Daily Signals 28.03.2023

Signals

A fashion opera in the metaverse, Levi’s turning to AI models for diversity, and why Instagram remains the preferred social platform for branding.

A genre-bending fashion opera lands in the metaverse

#Capital by Alastair White for Metaverse Fashion Week 2023

Global – Metaverse Fashion Week 2023 is starting with an avant-garde event – a cross-disciplinary opera experience blending music, architecture and fashion in a bespoke digital venue in Web3.

Staged in the House of Synergos, a digital venue designed by Sybarite Architects in Decentraland’s Dragon City, the #Capital fashion-opera performance is as much an opera as a runway. This immersive work is a ‘tale of dematerialisation and symbolism’ that re-imagines the relationships and intersections between garments and music.

Sponsored by TONG agency, a collective of artists and designers collaborated to bring this one-of-a-kind experience to life – Scottish composer Alastair White wrote the score, and Gemma A Williams curated the fashion collection featuring the designs of Chinese brand Chenpeng.

The opening number of Metaverse Fashion Week shows that with the correct dose of creativity and innovation, Web3 can be conducive to fashion experiences and sow the seeds of nascent artistic genres.

Strategic opportunity

The digital fashion opera shows how arts and tech can collide into new genres. Ask yourself how mixing mediums could breed multi-disciplinary and multi-sensorial Betterverse experiences

Ritz-Carlton adds two new yachts to its fleet

The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection, US The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection, US
The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection, US The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection, US

US – Ritz-Carlton has added Ilma and Luminara, two new luxury vessels, to its Yacht Collection. Set to sail in 2024 and 2025, the super-yachts aim to set new luxury standards in the cruise industry.

Features of the new super-yachts include the highest space ratios at sea, with 228 suites, each with its own private terrace. Two new spacious upper suite categories will also measure 100 square metres (1,076 square feet). Both vessels will showcase modern craftsmanship and interior finishes created by the London-based architect and design firm AD Associates and award-winning lighting designer DPA. Finnish yacht stylist Aivan is set to develop the exteriors – taking inspiration from the elegant aesthetics of private yacht design.

The itineraries offer an all-inclusive seven or 10 nights in the Caribbean and Mediterranean, although all the super-yachts are also available for private charter. The expansion of the Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection aligns with industry expectations of a post-pandemic return of global revenues from cruising, ­as highlighted in our Cruise Ship Market report.

Strategic opportunity

The cruise ship market is a significant growth opportunity for high-end hospitality brands aiming to reach an increasingly demanding international luxury clientele craving a five-star hotel experience on the ground and at sea

Levi’s to experiment with AI models to enhance diversity

US – Levi’s has announced plans to feature digital models generated by artificial intelligence (AI) on its website to showcase more diversity. Amy Gershkoff Bolles, Levi’s global head of digital and emerging technology strategy, announced the company’s new partnership with digital studio LaLaLand.ai at the BoF Professional Summit on Technology on 22 March.

The iconic denim brand hopes AI will supplement its existing roster of models with a more extensive mix of sizes, body types, ages and skin colours to create what it describes as ‘a more personal and inclusive shopping experience’. ‘It would be impossible for us to have models that cover every combination of race, ethnicity, age, body size, body type,’ said Gershkoff Bolles to justify the decision.

In the Betterverse, we previously looked at how organisations large and small can use the metaverse to build better worlds by placing people and ethics first. Levi’s hints at new opportunities and risks for brands trying to appeal to a diverse audience via an AI third party.

Levi Strauss & Co. and Lalaland.ai, US

Strategic opportunity

Diverse representation in an e-shop is no longer enough. Under-represented communities will demand a real commitment to diversity and inclusion that AI can’t deliver on its own

Stat: Instagram remains preferred social platform for branding

Photography by Polina Tankilevitch Photography by Polina Tankilevitch

Global – According to a survey conducted by Glossy and Modern Retail for Q1 2023, consumer brands and retailers chose Instagram as the best social media channel for both branding and driving sales conversions. Some 69% chose Instagram as best for branding, while TikTok came second, with 15%.

