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Rolls-Royce unveils haute couture car with Iris van Herpen

Phantom Syntopia by Rolls-Royce and Iris Van Herpen, The Netherlands and UK

The Netherlands – Merging automotive with haute couture, the uber-luxurious Phantom Syntopia was born from a four-year collaboration process between Rolls-Royce and Dutch fashion trailblazer Iris van Herpen. The haute couture designer transposed her sculptural, awe-inspiring and biomimicry-heavy style to the car. The outside is coated in the patented Liquid Noir iridescent paint while the inside features three-dimensional textile sculptures and a star-studded roof.

Rolls-Royce has called the model the most complex Phantom ever made, and it is the first to feature a bespoke scent, creating a synaesthetic luxury experience.

The pinnacle of a new movement we called Guilded Luxury, this commissioned car comes with a bespoke haute couture garment designed by Iris van Herpen for the client. ‘The way we work, which is a very personalised process, is similar to how Rolls-Royce works with its clients. It’s a customised process of making a one-off,’ explains the designer, making a solid case for a new era of meaningful and craftsmanship-centred luxury collaborations.

Strategic opportunity

Take inspiration from the way Rolls-Royce and Iris van Herpen are using brand collaboration to stretch the boundaries of innovation, craftsmanship and luxury

Crate propels sustainable packaging to next level with label-less wine

Crate by Fourth Wave Wine. Identity by Denomination, Australia

Australia – Fourth Wave Wine is taking sustainable packaging to the next level by launching Crate, one of the world’s first label-less wines. Designed by drinks branding specialist Denomination, Crate upholds the high quality of its barrel-matured red wine while stripping away any unsustainable branding materials. There’s no label printing, adhesives or paper usage, so less energy is spent on the bottling line. The Australian family-owned importer of wines also limits Crate to a case-only purchase option, shipped in 100% recycled cartons with minimal print.

All relevant information can still be found on the bottle's capsule containing brand logotype, varietal, region, vintage, brand messaging and a QR code for further legal information. The design works with other regenerative elements, including the bottle of transition glass and 100% recycled cartons with minimal print. ‘Fourth Wave Wine is constantly striving towards greater sustainability, and the launch of Crate is shining a light on alternatives to conventional paper-label packaging, an increasingly precious commodity,’ says Nicholas Crampton, co-owner of Fourth Wave Wine.

In Redemptive Diets, we previously highlighted how innovations like Crate emphasises the political and social value that will be placed on food and drink, especially in order to combat environmental waste.

Strategic opportunity

Brands should look to design as an avenue to pursue their regenerative efforts without sacrificing product quality

Roblox believes generative AI can multiply video game creators

US – Online gaming platform Roblox has embraced generative artificial intelligence (AI) by introducing two new AI tools in February 2023 to its Roblox Studio suite. From now on, any video game creator will access beta versions of one AI program generating material from a text prompt and another developing code.

Daniel Sturman, Roblox's chief technology officer, says he aimed to enable every user to be a creator, including those who have yet to experience 3D design or coding. ‘A creator could design a car through a simple statement such as ‘a red, two-seater, convertible sports car with front-wheel drive’. This new creation would look like a red sports car but also have all the behaviour coded into it to be driven through a 3D virtual world,’ he said in a statement.

In Generative AI Creativity Market, we previously analysed the swathes of future opportunities artificial intelligence will bring to the creative industries. By empowering anyone to become a video game creator, Roblox hints at new opportunities for any company to inject its branding, avatars or the latest product in any video game or virtual reality world.

Generative AI on Roblox, US

Strategic opportunity

Jump on the generative AI bandwagon immediately to rethink your in-house creative processes and identify new ways to enter virtual reality realms

Stat: Britons believe women should get more support during menopause

Moving With Menopause by P.volve in collaboration with Elektra, US

UK – As women's incapacitating symptoms during perimenopause are increasingly acknowledged, new research reveals what people think about governments and companies supporting women through the process.

The British government has recently rejected a proposal to make menopause a protected characteristic under the Equality Act, which would make discrimination against menopausal women illegal. A poll by YouGov reveals that 62% of Britons favour the idea. Unsurprisingly, more women (71%) would support the proposal and over half (53%) of men.

Besides governmental action, Britons believe companies should also be doing more – 55% support paid menopause leave – twice as many as those who would oppose it. In addition, three-quarters of respondents think employers should implement policies that help women manage menopause symptoms, such as flexible working hours, cooler offices or uniform adjustments.

In our Perimenopause Wellness Market, we delve deeper into new approaches and holistic health solutions encompassing how women eat, move, sleep, focus and relax during this life stage.

Strategic opportunity

As a business, gather employee feedback and act ahead of legislation regarding health and wellness policies. Minor but incremental adjustments for employees going through menopause can strengthen workplace equity and talent retention