04 : 11 : 22 : Weekly Debrief

US – Omsom, the ‘proud and loud’ Asian food brand released the ‘IYKYK’ condiment set (‘If You Know, You Know’ Set), including Korean Salt, Vietnamese Pepper and an unexpected addition – MSG, reclaiming the narrative around the misunderstood flavour enhancer.

Boasting colourful and punchy designs, the refillable wooden shakers are remixing the staple salt and pepper tabletop seasoning set, in a bid to flip the misconceptions around MSG and connotations as a 'dirty' ingredient. With its IYKYK Set, Omsom hopes to rebrand MSG as a delicious and safe ingredient and turn around its bad reputation, which is tainted by anti-Asian xenophobia and bad science.

‘Our IYKYK Set is a reclamation and celebration of not just an ingredient that we grew up with, but one that we were conditioned to be ashamed of. Now, MSG can sit at the centre of any table, ready to be used daily – as it should be,’ comments the brand’s co-founder Kim Phamon.

Omsom hopes to inspire more brands to Rebranding Asian food culture and debunk the harmful narratives surrounding Asian ingredients and communities.

Sweden – Swedish fashion brand Rave Review has teamed up with Czech car manufacturer Škoda to unveil its latest collection incorporating upcycled car parts. Founders Josephine Bergqvist and Livia Schück drew inspiration from the great outdoors, using repurposed parts including car seats, seat belts and textiles to create the collection. The garments are also accompanied by upcycled vintage kilts and blankets, which emphasise the utilitarian motifs running throughout the collection.

A bomber jacket made from car seats is a key piece in the collection. It features a Škoda key made into a zipper, playing with elements of the great outdoors while remaining fashion forward. Rave Review intended to repurpose car parts into these unusual pieces to show the power of upcycling and demonstrate how high-quality materials can be obtained from unconventional places.

Upcycling allows the brand to breathe new life into old items, transforming them into something that can be worn and ‘brought back into the shape of something new and desirable,’ explains a Rave Review spokesperson. You can learn more about fashion and car collaborations in our microtrend, Repurposed Roadwear.