LSN : News : Anti-microbial denim that’s safer for stores

Tena promotes ageless sexual exploration

Ageless by Tena and Je Joue, UK and France

London – Tena is joining forces with femtech sex toy brand Je Joue to destigmatise attitudes around age and sexual exploration.

Part of Tena’s #Ageless initiative, the new campaign puts sexual wellness and pleasure among Flat Age women in the spotlight, with Tena delivering wellbeing packs to influencers across the UK and France that contain Hanx lubricant, Kegel exercise instructions and Tena Silhouette underwear.

QR codes on the packs link to Tena's free My Pelvic Floor Fitness app, offering daily reminders, progress tracking and advice. The campaign is supported by illustrations from artist Stina Persson, featuring statements such as: 'No complications, I know what I want,' and 'I still own the feeling between my legs'.

‘Older women’s sexuality has long been underestimated and under-represented. With Je Joue and these wellbeing packs we encourage women to continue enjoying the pleasure they can get from their bodies, no matter what age they are,’ explains Bridget Angear, joint chief strategy officer at AMV BBDO, the agency behind the campaign.

In our interview with Elvie co-founder Tania Boler, we explore how technology is transforming women’s personal care into a positive experience.

Wanda Box elevates at-home global dining

Wanda Box by Wanda, UK

UK – The Wanda Box is an experiential dining kit that contains ingredients, decor and playlists to help re-create a global dining experience at home.

The first kit is a Mexican-inspired box that includes authentic ingredients to create a fresh and flavourful meal, with a menu devised by chef Merlin Labron-Johnson of Osip restaurant in Bruton, Somerset. To create ambience, the kit includes two cocktail glasses, a ceramic Mexican salsa bowl, a cake plate, two linen napkins, a vase with dried flowers, a seagrass wall hanging, and a ready-made playlist of music to suit each box’s theme.

With upcoming boxes inspired by Greece and Vietnam, Wanda seeks to bring global tastes and sensory food experiences home for diners hesitant – or unable – to travel or visit restaurants. The brand is also donating 10% of its profits to The World Food Programme.

With many people learning to cook or enjoying hosting at home as a result of the pandemic, initiatives such as Wanda are further elevating at-home dining. For more, read our macrotrend, Home Eatertainment.

Anti-microbial denim that’s safer for stores

Denim by Warp + Weft, DL1961 and HeiQ

Global – In the inter-pandemic age, eco-denim brand Warp + Weft and sister label DL1961 are launching anti-microbial garments.

Working with Swiss textile technology company HeiQ, the brands’ crisis-appropriate clothing will now incorporate a germ -resistant finish. Added as a liquid formula to softener during production of its Warp + Weft and DL1961 denim, the result is self-sanitising and germ-resistant fabrics.

A further benefit of the finish, according to the brands, is to make it safe for customers to try on clothing without fear. ‘Our mission as a premium denim brand is to make products in a way that is good for the planet and the people on it,' says Sarah Ahmed, CEO of Warp + Weft and DL1961. 'As safety is at the forefront of our consumers’ concerns, we want to be there to help. Our jeans are designed to make you look good and feel good about wearing them.'

In addition to traditional personal protective items such as face masks, germ-conscious consumers are beginning to seek out clothing that protects them from bacteria and viruses.

Stat: China pushes milk consumption for increased immunity

Yo Yogurt by Design Bakery Studio, China

Chinese officials are focusing on dairy as a core element of people’s diets amid national health and immunity concerns.

According to insight shared by Bloomberg, Chinese consumers are being encouraged to drink milk to boost immunity, with the government expecting milk production to reach 45m tons per year – a figure 30 times what it was in 1980. Already, China is the third-largest producer of cow’s milk, and is expected to dedicate more farmland to raising and feeding cows, both regionally and internationally.

While national health sits at the centre of this shift, concerns also exist about its carbon impact. Programmes to promote dairy ‘will largely counteract the endeavours by China’s government, people and those in other industries to reduce our overall carbon footprint,’ says Jian Yi, founder of The Good Food Fund, which promotes sustainable food systems in China.

For more on how dairy is being positioned, flavoured and consumed locally, read our China Dairy Market.