Need to Know

Denmark – The latest addition to the alt leather arsenal is Pélinova, a next-gen material blending Lyocell with recycled leather fibres using pioneering techniques.

Planet-conscious Pélinova leather is the result of a collaboration between Danish fashion brand Ganni, fibre specialist Lenzing Group and leather alternative expert Recyc Leather. Designed for high-end fashion applications, it is ready for market applications and has been used to make Ganni’s Slouchy Boots, which were showcased during the brand’s latest catwalk presentation. The boots will be launched in 2024, and Ganni plans to roll out Pélinova across accessories shortly.

‘By the end of 2023, we achieved the ambitious goal of phasing out all virgin leather from upcoming collections,’ said Ganni’s chief sustainability officer Lauren Bartley. ‘However, the work doesn’t stop here. Collaborating and experimenting with partners like Tencel and Recyc Leather to develop alternatives to materials as we know them today is crucial to reaching carbon reduction goals.’

Head to our coverage of the Material Matters 2023 design fair to delve more deeply into the transformative potential of next-gen materials.

UK – A King’s College London’s Policy Institute and Global Institute for Women’s Leadership Ipsos poll unveiled in February 2024 shows a notable generational schism among UK males aged 16–29. A staggering 16% of Gen Z males believe feminism has done more harm than good, hinting at a potential societal division. The study, which polled more than 3,600 individuals, found that 25% of UK males aged 16–29 believe it is tougher to be a man than a woman, while 20% view social media influencer Andrew Tate favourably, despite the latter facing charges in Romania, which he denies, of human trafficking, rape and forming a criminal gang to sexually exploit women.

Some 32% of young men embrace conservative author Jordan Peterson, compared to 12% of women of the same age. Professor Bobby Duffy, director of the Policy Institute, warns of a ‘real risk of fractious division’ within this generation, noting that 37% of young men reject the term ‘toxic masculinity’. ‘This is a new and unusual generational pattern,’ he told The Guardian. ‘Normally, it tends to be the case that younger generations are consistently more comfortable with emerging social norms, as they grew up with these as a natural part of their lives.’

Professor Rosie Campbell underlines the impact of social media on shaping perceptions, emphasising the need for understanding and dialogue to bridge these emerging divisions. ‘[Young men] hear a lot about girl power but don’t, at this stage in their lives, understand the inequalities that we know are in the world when you hit work and childcare,’ she says.

For more insights on young consumers, head to our Gen Z analysis.