Need to Know
28 : 09 : 20

US – A Place Beyond offers a safe yet social space for students attending university during the pandemic.

With university experiences disrupted as a result of the pandemic, the start-up is utilising disused summer camp locations to offer students an alternative to remote learning at home. Set up in large, nature-filled areas that offer a lesser risk of contracting Covid-19, the sites prioritise both the mental and physical health of students.

Recognising the need to provide a personalised curriculum, the spaces include activities such as cooking, photography, finance workshops and outdoor recreation such as kayaking and rock climbing. ‘We provide academic support, professional mentorship, and optional workshops that cultivate social, emotional, and real life skills. And we do it in some of the most beautiful places on earth,' explains A Place Beyond.

With many facing another semester of remote learning, students are seeking creative ways to ensure that they still get the memorable college experience they planned for. For more on how brands can cater to the student demographic, read our Luxury Student Market.

London – The Raami dining collection by Iittala is designed without new raw materials and is intended to last for decades.

Integral to the ceramics collection's design is a timeless aesthetic as well as functionality, with each piece embodying the brand’s commitment to sustainability. Designed by Jasper Morrison, the range contains no new raw materials but is made out of recycled glass tumbler, which has been sourced from the Iittala glass factory. The brand also demonstrates is longevity by still producing designs originally created 80 years ago.

'We believe people have the right to expect the design they buy to last a lifetime. We also see that the world is becoming more and more aware of the value of long-lasting design,' explains the brand. The Raami collection was showcased as part of the Dezeen x Planet collaboration, which presented a series of projects championing sustainability at this year’s London Design Festival.

As sustainability becomes non-negotiable for today's homeowners, there is an emerging Anti-choice Homeware movement taking place, in which brands eliminate the paradox of choice for customers.

A new report by Glofox offers insights about the pandemic’s impact on the fitness industry.

Fitness facilities were forced to shut amid lockdown. As a result, of the 2,000 fitness studios analysed globally, there was a 95% fall in attendance and class bookings in April compared with the beginning of March, according to the Glofox report.

Five months later, and with the lockdown easing, fitness studios across the US, the UK, Ireland, Australia, Singapore, Hong Kong and Malaysia have bounced back to 91% of pre-Covid-19 levels. The report also found that during the lockdown period, when many fitness studios focused their offerings online, online classes now account for 5-10% of all activity for gyms in countries that are fully out of lockdown.

In our Recuperative Living macrotrend we explore the aftermath of Covid-19 for the health and wellness industry, and offer pointers on how brands should navigate the new normal.