News 24.05.2021

Need To Know

Hong Kong Ballet taps into sci-fi subcultures, Lil Yachty endorses nail varnish for men and why 2021 will usher in non-traditional weddings.

Hong Kong Ballet merges tradition with cyberpunk

Amadeus campaign by Hong Kong Ballet and Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra, Hong Kong

Hong Kong – A new campaign draws on the city’s enduring cyberpunk legacy that has inspired popular sci-fi films.

Created by Hong Kong Ballet and Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra, the short film, entitled Amadeus (a cyberpunk dream), offers a modern take on Mozart’s heritage, depicting the composer’s journey from the extravagant classical era to a psychedelic future version of Hong Kong.

The campaign puts the cyberpunk subculture that has long thrived in the city centre stage, with a digital and gaming-inspired aesthetic that pays homage to Hong Kong’s famous neon lights, skyscrapers and cinematic atmosphere. According to the ballet company, by reviving the city in a virtual space, the six-minute film offersan innovative cross-sector collaboration that seamlessly fuses ballet, classical music and cinema’.

Traditional arts such as ballet are disrupting the archaic visual cues of their past, taking inspiration from digital spaces and subcultures in order to attract younger consumers. Read more about how Generation Z are driving a renaissance of classic arts and culture here.

Lil Yachty is destigmatising men’s nail varnish

Crete by Lil Yachty, US Crete by Lil Yachty, US
Crete by Lil Yachty, US Crete by Lil Yachty, US

US – Rapper Lil Yachty wants more men to wear nail varnish – and is using his new brand Crete to remove the stigma around nailcare as a form of creative expression.

The collection includes gender-neutral shades including matte black, white and silver-grey. The varnishes are packaged in a pen applicator for ease of use, with a plunger at the end to deliver more colour. Described on the Crete Instagram site as ‘For you. Not Them’, the range promotes the view that nail varnish is for all genders, not just women.

Highlighting this – and the artistic aspect of nail painting – Lil Yachty notes in a press release: ‘If you find painting your nails is a way to show your creative side or it’s an aesthetic that fits you, you shouldn’t be judged for it.’

In our recent list of Beauty Disruptors on the Rise, we profiled Faculty, a new player in the men’s beauty market centred on coloured nail varnish, marketing new products through a limited-edition drop model to echo the desire and hype of the streetwear sector.

This dating app only works on Thursdays

London – Thursday is a new dating app that only works on one day a week, giving users just 24 hours in which to connect, chat and organise a date.

Running with the tag line #OneSingleDay, the app only comes to life on its namesake day. With no access for the other six days of the week, Thursday has a double ambition: to reduce time spent on dating apps while encouraging people to seize the moment, get out and enjoy being single.

With a reported 100,000 members already signed up in London and New York, the app will be launched as Covid-19 restrictions ease. Beginning life as same-day dating app Honeypot, it has evolved into Thursday after its creators found it to be the busiest day of the week for app interactions.

‘Six out of seven days of the week, we say spend more time on you, not a dating app,’ reads a statement from the co-founders. ‘Come Thursday, open up the app and see who wants to meet that day.’

While Covid-19 has amplified socially distant dating, Thursday taps into the excitement of real-life meetings. Only being available one day a week also demonstrates The Focus Filter in action.

Thursday app, London Thursday app, London

Stat: Non-conformist apparel is breaking wedding traditions

Thom Browne Spring 2020 Thom Browne Spring 2020

While marriages are often bound by tradition, a new mindset of non-conformism is emerging when it comes to what brides and grooms are choosing to wear on their big day.

According to data from global fashion platform Lyst’s 2021 Wedding Report, couples are looking beyond traditional engagement rings, leading to a boom in ‘engagement watches’. Throughout the last year, searches for watches including the terms ‘wedding’ ‘couple’ and ‘engagement’ rose by 42%.

What’s more, consumers getting married are desiring more gender-fluid apparel options. Driven by a Thom Browne men’s skirt suit featured in the finale of tv show Schitt’s Creek, searches for ‘men’s wedding skirts’ rose by 26% year on year. After a prolonged period of virtual Zoom weddings, Lyst predicts that consumers are ready to return to in-person ceremonies with bold fashion choices that are not afraid to break convention.

This isn’t the first time we’ve identified the opportunities for Non-conformist Weddings. While we’ve been tracking the consumers and innovators challenging the institution of marriage since 2018, this trend is now moving into the mainstream.

Previous News Articles
World Retail Congress 2025: Why trust is retail’s strongest currency

News

World Retail Congress 2025: Why trust is retail’s strongest currency

The first day of World Retail Congress 2025 in London revolved around the theme Faster, Bolder, Smarter.
Retail : Global Events : World Retail Congress
Hawaii introduces climate-driven tourist tax

News

Hawaii introduces climate-driven tourist tax

Hawaii is making climate history with a landmark bill that raises tourist taxes to fund environmental protection and climate resilience projects.
Travel : Sustainability : Travel & Hospitality
Stat: Gen Z turn to daily supplements as wellness becomes an everyday routine

News

Stat: Gen Z turn to daily supplements as wellness becomes an everyday routine

According to the latest Gen Z State of Beauty 2024/2025 report from Kyra, 80% of Gen Z in the UK and the US now take between one and six supplement...
Stat : Wellness : Supplements
Dutch Pavilion re-imagines the sports bar at Venice Architecture Biennale

News

Dutch Pavilion re-imagines the sports bar at Venice Architecture Biennale

Curated by Amanda Pinatih and designed by Gabriel Fontana, Sidelined re-imagines the traditional sports bar as a welcoming, non-binary social space.
The Netherlands : Venice Architecture Biennale : Design
Primark’s Never Basic campaign champions quality and style at affordable prices

News

Primark’s Never Basic campaign champions quality and style at affordable prices

Primark is spotlighting affordable fashion essentials with the launch of its new spring/summer campaign, Never Basic – Standout Quality.
Primark : Fashion : Value Redefined
Stat: Clubbing culture enters its Flat Age era

News

Stat: Clubbing culture enters its Flat Age era

A new survey by YouGov challenges stereotypes about age and nightlife culture.
Nightlife : Clubbing : Flat Agers
Olivier Rousteing re-imagines whisky with Johnnie Walker

News

Olivier Rousteing re-imagines whisky with Johnnie Walker

Johnnie Walker has unveiled its first collaboration under its new luxury platform Johnnie Walker Vault, partnering with French couture de...
Fashion : Luxury : Drink
The global happiness curve is flattening for Gen Z

News

The global happiness curve is flattening for Gen Z

The long-established U-shaped happiness curve – high in youth, dipping in midlife and rising again in old age – appears to be flattening.
Gen Z : Health : Wellness
Stat: The human touch is still crucial for luxury shoppers

News

Stat: The human touch is still crucial for luxury shoppers

Despite the growing presence of AI in customer service, new research from Ventrica suggests the human touch remains a key driver of posit...
Luxury : Retail : Stat
Koto NYC weaves humanity into Uniqode’s digital-first brand identity

News

Koto NYC weaves humanity into Uniqode’s digital-first brand identity

Design agency Koto NYC has reimagined QR code management platform Uniqode’s brand identity.
Design : Technology : Branding
You have 2 free News articles remaining. Sign up to LS:N Global to get unlimited access to all articles.
BECOME A MEMBER
SIGN IN