Need to Know
09 : 08 : 18

US – Eco-conscious footwear brand Allbirds is championing sustainability with its latest product – flip flops made from sugar cane.

Allbirds has spent more than two years developing Sweetfoam, a new sole material that is carbon-negative and derived from renewable sugar cane. ‘Sugar cane pulls carbon out of the environment,’ says Jad Finck, vice-president of sustainability and innovation at Allbirds. ‘It breathes it in, converts it into chemical energy in the form of sugar, and then we convert it into this foam. So while other soles are adding to the carbon footprint, this one is carbon-negative.’

In response to concerns about the environmental impact of polyurethane, the brand hopes to disrupt the sandals market with Sweetfoam, replacing the traditional rubber soles of flip flops with this sustainable alternative. For more on pioneering future materials in fashion, explore the dedicated listicle here.

US – Women’s health start-up Hello.me has launched its first product, a supplement designed to replenish the essential nutrients depleted by taking the contraceptive pill.

Its Top Up Tonic is a 30-day supply of capsules formulated with a variety of vitamins, antioxidants and minerals including magnesium, zinc and vitamins B, C and E. With the aim of counteracting nutrient deficiency in women, reportedly a symptom of taking the pill, the supplements are designed to tackle fatigue, mood swings, bloating and headaches.

‘We were looking for opportunities and products that don’t exist that would enhance the quality of life for female Millennials,’ says Julie McClure, co-founder of Hello.me. ‘We realised that we went through a lot of changes in our 20s and 30s from the birth control pill. I had migraines and anxiety from it, [so] we wanted to create a solution that would be easy for women.’

By recognising the impact of hormone variation in women’s health, Hello.me is not only building the conversation around women’s healthcare needs, but highlighting the often unaddressed physical symptoms related to taking oral contraceptives.

US – After initially putting forward the idea in 2013, streetwear designer Heron Preston has introduced a NASA-inspired clothing collection, launching the range 32 miles above earth.

The 31-piece streetwear collection, comprising jackets, t-shirts, socks and hats, takes visual cues from NASA’s 60-year history. The clothing incorporates various motifs from the space agency’s history, including its former worm logo, used from 1975 to 1992.

To build hype around the collection, Preston launched its hero look on the edge of space using high-altitude weather balloons. He has also worked with director David Laven on a film that takes an intimate look at the creation of the new range.

With the launch of the world’s first commercial space station due in 2020, a new wave of brands and creatives are looking beyond our planet for inspiration. ‘Working with NASA, the real agency that has sent people to space, to the moon, that explores planets, this is as real as it can get. That is what I’m using my platform for, to tell other stories that you don’t really hear in fashion,’ Heron Preston told Dezeen.

A new study by animal advocacy research organisation Faunalytics has found that US consumers are increasingly receptive to ‘clean meat’ – that which is grown in a laboratory – with 53% willing to eat it as a replacement for conventional farmed meat, and 46% keen to buy it regularly.

While a sizeable majority of respondents were willing to try the alternative meat after receiving a brief definition, initially many had not heard of it, which highlights the question of whether fake meat has a marketing problem.

Earlier in 2018, a number of organisations attempted to change the way brands market meat alternatives. France has prohibited the use of meat terminology such as ‘burgers’ and ‘steaks’ when referencing plant-based food, while the US Cattlemen’s Association petitioned the US Department of Agriculture to rule that the terms ‘meat’ and ‘beef’ could not be applied to foodstuffs that had not been ‘slaughtered in the traditional manner’.