News 03.04.2023

Need To Know

Rémy Martin and Michelin chefs create locavore dishes to enjoy with cognac, Liz Lambert’s groundbreaking 3D-printed hotel in Texas, and why emotions drive Gen Z and Millennial shoppers.

Rémy Martin and Michelin chefs serve locavore dishes to enjoy with cognac

Rémy Martin Sustainable Pairing Series with Matthew Kammerer, US

US – Cognac brand Rémy Martin is partnering with Michelin Guide chefs for a sustainable pairing series, shedding light on the compatibility of spirits with local ingredients and flavours from California.

The locavore pairing series echoes Rémy Martin’s commitment to what the brand calls ‘sustainable excellence’ and celebrates culinary craftsmanship. The brand has teamed up with Michelin-awarded chefs to explore cognac as a complement to dishes made with local flora and fauna ingredients. Chef Matthew Kammerer took inspiration from the sea, pairing ice cream with a Californian wakame seaweed sprinkle and Rémy Martin XO.

Brands beyond the food sector are starting to explore locavore principles through travel and hospitality concepts, inviting visitors to discover how land shapes local delicacies, and now a spirits brand is bringing terroir to the table. Such activations pairing sustainability with heritage spotlight how the luxury industry can champion Redemptive Diets, and cater for the changing expectations of gastronomy enthusiasts.

Strategic opportunity

Consumers crave educational and engaging eating experiences. Fostering locavore behaviours is one way to tap into this shift for brands in the food, drink, events, travel and hospitality spaces

New hospitality development to feature first 3D-printed hotel

El Cosmico. Design by Liz Lambert and Icon, US El Cosmico. Design by Liz Lambert and Icon, US
El Cosmico. Design by Liz Lambert and Icon, US El Cosmico. Design by Liz Lambert and Icon, US

US – Leading hospitality designer Liz Lambert has joined forces with Icon and Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG), pioneers in 3D printing constructions and architecture, to re-imagine El Cosmico, a 21-acre campsite offering unique overnight stays in revamped trailers, safari tents and teepees. Based in a campsite in Marfa, Texas, the hotel and amenities – a spa, pool and shared community facilities – will cover a 60-acre plot in the desert and showcase large-scale 3D-printed structures, including domes, arches and vaults.

Aligning with Icon’s cosmic aspirations, the architectural design borrows from organic formations found in space and acts as a gathering space for culture and community in the city. The collaboration has allowed them to ‘pursue the formal and material possibilities of cutting-edge 3D-printed construction untethered by the traditional limitations,’ said Bjarke Ingels, BIG’s founder and creative director.

Whether it be for affordable housing or for community spaces, the use of 3D printing technologies has the potential to change how cities are constructed. In Designing Beyond Earth, we interviewed Melodie Yasher, vice-president of building design and performance at Icon on the intersection of space exploration and design.

Strategic opportunity

The hospitality industry should consider implementing 3D printing technology to augment its offering and stay ahead of the curve. Why not start with small 3D-printed projects like a pool?

Wedding platform Joy introduces AI tool to write wedding vows

US – Wedding planning platform Joy has launched an OpenAI-powered tool that helps the soon-to-be-betrothed write their wedding vows.

Joy hopes its Wedding Writer’s Block will be inspirational for wedding-related prose. The company advises against using AI-generated text as the final draft for declarations of love.

Users must provide the tool with a few basic details about the kind of vows they want and the highlights it should include. Then they choose the writing style they would like for the vows. The tool can sound like William Shakespeare, a therapist, a TikToker or even a pessimistic ex.

The tool is not limited to vows as it can produce all sorts of wedding-related content for those getting married and guests. It can create wedding toasts, speeches, invitations and gift registry notes.

In Generative AI Creativity, we looked at how as it grows in sophistication, AI is becoming a collaborative tool and not merely one that conducts repetitive tasks. It is helping humans make art while redefining our perspective on creativity.

