News 19.08.2020

Need to Know

Fashion made with fast food waste, avatar models that redefine beauty standards, and the pandemic plays into the Homebody Economy.

Chipotle’s avocado apparel upcycles restaurant waste

Chipotle Goods, US

US – The fast food brand’s Chipotle Goods line features designs dyed with upcycled avocado pits.

The range of organic cotton clothing and accessories takes a sustainable approach by using waste avocado pits – the stones found inside the fruit – to dye items a pale pink or rust red hue. According to Chipotle, it is left with 300m avocado pits per year from its operations, but through this fashion initiative is able to divert waste to a second use. Furthermore, all profits from the collection will help to support organisations focused on making fashion or farming more sustainable.

‘We know people are looking to celebrate their passion for Chipotle, and we set out to create a line of products with the same thoughtfulness, care and attention to detail that we use in our kitchens,’ said Chris Brandt, chief marketing officer at Chipotle. ‘With Chipotle Goods, our fans can get quality items that support sustainable agriculture and represent our mission of cultivating a better world.’

As recently explored, food and drink brands are getting a taste for fashion as a way to stand out from competitors and reach consumers through novel products.

Culinary candy that’s calorie-transparent

Behave, US Behave, US
Behave, US Behave, US

US – Direct-to-consumer confectionery brand Behave aims to reinvent sweet treats with chef-crafted gummy bears made from natural ingredients.

Pushing back against mass-produced confectionery, the brand’s founder and CEO Mayssa Chehata chose to take a culinary-first approach by collaborating with celebrity chef Elizabeth Falkner to develop a product that contains only 3g of sugar and 90 calories per pouch.

As well as being gluten-free and naturally sweetened, the gummy bears are available in three flavours – lychee, passionfruit and raspberry – and sweet and sour variations.The packaging also challenges the associations people have with sugary foods, with transparent sugar and calorie labelling added to each pouch.

As Educated Eating becomes the norm among ingredient-conscious consumers, treat brands are finding playful ways to re-invent and relabel ingredients. In our interview with Stephanie Seege, creator of not-chocolate Kaakao bars, she examines the challenges that food innovators face around labelling products – and how to overcome them.

Avatar models get an inclusive makeover

Global – Three fresh faces on the digital modelling scene aim to break down diversity, individuality and inclusivity barriers.

A creative collaboration between virtual fashion laboratory Rendooo and digital fashion PR agency NAMESldn, HUM.AI.N is the name given to a virtual modelling agency comprising three avatar models known as Java, Unix and Mosi. Making their debut in NAMESldn’s digital showrooms and across the HUM.AI.N Instagram account, they have been created to represent more diverse characteristics and unique features among digital models, exemplified by Mosi’s hyperpigmentation and Java’s plus-size body shape.

‘Shunning the notion that one size fits all, their looks are disruptive to the outdated beauty system,’ reads a statement from Rendooo and NAMESldn. ‘HUM.AI.N’s virtual model utopia will usher in new solutions for remote photoshoots and product shots.’

In recent years, avatars of real-life employees have been used as financial advisers, newsreaders and as customer service assistants, yet HUM.AI.N points to a future of redefined beauty and fashion models that are more human in their traits yet entirely synthetic in their creation. For more, read our Avatar Employees microtrend.

HUM.AI.N by NAMESldn in collaboration with Rendooo

Stat: At-home socialising becomes the new normal

Off Hours, US Off Hours, US

A new global study by Accenture highlights how, around the world, people are seeking brands that tailor their products and services to a more localised Homebody Economy.

As discomfort about visiting public spaces persists, the majority of the 8,800 survey participants said they will continue to engage with others from the comfort of their home. More precisely, 69% of respondents only expect to socialise over the next six months in either their own home, at a friend’s home or virtually.

‘Home is now the new frontier so companies must account for this reality,’ says Oliver Wright, managing director and head of Accenture’s global consumer goods practice.

Consequently, brands are expected to find creative and digitally enabled approaches to engage consumers on a more intimate level. According to Accenture, 35% of people have increased their use of digital services like virtual consultations during the pandemic, while looking ahead, 76% expect to sustain the use of such services.

While the home is fast becoming the new space for brands to infiltrate, before the pandemic Generation Z were already making themselves comfortable. For more, read the Generation Homebody market.

Previous News Articles
Lava Genie re-invents the guitar for a new generation of players

News

Lava Genie re-invents the guitar for a new generation of players

Lava Genie, a revolutionary stringless sampler guitar, is transforming how musicians interact with the instrument.
Technology : Artificial Intelligence : Design
Adventure-based immersive zoological park to open in Singapore

News

Adventure-based immersive zoological park to open in Singapore

In March 2025, Rainforest Wild Asia, Singapore’s latest 13-hectare zoological park, will open at Mandai Wildlife Reserve.
Design : Travel & Hospitality : Sustainability
Egypt's Ministry of Education to launch AI-powered digital learning platform

News

Egypt's Ministry of Education to launch AI-powered digital learning platform

The Ministry of Education and Technical Education in Egypt is set to unveil an educational platform designed to centralise all key academic resourc...
Education : Artificial Intelligence : Youth
Stat: Rogaine aims to shift stigma around men’s hair loss

News

Stat: Rogaine aims to shift stigma around men’s hair loss

Rogaine has launched National Hats Off Day, a campaign aimed at changing the conversation on men’s hair loss from stigma to support.
Beauty : Health & Wellness : Society
Surf Abu Dhabi is now the world’s largest wave pool

News

Surf Abu Dhabi is now the world’s largest wave pool

Surf Abu Dhabi, the world’s largest wave pool, has officially opened, offering a groundbreaking experience.
Sports & Leisure : Travel & Hospitality : Health & Wellness
Canada Water's new timber boardwalk is designed to promote biodiversity

News

Canada Water's new timber boardwalk is designed to promote biodiversity

British Land and AustralianSuper have unveiled a new boardwalk in Canada Water, London, designed by renowned architect Asif Khan.
Design : Future Spaces : Architecture
Australia’s proposed social media ban for under-16s sparks debate

News

Australia’s proposed social media ban for under-16s sparks debate

Australia is moving toward landmark legislation that would ban children under 16 from social media, in an attempt to protect young users from onlin...
Youth : Pop-culture & Media : Health & Wellness
Stat: Travel tops homeownership for Chinese Gen Z

News

Stat: Travel tops homeownership for Chinese Gen Z

The Gen Z workforce in China is prioritising travel over traditional milestones such as homeownership, with 70% of respondents in a recent HSBC sur...
Youth : Travel & Hospitality : Workplace
Global Wellness Summit 2024: A deep dive into water’s transformative role in wellness

News

Global Wellness Summit 2024: A deep dive into water’s transformative role in wellness

The 18th Global Wellness Summit, centred around the theme A Watershed Moment for Wellness, was hosted at the iconic Old Course Hotel in St Andrews,...
Events : Health & Wellness : Luxury
Padrone’s AI-powered Primera ring reinvents the mouse

News

Padrone’s AI-powered Primera ring reinvents the mouse

Swiss tech start-up Padrone has launched a Kickstarter for Primera, a wearable ring mouse that turns any flat surface into a touchpad.
Technology : Artificial Intelligence : Design
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