Need to Know
16 : 01 : 18

New York – Design duo Roman and Williams has opened its first furniture store in Manhattan. The showroom plays on the old-fashioned idea of a guild by creating a space not only for the pair's own designs but also those of inspirational designers from around the world, an idea that can be seen extending beyond the design sector and into the world of fashion.

The showroom is therefore divided into three parts – founding, which is a showcase for Roman and Williams’ own designs; community, an area dedicated to the objects of other makers, and found, objects or antiques with a story.

The inclusion of La Mercerie Café run by chef Marie-Aude Rose, a flower boutique by Emily Thompson and a library space run by Phaidon, creates a destination in which visitors can relax and experience the space.

As explored in our Home-tail microtrend, brands are re-inventing the showroom by offering a less clinical approach to selling and instead demonstrating how their products can fit into everyday life by curating them to resemble a domestic space.

China – The start-up pitches its self-driving vehicle concept as a modular platform rather than simply a mode of transport. With a detachable chassis and car body, the modularity of the vehicle means it can be fitted for different uses – for instance, one prototype was equipped with a robotic barista arm to become a mobile café.

PIX also wants to revolutionise the automotive industry with its distributed model of car manufacturing. Using technologies such as 3D printing, artificial intelligence and industrial robots, PIX believes it can reduce manufacturing cost by 60%. Although still in the protoype phase, PIX represents another opportunity for Micro-retail, rethinking the car as a service rather than solely as a product.

A study by Pew Research shows that ideas around what it means to be a man nowadays may not have evolved as much as popular culture suggests. While there has been a shift towards greater Male Positivity and an acceptance that definitions of masculinity are expansive, men still feel social pressure not to reveal their true emotions perhaps for fear of being perceived as weak. In our upcoming New Masculinity series we explore how brands can assist men in asserting their masculinity, beyond the traditional parameters.