News 22.08.2023

Need to Know

Dolce & Gabbana unveils branded smart tv, FIFA 23 now includes a woman player wearing a hijab, and why a return to the office could slow down women’s job hours surge.

Dolce & Gabbana collaborates with Sky on artistic smart tv

Dolce & Gabbana and Sky Glass Smart TV

Global – Italian luxury fashion brand Dolce & Gabbana has joined forces with British media conglomerate Sky Group to introduce a unique twist to an existing smart tv model. Unveiled during Dolce & Gabbana’s Alta Moda fashion week, the limited-edition 65-inch Sky Glass Carretto Siciliano showcases the brand’s iconic print, hand-painted by a Palermo-based artisan. The design draws inspiration from western Sicily’s traditional geometric patterns and extends across the television’s bezels and back end.

The collaboration enhances the Sky Glass model, which already offers integrated content, major free-to-air channels and streaming apps. Replacing the Sky insignia is a carefully crafted Dolce & Gabbana icon.

The release marks the fashion house’s continued move into the world of home products, following its recent partnership with Italian appliance company Smeg for a Blu Mediterraneo-themed appliance collection. This project offers insight into how fashion brands are stepping into our homes and the next iteration of creatively branded homeware we can expect to see more of.

Strategic opportunity

This collaboration not only offers a static product a Guilded Luxury makeover, but also shows that consumers – now used to spending more time at home – are continually looking to level up their interior space through innovative design and technology

FIFA 23 game update features first in-game hijab wearer

Nouhaïla Benzina in FIFA 23 Nouhaïla Benzina in FIFA 23

Global – A recent FIFA 23 video game update includes the character model of Moroccan footballer Nouhaila Benzina wearing a hijab. This marks the first instance of EA’s football simulator incorporating a head covering on a player. Benzina, a 25-year-old Moroccan athlete, made history as the first senior-level World Cup player to wear a hijab during a game.

Although FIFA lifted its head covering ban in 2014, it has taken almost a decade for this representation to manifest into gaming. Benzina adorning a hijab during a game not only defies cultural stereotypes about Muslim women, but also makes a statement in light of countries defying FIFA rules. France, for instance, maintains a ban on French football players from wearing headscarves.

The digital representation of this is important as people’s real-life personas and online avatars are merging rapidly, as discussed in our Affirmative Avatars Market.

Strategic opportunity

Young people turning to the digital marketplace are seeking authentic forms of identity and expression. Brands therefore need to ensure that they are offering inclusive and diverse opportunities for consumers to engage with, making the virtual world a stigma-free escape

Stat: Return to office push in UK threatens women’s job hours surge

Photography by RF._.studio, South Africa Photography by RF._.studio, South Africa

UK – The drive to bring more British workers back to the office poses a risk to the increase in working hours among women, which was made possible by pandemic-induced flexible and remote working options. Analysis by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) reveals that women in the UK are working more than ever due to hybrid working policies that allow greater opportunities to balance childcare and work. ONS data shows that hours worked per woman are up almost 5% on levels before Covid-19 struck. Analysts worry this trend will be reversed if businesses reduce flexibility.

On the other hand, men are spending fewer hours at work, a trend that began in the decade before the first lockdown, but which has accelerated since. In order for the government to bring down inflation rates, they need to fill vacancies, which in the UK labour market remain at near record highs.

Overall, women have shifted from part-time to full-time working, ONS data reveals, reiterating the importance of offering employees Work State solutions. The threat of this being taken away – JPMorgan Chase, Amazon, Blackrock and Goldman Sachs have asked staff to spend more time in the office – can have large-scale economic repercussions.

Strategic opportunity

Businesses need to weigh up the cost of changing work styles again. As well as alienating working mothers, other employees that are now accustomed to hybrid working might not want to sacrifice the wellbeing it offers them by returning to their old schedules

Previous News Articles
AirCar readies for launch, ushering in an era of casual air mobility

News

AirCar readies for launch, ushering in an era of casual air mobility

Slovakia’s Klein Vision has announced that its AirCar – a road-legal vehicle that converts into a certified aircraft in under two minutes – will be...
Mobility : Air Travel : Transport
Foresight Friday: Seyi Oduwole, foresight analyst

News

Foresight Friday: Seyi Oduwole, foresight analyst

Every Friday, The Future Laboratory team offers an end-of-week wrap-up of the topics, issues, ideas and virals we’re all talking about. This week, ...
Foresight Friday : Gen Z : Gen Beta
British Gen Alphas are listening to CDs and vinyl

News

British Gen Alphas are listening to CDs and vinyl

Nearly half of Generation Alpha are turning to physical music formats, according to new research from Key Production.
Gen Alpha : Music : Media
Social media star Kai Cenat launches Streamer University

News

Social media star Kai Cenat launches Streamer University

Twitch sensation Kai Cenat has launched Streamer University, a weekend-long experience for aspiring creators to collaborate, learn and produce cont...
Media : Entertainment : Education
De Beers to close its lab-grown diamond jewellery brand

News

De Beers to close its lab-grown diamond jewellery brand

De Beers Group has announced the closure of Lightbox, its lab-grown diamond jewellery brand, signalling a strategic retreat from the synthetic jewe...
Luxury : Sustainability : Jewellery
Financial mansplaining endures for a majority of British women

News

Financial mansplaining endures for a majority of British women

Gender bias in money matters is pushing British women out of financial conversations, according to new research commissioned by digital wealth mana...
Finance : Diversity : Inclusion
Avanade Intelligent Garden gives trees a voice at Chelsea Flower Show

News

Avanade Intelligent Garden gives trees a voice at Chelsea Flower Show

This year’s RHS Chelsea Flower Show invites visitors to interact with AI-enabled trees in the Avanade Intelligent Garden.
Technology : Nature : Sustainability
ITV launches deaf-led drama with BSL and silent ad break

News

ITV launches deaf-led drama with BSL and silent ad break

ITV is pushing the boundaries of inclusive storytelling with the launch of its new prime time drama Code of Silence, starring BAFTA-winning actor a...
Media : Diversity : Inclusion
Stat: Boomerang generation return home due to cost of living crisis

News

Stat: Boomerang generation return home due to cost of living crisis

The rising cost of living and unaffordable housing are fuelling a surge in adult children returning to the family home.
Family : Home : Youth
Manchester City brings grassroots spirit to kit launch

News

Manchester City brings grassroots spirit to kit launch

Manchester City Football Club has marked the launch of its 2025/2026 home kit with a short film that playfully blends football fandom, nostalgia an...
Sports : Design : Creative
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