Water world

In addition to pledging to remove all single-use bottles from its stores and restaurants, and installing a filtered water fountain in its food hall, Selfridges is opening a pop-up Water Bar, a space dedicated to examining alternatives to plastic water carriers.

Curated by design consultant Jane Withers and brought to life by food designers Arabeschi di Latte, the Water Bar features works by designers and artists, including Studio Swine’s Gyrecraft, an installation based on a visit to the North Atlantic gyre, one of the world’s five major ocean currents circulating discarded plastic around the globe.

Visitors can sample water laced with everything from activated charcoal to gold and purchase their own re-usable water vessel, such as black+blum’s Eau Good, which uses Binchotan active charcoal to purify the water, or Root7’s Citrus Zinger Sport, which features a 'fruit compartment' that gives the water a sweeter taste.

The Big Picture: In an increasingly global economy, brands and consumers are starting to think on a planetary scale. Find out more with our Whole-system Thinking macrotrend.