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Louis Vuitton brings La Beauté to life with immersive Soho pop-up

Courtesy of Louis Vuitton, US

US – Louis Vuitton has marked the launch of its first cosmetics line with a limited-time pop-up in New York’s Soho, transforming 104 Prince Street into a vivid showcase of La Beauté Louis Vuitton.

The activation immerses visitors in bold red décor, curved architecture and futuristic fixtures inspired by the company’s debut products: 55 LV Rouge lipsticks, 10 LV Baume balms and eight LV Ombres eyeshadow palettes. Designed under the creative direction of beauty guru Dame Pat McGrath, the space extends the brand’s heritage of artistry into beauty.

Guests enter through a portal of 28 digital screens before encountering mirrored orbs, monogram-shaped product stations and interactive rooms. These include a virtual try-on experience, personalised make-up consultations on iconic Verner Panton Cone Chairs, and Soho Corner, a screening room where the stories behind 10 signature shades are explored. At the heart of the space McGrath’s exclusive Beauty Station Trunk anchors the collection as both product display and objet d’art.

Open until the end of 2025, the pop-up positions Louis Vuitton’s entry into beauty as an immersive brand-building exercise that blends craft, luxury and innovation. Find more insights on how to create these immersive bricks-and-mortar stores in our Culture-coded Retail macrotrend report.

Strategic opportunity

Consider how digital entry points such as multiscreen installations or AR experiences can bridge your physical store with your brand’s digital universe

Knight Frank’s research signals the rise of wellness in luxury real estate

UK – In The Residence Report, released in September 2025, global real estate consultancy Knight Frank explores the future of luxury residential development. In addition to the significant rise in branded residences backed by fashion and automotive companies, the report examines the growing emphasis on wellness and longevity features.

As developers increasingly view health as central to value creation, the number of wellness-focused real estate projects has nearly tripled since 2017, according to the company’s data.

Olivia Houghton, The Future Laboratory’s director of insights and engagement and lead beauty, health, and wellness analyst, contributed to the report. She highlighted how new developments in Asia, the Middle East, Europe and the US are being designed to heal, connect and extend life.

In Dubai, SHA Residences are built to support circadian rhythms and microbiomes, while Six Senses Residences The Forestias in Bangkok feature soundproofed, sleep-enhancing bedrooms and infrared therapy. In London, modern apartments at The Whiteley will house a clinic focused on longevity and hormonal health, as well as a ‘biohacking park’.

Access the entire report now.

Six Senses, Vana

Strategic opportunity

Explore collaborations with biotech, supplement, and hormonal health companies to embed on-site or concierge wellness services within residential and hospitality portfolios

Foresight Friday: Dan Hastings, deputy foresight editor

Netflix, Global

Every Friday, The Future Laboratory team offers an end-of-week wrap-up of the topics, issues, ideas and virals we’re all talking about. This week, deputy foresight editor Dan Hastings dives into mountain dating, micro plas-dicks and the VMAs.

: Have you heard of Mountain Tinder? Started as a joke, this creative initiative invites hikers to leave messages in notebooks on Swiss mountain peaks to find companions who love hiking. For my latest report on The Future of Dating Apps, I was lucky enough to sit down with Hinge’s CMO Jackie Jantos to discuss why the company believes its mission is to support Gen Z by focusing on in-person, platonic community-building.

: Maybe the secret to pushing sustainability at a government level is to remind male legislators that ‘four out of five dicks are packing plastic’. That’s the genius idea behind Danish NGO Plastic Change, which produced Calvin Klein-inspired underwear ads, replacing genitals with plastic bottles. The goal was to challenge the mostly male politicians gathered at the UN in Geneva for the world’s largest plastics convention, and urge them to take action against microplastics. Read our Rebranding Sustainability series for more insights on this topic.

: In other news, Wednesday Addams wearing pink and dancing to the 2016 K-pop hit Boombayah was arguably the scariest part of Tim Burton’s entire masterpiece.

Quote of the week

‘I feared that somewhere along the way [...] I might hit a wall and possibly disappoint my 16-year-old self, who grew up always an oddball among society [who] wished someday she, too, could be herself and equally pursue her dreams just as well as anyone else I saw on television. Twelve years later, I dedicate this award to my 16-year-old self, who dreamed’

Rosé at the VMAs (source: Elle)

Stat: US adults are losing confidence in capitalism

MoneymBag$ by Mackenzie Freemire

US – Americans’ faith in capitalism is waning, according to new Gallup data. Just 54% of US adults now view capitalism positively, the lowest figure since the polling group began tracking the sentiment 15 years ago. In 2010, around 60% expressed support, with numbers holding steady until a downturn in 2018 and again after 2021.

By contrast, positive views of socialism have hovered around 39% since 2010, but this year marks a tipping point: a majority of Democrats (66%) rated socialism positively, compared with just 42% for capitalism. Republicans remain firmly supportive of capitalism (74% compared to 14% for socialism).

Americans are still enthusiastic about aspects of free enterprise. The survey found 95% of respondents support small businesses, while 81% back free enterprise. Yet big business fared poorly, with only 37% viewing it favourably – down from 58% in 2012.

The poll reflects wider disillusionment amid a tight job market, low consumer confidence and growing doubts that hard work guarantees upward mobility, raising questions about the resilience of the American Dream.

This aligns with findings from our New Codes of Value and Gen Z’s New Value System reports, which explore how evolving consumer mindsets are driving purchasing decisions.

Strategic opportunity

Collaborate with small businesses and local entrepreneurs to launch initiatives that strengthen community engagement and align with evolving consumer values