Need to Know
23 : 08 : 22

Japan – Located in the forest near Miyota-machi in Nagano Prefecture, surrounded by trees and nearby streams, the Culvert Guesthouse is Nendo’s new archive space. The minimalist structure will act as a storage facility for the studio’s furniture, products and artwork, while welcoming guests to an accompanying residential space.

The striking structure was created using prefabricated concrete box culverts usually used to house water and electricity utilities underground. The consistent white interior and exterior creates a uniform, minimalist feel that’s softened by the surrounding woodland. ‘The resulting space is less architectural, but rather a project that combines civil engineering concepts with product design details,’ explains Nendo. By creating an overall aesthetic that’s in harmony with its brand identity, Nendo tells visitors the story of the studio through the combination of the building and its contents.

This space demonstrates how Open-door HQs are allowing companies to bring customers closer than ever, with experiential spaces that offer powerful storytelling opportunities and a level of transparency that can’t be replicated online.

US – Sportswear company Adidas has teamed up with speaker brand Zound to release a pair of headphones that can be charged using sunshine and artificial light. The RPT-02 SOL headphones have a headband made of Powerfoyle, a solar-cell fabric that converts sunshine and artificial light into power.

Although the ideal source of energy for the headphones is natural sunlight, the photovoltaic material can also be powered by ordinary bulbs and lights. Even on overcast days, the Powerfoyle can collect energy from imperceptible UV rays that pass through clouds, unlike many other photovoltaic materials on the market that can only do so when exposed to direct sunlight. On full charge, the headphones can play music for up to 80 hours.

Such portable devices represent new directions for the renewable energy market, demonstrating how clean energy harvesting can begin at home or on the go.

The second-hand fashion market is evolving from an affordable, environmentally friendly way to purchase clothing into a tool for wealthy shoppers to source rare items and develop new revenue streams. According to a small study by resale service provider Recurate, 48% of high-income consumers purchase fashion with the intention of reselling it.

The study reveals that female urbanites making £42–84k ($50–100k, €50–100k) annually, including freelancers, are ‘shaping the future of fashion’, with 77% of them buying and selling used clothing at least once every two to three months. Some 89% of this group would also purchase re-commerce, indicating an opportunity for premium labels to create proprietary resale platforms.

While second-hand fashion has traditionally been seen as a planet-friendly way to purchase inexpensive clothing, the market is now changing to include wealthy shoppers and discerning fashion buyers, especially as the negative cultural connotation of wearing used clothing fades. Among members of Generation Z, for example, scoring a vintage ‘grail’, a term that is used to describe a highly sought-after item, is often viewed as the ultimate fashion flex.