News 16.12.2020

Need to Know

RTFKT’s fluid phygital sneaker sells in online auction, Feets destigmatises foot care for men and time in lockdown broadens job ambitions for young Britons.

A phygital sneaker that evolves with online bids

The X by RTFKT

Global – The X Evolutions is a unique trainer created by RTFKT, a collective of phygital creators, that evolves through an AI (artificial intelligence) painting technique.

Marking the first evolutive digital sneaker ever to be created, the procedural technique played out during an online auction on RTFKT’s MetaGrail platform. Designed in collaboration with artist MGSX, the final design sold for over £9,700 ($13,000, €10,500) via blockchain currency Ethereum. The X Evolutions final design includes a physical sneaker, a digital iteration that can be worn as an avatar in Sandbox and a version for an AR try-on experiences on Snapchat.

The AI technique results in an entirely unique design that can exist in multiple formats. Through blockchain technology, designers, buyers and sellers are granted a form of generative ownership that remains nascent in the realm of virtual trading.

With decentralised brand economies coming to the fore, we spoke to Drew Harding and Hammad Jutt, co-founders of MetaFactory, to explore more about cryptocurrency and its potential to redefine retail.

This digital platform gamifies vulva acceptance

Different Is Normal app by Thompson Brand Partners for Brook, UK Different Is Normal app by Thompson Brand Partners for Brook, UK
Different Is Normal app by Thompson Brand Partners for Brook, UK Different Is Normal app by Thompson Brand Partners for Brook, UK

UK – Studio Thompson Brand Partners has unveiled Love Your Vulva, a web app that aims to educate young people about their vulvas.

Developed for sexual health charity Brook in partnership with healthcare brand Canesten, the online quizzes and activities virtualise the in-school learning that Brook was unable to conduct in 2020 due to Covid-19. The app covers a wide range of vagina-related content including body confidence, pleasure and female genital mutilation (FGM). Even including a ‘build your own vulva’ feature where users can create personalised vaginas digitally while learning how to label their own sexual organs.

Using design to draw the line between scientific and cartoonish imagery, the app seeks to be approachable as well as informative. Opting out of traditional search engines displaying ‘reams and reams of text on a page’ and intentionally incorporating elements of play within the platform, the app is designed to be as interactive as possible.

A wave of design-savvy initiatives like this are challenging the taboo around feminine hygiene. For more discover The Vagina Reconsidered.

Feets’ foot masks encourage male self-care

Feets Feets

US – Feets is a new brand that encourages men to take better care of their feet.

Launching with a simple foot mask, the brand plans to expand its offering to an assortment of foot care essentials tailored to the specific preferences of men. The Hydrating Foot Mask, offered in packs of three, is available in larger sizes than common footmasks available for women – up to a size 14. Combining tea tree, witch hazel and ginger, among other ingredients, the masks are designed to provide a simple and effective way of revitalising dry feet.

'Seeing the trend of more men getting pedicures at spas and salons, we really thought there was an opportunity to create a line of foot care products that helped men take care of their feet,' explains Jay Bhankharia, co-founder of Feets.

After a rise in Middle Man wellness, new products are emerging in less common parts of men's care routines, such as their feet, in a bid to destigmatise this side of personal care.

Stat: Furlancing hints at the future of work

Finding a Digital Letter-form by Gang Buron-Yi Finding a Digital Letter-form by Gang Buron-Yi

According to a poll by banking app Anna and YouGov, young people on furlough in the UK have entrepreneurial ambitions amid life in lockdown.

When surveyed, 19% of 18–34-year-olds said they plan to start a business or go self-employed within 12 months, while 29% said they are thinking about setting up their own business and 12% are looking to set up a side hustle alongside their current job.

The research coins the term ‘furlancer’ to describe those who have been furloughed due to the pandemic and are starting new businesses to make extra money. As unemployment rises and excess free time becomes the norm, the report suggests that the move towards multiple jobs will be commonplace for young Britons.

For more on how young people, especially Generation Z, are using lockdown to re-evaluate their career goals, see our recent macrotrend, Reformation Generation.

Previous News Articles
Dutch Pavilion re-imagines the sports bar at Venice Architecture Biennale

News

Dutch Pavilion re-imagines the sports bar at Venice Architecture Biennale

Curated by Amanda Pinatih and designed by Gabriel Fontana, Sidelined re-imagines the traditional sports bar as a welcoming, non-binary social space.
The Netherlands : Venice Architecture Biennale : Design
Primark’s Never Basic campaign champions quality and style at affordable prices

News

Primark’s Never Basic campaign champions quality and style at affordable prices

Primark is spotlighting affordable fashion essentials with the launch of its new spring/summer campaign, Never Basic – Standout Quality.
Primark : Fashion : Value Redefined
Stat: Clubbing culture enters its Flat Age era

News

Stat: Clubbing culture enters its Flat Age era

A new survey by YouGov challenges stereotypes about age and nightlife culture.
Nightlife : Clubbing : Flat Agers
Olivier Rousteing re-imagines whisky with Johnnie Walker

News

Olivier Rousteing re-imagines whisky with Johnnie Walker

Johnnie Walker has unveiled its first collaboration under its new luxury platform Johnnie Walker Vault, partnering with French couture de...
Fashion : Luxury : Drink
The global happiness curve is flattening for Gen Z

News

The global happiness curve is flattening for Gen Z

The long-established U-shaped happiness curve – high in youth, dipping in midlife and rising again in old age – appears to be flattening.
Gen Z : Health : Wellness
Stat: The human touch is still crucial for luxury shoppers

News

Stat: The human touch is still crucial for luxury shoppers

Despite the growing presence of AI in customer service, new research from Ventrica suggests the human touch remains a key driver of posit...
Luxury : Retail : Stat
Koto NYC weaves humanity into Uniqode’s digital-first brand identity

News

Koto NYC weaves humanity into Uniqode’s digital-first brand identity

Design agency Koto NYC has reimagined QR code management platform Uniqode’s brand identity.
Design : Technology : Branding
Foresight Friday: Rose Coffey, senior foresight analyst

News

Foresight Friday: Rose Coffey, senior foresight analyst

Every Friday, we offer an end-of-week wrap-up of the topics, issues, ideas and virals we’re all talking about. This week, senior foresight analyst ...
Foresight Friday : Fashion : Design
Stat: US consumers turn to buy now, pay later for groceries amid recession fears

News

Stat: US consumers turn to buy now, pay later for groceries amid recession fears

One in four Americans are now using buy now, pay later (BNPL) services to finance groceries, up from 14% last year, according to a recent LendingTr...
Retail : Finance : Food
Sweaty Betty champions body confidence with Wear the Damn Shorts campaign

News

Sweaty Betty champions body confidence with Wear the Damn Shorts campaign

Sweaty Betty is back with a powerful new chapter of its Wear the Damn Shorts campaign, confronting women’s leg-related insecurities head-on.
Advertising : Sports : Wellness
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