Resellfridges: The Wedding, UK

Strategic opportunity

As AI becomes more ubiquitous, brands and businesses need to harness its potential beyond the analytical and think of how it can be used to serve consumers’ emotional needs

Stat: Emotions drive Gen Z and Millennial consumers' shopping behaviour

The Feel Good Marketplace by Woo, UK The Feel Good Marketplace by Woo, UK

US – A survey by Credit Karma suggests that young consumers in America are driven by emotional spending. Some 58% of Gen Z and 52% of Millennials identify as someone who spends money to cope with emotional highs and lows. Nearly a quarter (24%) of Gen Z and Millennial (21%) emotional spenders also admit doing most of their emotional spending while lying in bed, with 18% of Gen Z and 13% of Millennials spending while scrolling through social media.

The researchers highlight revenge shopping – an answer to rising anxiety and uncertainty combined with boredom – and retail therapy as incentives for all consumers. Over half of all survey respondents (54%) said spending money on retail therapy was preferable to actual therapy to deal with their emotions. But Gen Z are the only group stating the opposite, with 54% saying they are more likely to prioritise therapy.

In our Cost Of Living Crisis series, we look at how organisations and brands are flexing their business operations to cater for customers who are facing rising inflation and empty supermarket shelves while using shopping to cope with their emotions.

Strategic opportunity

Brands should embrace the current Paralysis Paradox and turn all retail experiences into mood-boosters benefitting a younger generation of consumers riddled with anxiety but still craving the instant gratification of shopping

Previous News Articles
Joe Wicks’ Activate turns movement into play for kids

News

Joe Wicks’ Activate turns movement into play for kids

Fitness trainer Joe Wicks is swapping live-action workouts for animation with Activate – a lively new series of five-minute fitness bursts designed...
Fitness : Health And Wellbeing : Gen Alpha
IKEA creates open-air library along the Seine in Paris

News

IKEA creates open-air library along the Seine in Paris

IKEA has unveiled the Billyothèque, a pop-up outdoor library transforming a stretch of Paris’s Seine riverbank into a space for slow, serendipitous...
Ikea : Reading Room : Reading Experience
Stat: US teens turn to AI companions for life advice

News

Stat: US teens turn to AI companions for life advice

A new study by Common Sense Media reveals that 72% of US teens aged 13–17 have tried AI companions, with over half now using them regularly.
Technology : AI : Stat
DressX debuts fashion-forward Roblox game with Puma

News

DressX debuts fashion-forward Roblox game with Puma

Digital fashion platform DressX is expanding its creative universe with DressGo, its first game on Roblox.
Technology : Fashion : Gaming
EcoBeautyScore unveils science-backed beauty scoring system

News

EcoBeautyScore unveils science-backed beauty scoring system

EcoBeautyScore, the first science-based environmental scoring system for cosmetics and personal care, has officially launched with support from ove...
Beauty : Accredited Beauty : Beauty Scoring System
Stat: UK adults increasingly feel ultra-processed foods are hurting their health

News

Stat: UK adults increasingly feel ultra-processed foods are hurting their health

A new survey by digital wellness platform Lifesum finds that 68% of UK adults believe ultra-processed foods (UPFs) are negatively impacting th...
Food : Drink : Health
How luxury brands went beyond metaverse hype with immersive tech

News

How luxury brands went beyond metaverse hype with immersive tech

From Balenciaga to L’Oréal, luxury brands are turning to immersive technologies to prototype shows, reimagine retail and bring storytelling to life...
Luxury : Technology : Design
Camper and Issey Miyake fuse sculptural design with everyday wear

News

Camper and Issey Miyake fuse sculptural design with everyday wear

Spanish footwear brand Camper has partnered with Japanese fashion house Issey Miyake to launch Peu Form, a sculptural reinterpretation of the class...
Fashion : Retail : Luxury
Coca-Cola launches Real Thing Records with identity-led design

News

Coca-Cola launches Real Thing Records with identity-led design

Coca-Cola has entered the music scene with the launch of Real Thing Records, a label created in collaboration with Universal Music Group and brough...
Pop Culture & Media : Food & Drink : Music
Stat: Americans are prioritising inner health over looks

News

Stat: Americans are prioritising inner health over looks

According to a July 2025 study by supplements and vitamins specialist Metagenics, 77% of Americans now say they prioritise feeling good overlooking...
Health : Beauty : Wellness
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