In contrast to Instagram, Facebook was not a preferred branding tool, with only 9% of respondents listing it as their top choice. But they did recognise the platform as a sales driver: it came in second place after Instagram, with 28% of those surveyed saying it was the best. TikTok’s popularity in helping brands go viral did not go unrecognised ­– 18% of respondents chose it as their number one platform for driving sales conversions, putting it in third place overall.

As social media plays an increasingly bigger role in communicating branding and creating sales conversions, we explore how online visual merchandising will need to overcome its structural barriers to create quality, aspirational relatability and entertainment in our Digital Display Futures report.

Strategic opportunity

Using AI and unexpected but authentic influencer partnerships can help brands reach new audiences on Instagram despite it feeling oversaturated already

Previous Daily Signals Articles
Swedish campaign encourages doctors to prescribe visits

Daily Signals

Swedish campaign encourages doctors to prescribe visits

Visit Sweden has launched The Swedish Prescription, making it ‘the first country in the world prescribed by doctors’.
Health : Travel : Tourism
Airbnb and Strava champion countryside run-cations

Daily Signals

Airbnb and Strava champion countryside run-cations

Airbnb and Strava are tapping into ‘the rural run-cation’, staycations built around scenic runs, fresh air and connection with friends. As explored...
Sports : Travel And Hospitality : Health And Wellness
Stat: Gen Z lead European travel boom with highest spending and trip frequency

Daily Signals

Stat: Gen Z lead European travel boom with highest spending and trip frequency

Gen Z are driving a significant surge in European travel, outspending and out-travelling all other generations, according to MMGY’s 2025 Portrait o...
Travel
Rosewood leans into modern luxury with refreshed brand identity

Daily Signals

Rosewood leans into modern luxury with refreshed brand identity

Luxury hotel group Rosewood is repositioning itself as a lifestyle and cultural leader, with a focus on storytelling and experiential travel.
Luxury : Hospitality : Rosewood
Foresight Friday: Olivia Houghton, insights and engagement director

Daily Signals

Foresight Friday: Olivia Houghton, insights and engagement director

Every Friday, we offer an end-of-week wrap-up of the topics, issues, ideas and virals we’re all talking about. This week, insights and engagement d...
Culture : Beauty : Fashion
Stat: Study shows decline in social media use among younger adults

Daily Signals

Stat: Study shows decline in social media use among younger adults

Adults are spending less time on social media, following a peak three years ago. By the end of 2024, those aged 16 or older were spending an averag...
Media : Technology : Statistic
Ulta Beauty opens UB Marketplace to 100 emerging brands

Daily Signals

Ulta Beauty opens UB Marketplace to 100 emerging brands

Ulta Beauty has launched UB Marketplace, a new online platform introducing more than 100 emerging beauty and wellness brands to its website and app...
Beauty : Retail : Ecommerce
Travel platform Curated Spaces is powered by trusted tastemakers

Daily Signals

Travel platform Curated Spaces is powered by trusted tastemakers

Travel start-up Curated Spaces has launched a booking platform that puts personal style, trusted recommendations and curated experiences at the hea...
Travel : Hospitality : Digital
Stat: Gen Z women are shaping a new liberal majority in the US

Daily Signals

Stat: Gen Z women are shaping a new liberal majority in the US

New polling highlights a sharp political gender gap within Gen Z, positioning young women as the most liberal demographic in the US, according to a...
Youth : Politics : Gen Z
Heineken transforms Seoul’s rooftops into social sanctuaries

Daily Signals

Heineken transforms Seoul’s rooftops into social sanctuaries

Heineken is transforming Seoul’s empty rooftops into vibrant social spaces as part of a new campaign combatting urban loneliness and removing barri...
Culture : Drink : Loneliness
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