Need to Know
05 : 12 : 18

Cape Town – A new documentary by the online and print publication investigates Cape Town’s overlooked streetwear scene and bubble culture.

Just Dala – Meet the Bubbleheads of Cape Town is one of the first detailed looks at the city’s streetwear scene. Through the documentary, released this week at Sole DXB, Highsnobiety aims to discover how a group of people who are hustling sneakers across the Atlantic and into South African slums have spawned an important sneakerhead community that global brands need to be aware of.

Featuring interviews with subculture groups and online communities such as Unwanted Kicks and Bubble Koppe, the film explores how the region’s sneaker culture differs from its Western and Eastern counterparts. In South Africa, for example, some of the country’s poorest residents are dedicated sneakerheads, and pour a significant amount of their money into dressing ‘like the fucking elite’.

To discover more about the consumer behaviour and subcultures of South Africa’s young people, read our Emerging Youth Market.

London – Womenswear label Mother of Pearl is on a mission to remedy one of the most wasteful clothing categories – eveningwear.

Amy Powney, the brand’s creative director, has been working to turn Mother of Pearl into a fully ethical label. This summer, the brand launched its first sustainable collections: the No Frills line of casual wear and a range of wedding dresses. Now, it has turned its attention to eveningwear – a category that shoppers often buy for only one occasion, meaning it can be wasteful and costly.

The collection uses cruelty-free materials such as mulesing-free wool, organic cotton, peace silk and bamboo lining. In addition, the viscose used in the dresses promotes sustainable forestry, with a new tree planted every time an old tree is cut down. ‘It’s definitely harder to source sustainable fabrics for eveningwear. Organic cotton and denim are fairly developed industries, but the more luxurious, fancy end of fashion hasn’t evolved at all,’ Powney tells Vogue.

The fashion industry is increasingly receptive to sustainable material innovation. Explore our dedicated Listicle to discover the companies using algae, fungi and waste crops to fabricate new materials.

Berlin – WorkChain.io is a new payroll system created on the blockchain that gives employees access to their earnings as they work.

Using the WorkChain.io Wallet app, workers can connect to their employers’ HR system, with the platform setting up new payroll smart contracts between staff and employers. Wages are either ‘streamed’ directly from the employer in real time or advanced by WorkChain.io and recuperated when the payroll is processed.

To avoid the price volatility associated with cryptocurrencies like BitCoin, users’ money is held as the stable coin TrueUSD, which has a value linked directly to that of the American dollar. At present, TrueUSD cannot be withdrawn directly, so WorkChain.io has joined forces with cryptocurrency debit card Wirex to enable users to easily spend their earnings. WorkChain.io has tested the system based on shift work, but plans to expand in the near future to incorporate salaried and part-time personnel.

‘By streaming earnings in real time we’re giving anyone who gets a pay cheque more financial control,’ says Ryan Fyfe, the start-up’s CEO. ‘Instead of having to delay bills, rent and life for payday, now earnings are available immediately for more flexibility.’ By rethinking the payroll system to offer incremental payments, WorkChain.io has a double benefit of encouraging people to spend in a more responsible and measured manner.

British advertising is more diverse than ever, but still has a way to go, according to a new study from Lloyds Banking Group. The study, which audited more than 2,000 adverts from 2017, found that 25% featured people from BAME backgrounds.

Although Lloyds congratulated advertisers on making significant strides in reflecting modern Britain, the survey found that only 7% of lead roles were played by a non-white actor. Furthermore, three in five ads still feature an all-white or majority-white cast, suggesting that many brands and advertisers still have improvements to make to ensure BAME people are cast as the main protagonists and not limited to supporting roles.

For more on why brands must be wary of the dangers of tokenistic inclusivity, read our Opinion piece.