LSN : Daily Signals : Stat: Circular fashion set to make strides in the Middle East in 2024

Smoking Kills becomes Loneliness Kills in new campaign

Loneliness Kills by Revolt London, UK

UK – Smoking kills, and so does loneliness. A campaign by creative consultancy Revolt is taking cues from anti-tobacco messaging to raise awareness of the issue and encourage random acts of kindness.

According to the World Health Organization, loneliness has the same impact on the human body as smoking 15 cigarettes a day, leading to health issues such as depression, anxiety, alcoholism and drug abuse. Revolt took inspiration from these chilling facts to create the Loneliness Kills campaign. Using the visual language of cigarette and tobacco brands, the campaign was imagined to evoke familiarity to draw attention to the devastating adverse effects of isolation, inviting people to reach out to friends, family and strangers.

‘The goal was not to glamourise or normalise harmful habits but to repurpose existing visual cues, prompting reflection on how powerfully branding graphics can influence perception and behaviour,’ explains Myron Darlington, head of design at Revolt London.

While this campaign uses graphic design to tackle the pervasive issue of loneliness, find out how tech is also filling this gap in our AI Companionship Market.

Strategic opportunity

Take cues from Revolt’s activation and consider re-interpreting familiar imagery or repurposing existing assets for social good – aligning with meaningful causes and raising awareness of pressing issues with maximum impact for a fraction of the cost

Gucci transforms vault legacy into vintage treasure trove

Gucci Vault creative by Max Siedentopf, Italy

Italy – Gucci’s digital-only imprint, Gucci Vault, is set to undergo a transformative evolution, giving rise to Gucci Vintage, a venture celebrating the intrinsic value of Gucci’s storied past. Driven by the success of recent auctions, where vintage Gucci pieces achieved staggering prices, Gucci Vintage is a dedicated endeavour to curate and spotlight the Maison’s timeless classics. Acting as a shoppable digital museum, it promises to excavate, recondition and customise iconic Gucci totems, offering a curated collection that transcends eras.

‘Gucci Vintage represents a deliberate and focused continuation of the experimental path established with Gucci Vault,’ a Gucci spokesperson told Highsnobiety. ‘As we move forward, collaborations, a hallmark of Gucci Vault, will be halted. Instead, Gucci aims to strategically consolidate and elevate vintage projects, uniting them under the cohesive banner of Gucci.’ By eliminating partnerships, the brand aims to consolidate and elevate vintage projects strategically, emphasising each piece’s craftsmanship and timelessness.

As explored in our Luxury Redrafted macrotrend report, Gucci is beginning a new chapter that focuses on authenticity instead of short-lived virality. The Italian brand now invites enthusiasts to delve into the brand’s magic, fostering a deeper connection with the Maison’s rich legacy.

Strategic opportunity

Consider curating special collections that highlight the timeless and iconic items from your brand’s past, capitalising on the demand for authenticity and nostalgia

Start-up Retro Biosciences wants humans to live 10 years longer

US – Silicon Valley’s most secretive longevity start-up, Retro Biosciences, is finally pulling back the curtains after two years of operating in near secrecy. In an article published by Bloomberg in December 2023, the company discussed its work in detail for the first time, providing exciting new insights into the pursuit of longevity.

Founded by Joe Betts-LaCroix, Matt Buckley and Sheng Ding in 2021, Retro Biosciences has an ambitious plan to give an extra 10 years of healthy life to every human. The company’s high-risk, high-cost strategy of pursuing five tracks of research is made possible by one investor, Sam Altman, OpenAI’s co-founder and CEO.

Altman’s £142.5m ($180m, €164.3m) investment has allowed Retro Biosciences to research breakthroughs in autophagy (the removal of damaged cells), the rejuvenation of blood plasma, and three research programmes linked to partial cell reprogramming, a process in which older cells are treated with a combination of proteins or molecules and turned into much younger cells.

This insight into Retro Biosciences’ work reinforces much of our Longevity Lifestyles macrotrend report, in which we explored the rise of longevity as not merely an innovation that delays death, but one that optimises life.

AI imagery by The Future Laboratory, UK

Strategic opportunity

Longevity can feel esoteric and overwhelming to many consumers. Introduce the concept gradually and optimistically with products that focus on enhancing quality of life rather than disrupting death

Stat: Circular fashion set to make strides in the Middle East in 2024

The Giving Movement in collaboration with Yoox, Dubai

GCC – How big is the market for circular fashion in the Middle East? Luxury retailer, distributor and consultancy Chalhoub Group has looked into consumer behaviours and opportunities in luxury re-commerce in the GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council).

Chalhoub Group’s Circular Fashion Potential in the GCC report is the first white paper of its kind in the region. The study suggests that consumer mindsets are changing, with heightened interest in circularity across all price levels, as one third of GCC consumers have purchased pre-loved items and another third are planning to do so in the future. The most coveted categories for second-hand products are bags (20%), watches (18%) and jewellery (16%), and the main motives for choosing pre-loved are affordability (43%) and access to limited editions (40%). In parallel, seven in 10 consumers have resold items in 2023, mainly to make money (42%) or to finance new purchases (41%).

These figures reflect how consumer behaviour is evolving in the Middle East as circular business models are embraced by luxury brands and retailers globally. Look out for our upcoming coverage decoding opportunities in the luxury sector in the GCC.

Strategic opportunity

As a business, you have a role to play in reframing re-commerce and circularity as attractive propositions that can be synonymous with luxury. Can you alleviate key consumer concerns preventing pre-loved adoption, such as authenticity or quality control?