Need to Know
27 : 02 : 18

London – Created by industrial design agency Morrama, the Angle Razor is a new take on the straight razor, redesigned for today’s male consumer. Tapping into concerns around sustainability, the all-metal product tackles the waste plastic produced by its disposable counterparts, 2bn of which are thrown away every year, according to the brand.

Angle is a nod to the traditional cut-throat razor, but redesigned with a weighted handle to give better control. That brings the user as close to holding the razor blade as possible to enable a more precise trim. The modern male beauty consumer is looking for lifestyle products designed with aesthetics in mind, something that Morrama has incorporated into both the elegant design of the product itself and the branding, which mimics the design-led approach more typically associated with women’s beauty products.

US – Health and wellness company Nutrigene is expanding its offering with a new service that enables consumers to upload their DNA data and receive a personalised supplement plan in return.

Nutrigene asks customers to fill out an online questionnaire, choose a plan – such as improved performance or optimised gut health – and upload their 23andMe data, which will offer a full picture of the individual’s nutritional needs. Consumer interest in gut health is on the rise, as researchers explore how a healthy microbiome not only affects physical but also mental wellbeing.

While the science underpinning nutrigenetics is still in its early stages, it is a rapidly growing sector that is piquing consumer interest, something that we will explore in our forthcoming Q&A with Nebula Genomics.

London – Published by art journalist Eddy Frankel and gallery director Justin Hammond, OFF is a new biannual print magazine that looks at the intersection between art and sport. Exploring football-related art, from 16th-century Dutch painting to contemporary video installations, the first issue includes a feature examining contemporary artist Chris Ofili’s obsession with footballer Mario Balotelli.

Echoing the need for a multifaceted approach to sports media, as exemplified by Caricom magazine, OOF adds a new voice to the conversation that diverges from mainstream football journalism. ‘Every day, football does with ease what art constantly tries to do: it makes people feel,’ says co-founder Frankel. ‘And because it plays such an important part in the everyday lives of so many people in the world, it has been a recurring topic in fine art for centuries.’

With medical marijuana now legal in 29 US states, as the sector expands it is demonstrating massive employment potential as new jobs are created to meet consumer demand. In fact, research by New Frontier Data predicts that if cannabis were to be legalised in all 50 states, the federal government could garner at least £93.9bn ($131.8bn, €106.9bn) in tax revenue. While cannabis has not been legalised in the UK, a surge in demand for cannabis oil has prompted health food retailer Holland & Barrett to begin stocking the product, demonstrating the interest in this burgeoning industry.