce cont...
Media : Entertainment : Education
De Beers to close its lab-grown diamond jewellery brand

News

De Beers to close its lab-grown diamond jewellery brand

De Beers Group has announced the closure of Lightbox, its lab-grown diamond jewellery brand, signalling a strategic retreat from the synthetic jewe...
Luxury : Sustainability : Jewellery
Financial mansplaining endures for a majority of British women

News

Financial mansplaining endures for a majority of British women

Gender bias in money matters is pushing British women out of financial conversations, according to new research commissioned by digital wealth mana...
Finance : Diversity : Inclusion
Avanade Intelligent Garden gives trees a voice at Chelsea Flower Show

News

Avanade Intelligent Garden gives trees a voice at Chelsea Flower Show

This year’s RHS Chelsea Flower Show invites visitors to interact with AI-enabled trees in the Avanade Intelligent Garden.
Technology : Nature : Sustainability
ITV launches deaf-led drama with BSL and silent ad break

News

ITV launches deaf-led drama with BSL and silent ad break

ITV is pushing the boundaries of inclusive storytelling with the launch of its new prime time drama Code of Silence, starring BAFTA-winning actor a...
Media : Diversity : Inclusion
Stat: Boomerang generation return home due to cost of living crisis

News

Stat: Boomerang generation return home due to cost of living crisis

The rising cost of living and unaffordable housing are fuelling a surge in adult children returning to the family home.
Family : Home : Youth
Manchester City brings grassroots spirit to kit launch

News

Manchester City brings grassroots spirit to kit launch

Manchester City Football Club has marked the launch of its 2025/2026 home kit with a short film that playfully blends football fandom, nostalgia an...
Sports : Design : Creative
Vinted tops France’s fashion market as second-hand sales surge

News

Vinted tops France’s fashion market as second-hand sales surge

Second-hand platform Vinted has overtaken Amazon and Kiabi to become France’s top clothing retailer by sales volume, according to new data from the...
Fashion : Sustainability : Retail
Stat: Nearly half of UK shoppers prefer in-store retail – but body image challenges persist

News

Stat: Nearly half of UK shoppers prefer in-store retail – but body image challenges persist

As consumers’ desire for in-person connection increases, nearly half of UK shoppers now prefer to shop in-store, according to new research.
Stats : Stat : Retail
China’s online sports and equipment sales are booming

News

China’s online sports and equipment sales are booming

The sports apparel and equipment sector continues to be one of the highest-growth key consumer sectors in China, according to brand agency Hot Pot ...
China : Sports : HotPot China
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