France – French fashion brand Jacquemus has been given free rein over the iconic Galeries Lafayette Haussmann department store in Paris to showcase its latest collection.

The takeover of the store features Jacquemus-themed window displays and a series of pop-up shops selling the brand’s clothing and accessories. As we’ve observed in Hyperphysical Stores, this is an example of a bricks-and-mortar shop working hard to engage consumers by becoming a space for extraordinary and sensorial moments.

Large-scale installations are featured throughout Jacquemus’ takeover, including a massive version of the fashion label’s infamously small Bambino bag and a giant toaster that ejects Jacquemus-branded slices of bread. The collaboration marks the first time Galeries Lafayette has handed over its flagship space to an individual brand.

In honour of this partnership, Jacquemus created a selection of handbags exclusive to the department store, including a mini-Bambino in denim and a Chiquito in smooth beige leather. Jacquemus’ takeover will be until 2 April.

Denmark – After interviewing 18,000 children aged 6–12 worldwide, the Lego Group identified a gap in its offer regarding the representation of children’s friendships. That’s why the company has introduced a new set of characters as part of its Lego Friends universe with a wider variety of skin tones, cultural backgrounds, disabilities and neurodiversity.

Available in the toys section and an accompanying series hosted on its YouTube channel, these new characters aim to represent the importance of friendship, wellbeing and emotional diversity. According to the study, two in three kids (68%) want to see more toys and characters portray different emotions to reflect real life better.

Child psychologist Laverne Antrobus commented on the research saying: ‘It’s encouraging that children want to see diverse friendships represented in the content they watch and the toys they play with.’ In The Zalpha Reckoning, we previously highlighted how a hybrid generation of Zalphas wise beyond their years are entering brands’ consciousness and pushing for more social justice.

UK – A pulse check on the proportion of women in boardroom roles in Britain’s largest listed companies reveals significant progress. As of 2023, only 10 of the FTSE 350 companies still have all-male executive teams, the lowest recorded number.

Ahead of International Women’s Day, the government-backed review assessed gender equality on the boards of FTSE 350 companies, revealing that the voluntary target of 40% women on boards by 2025 was met three years ahead of schedule. The review credits businesses with a push for diversity and a collective effort which effectively led to change despite no top-down quotas or legislation.

While these results are promising, the report notes that women account for 51% of the British population, leaving businesses room for improvement to reflect that proportion in their leadership. As it stands, only three FTSE 350 companies have more than 50% women boards – Burberry Group, with 54%, followed by clothing retailer Next (53%) and Sainsbury’s (51%).

The increasing number of women on boards despite the lack of top-down interventions or regulations is a hopeful development for workplace futures, given that leaders are committed to consistently showing up for underprivileged groups.