Need to Know
30 : 09 : 20

US – Music platform SoundCloud is launching a fashion collection with designers at GRVTY, an independent broadcast company.

Conceived at the start of the pandemic as a way to capture and communicate music’s ability to empower, escape, cope and heal, the Pure & Wondrous Sounds collection includes items such as t-shirts, sweatshirts and vinyl slipmats.

To promote music as a source of healing and an outlet during tougher times, the collection features phrases such as: ‘There will be a new day and a new song, play on’, ‘Exalted, sonically’, and ‘Endless loop harmonix’. Taking the platform's merchandise offering further, SoundCloud plans to work with creatives whose ethos aligns with that of the streaming service – a DIY-spirited, innovative and forward-thinking outlook.

While SoundCloud and GRVTY are focusing on apparel, music-led healing is increasingly being recognised in the health and wellness sector. We explore this further in Music as Medicine.

US – Packaging supplier Verity is responding to the issue of wasteful cosmetics packaging by offering a plastic-free solution.

Its new aluminium and stainless steel vessels are designed for a variety of cosmetics products, shunning the default choice of plastic with the aim of transforming the sustainable packaging landscape. The metal containers are instead re-usable and fully recyclable. In turn, Verity positions metal packaging as elevating both the brand and user experience through aesthetics, form and function.

‘At Verity, we pride ourselves on performance and style. Our sleek packaging can transform your brand and can be integrated seamlessly with your product portfolio. Every hour of engineering spent creating our products is working towards one goal – a more sustainable future,’ says Kerri Leslie, its CEO.

As the cosmetics industry continues to explore more sustainable practices, brands are continuing to focus on both eco-credentials and aesthetic concerns. For more, explore the Refined Refillables microtrend.

Amid growing uncertainty, affluent consumers are shifting their traditional investments to reflect an expected reduction in wealth.

According to data from Agility Research & Strategy’s recent Affluential Wealth Report, ultra-high-net-worth (UHNWI) and high-net-worth individuals (HNWI) are shifting their investment priorities in the inter-Covid period. With one in four HNWIs expecting their wealth to temporarily decline, many report buying fewer luxury goods, with 48% of affluents in Hong Kong and 44% in Singapore saying they have started saving more.

With a view to where they are investing, however, Agility Research reports this is shifting towards items such as gold and precious gemstones, as well as foreign currencies, while new assets such as cryptocurrency, crowdfunding and P2P lending are on the rise.

In our latest luxury and hospitality macrotrend Omnilux Lifestyles, we examine how and why luxurians are opting for safe-haven spending, focused on longevity-led goods.