29 : 11 : 19 : Weekly Debrief

1. Atmosphère is a wearable collar that diffuses skincare

UK – Created by design agency Seymourpowell, the Atmosphère concept comprises a collar and chaise longue for the home, which together aim to counteract the impact of urban living on our skin.

The artificially intelligent devices understand the atmospheric conditions surrounding the user, diffusing SPF or cosmetics as fine particles that land on the user’s skin or filter into the air in vapour form, creating a ‘beauty bubble’ around them.

Mitigating the hazards of smog-filled city living, the collar will collect information such as the wearer’s location or skin needs, filtering or cooling the air or releasing skincare products in response. At home, the chaise longue similarly adjusts the temperature, humidity and quality of the air, allowing users to recline and enjoy relaxing, spa-like surrounds. A supporting app will provide immediate data readings, such as UV levels or microplastics in the air.

‘Atmosphère seeks to explore how beauty brands can help not only to protect their customers from the changing climate, but also provide a more mobile offering and service that actively works to respond to a user’s environment,’ says Jonny Culkin, designer at Seymourpowell.

For more on how brands and technology will help to assuage the impact of our hyper-polluted cities, delve into our Smog Life series.

3. Studs is an Instagram-friendly piercing parlour

New York – The retail space is reinventing ear piercing services for a new generation of teenagers.

Based in New York’s Nolita district, Studs was conceptualised after co-founder Anna Harman found piercing services in tattoo parlours didn't sit with today’s consumer tastes and expectations. As a result, Studs sits in the gap between mall brands, tattoo parlours and luxury studios.

To ensure a comfortable experience, Studs’ piercings are done in private rooms with a needle, rather than a gun. Its selection of jewellery includes Earscapes, personalised combinations of earrings that can be mixed-and-matched to create unique looks, which are priced accessibly to appeal to Generation Z.

‘We tried to envision: what does today’s late teen to early 20-year-old want, so we did a lot of playing with light, materials and colours in a way that we wanted to feel fresh, but also a place that felt zen and spa-like, appropriate for what is effectively a small medical procedure,’ Harman tells Adweek.

As Generation Z approach beauty with the end goal of self-expression, not perfection, piercings offer a way to achieve this.

5. Way Running is remodelling our running shoes

Montreal – The new brand wants to create a DNA that the runner of the future can relate to.

Having run a successful Kickstarter campaign, Way Running aims to push the running industry forward with a more sustainable product offering. Its first product is a running shoe that uses a blend of natural and recyclable materials and simple design, with no logos or decorative elements. When a customer is finished with the shoe, Way Running will disassemble the components and reuse pieces accordingly, rewarding customers with a discount.

Rethinking the typically tech-driven nature of sustainable footwear, its branding is highly emotive, with slogans such as ‘don’t run from, run for’ and ‘running for a better future.’ The brand is also building a feedback loop within its BETA program, in which customers provide feedback on the product – including how often they wear it and for what activities – to create a continuous improvement cycle that informs each iteration of the shoe.

When it launches in April 2020, Way Running will join a host of brands reinventing the Sustainable Footwear Market.

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