LSN : Daily Signals : 21 : 01 : 26

Girlfans England puts female fans at the heart of football culture

GIRLFANS zine, Photography by Jacqui McAssey & Zoë Hitchen, UK

UK – Built to challenge the oversight of women in football fan media, Girlfans has launched its first national magazine edition.

Co-created with photographer and academic Jacqui McAssey and photographer and creative director Zoë Hitchen, Girlfans England is seven years in the making and captures a pivotal moment for the women’s game following UEFA Women’s Euros 2025.

First launched in 2013, Girlfans has evolved into a slow, inclusive publishing platform rooted in fan-led storytelling. The England edition brings together photography, writing and original artwork from an all-female network of creatives, documenting the rituals of fandom – packed pubs, away days, chants and travel diaries – through the lived experiences of women and girls across the country.

This echoes insights from our Grassroots Game Days report, which explores the visual language emerging around women’s football – one rooted in authenticity, grit and community.

Self-published and independently distributed, the zine captures a fan culture that has long existed beyond the spotlight. While women’s football is increasingly attracting commercial attention, Girlfans England demonstrates how cultural value is still being generated from the ground up.

As explored in our Women’s Sports Economy analysis, fan-led infrastructure is creating the conditions for female founders to build businesses that respond to real community needs in a rapidly evolving landscape.

Strategic opportunity

Build long-term relevance in women’s sport by investing in fan-led media and creators, using grassroots platforms like Girlfans to authentically reach female audiences beyond broadcast-led, top-down narratives

Shoei’s AR-enabled helmets layer intelligence to enhance riding

Global – Japanese helmet maker Shoei has unveiled the world’s first motorcycle helmet to feature a fully integrated augmented reality head-up display (HUD), developed in partnership with French mobility tech company EyeLights.

The AR-enabled GT-Air 3 Smart visor projects navigation cues, speed, safety alerts and incoming call information directly into the rider’s line of sight via a nano-OLED display, minimising the need to glance down at phones or handlebar instruments. Hands-free Bluetooth audio, voice assistant compatibility and mesh intercom functionality further embed connectivity into the riding experience without disrupting safety or aerodynamics.

Rather than introducing an entirely new behaviour, the helmet quietly layers intelligence onto an existing ritual. In doing so, it reframes protective equipment as a responsive interface that delivers real-time information precisely when and where it is needed.

This reflects a broader shift in smart eyewear. Once positioned as experimental or novelty tech, smart glasses are increasingly integrating into everyday contexts, seamlessly augmenting routine tasks – a trajectory highlighted in our Six Smart Glasses Innovations With Eyes on the Future report.

Within automotive and mobility innovation, this reflects a broader re-imagining of purpose. Vehicles and protective gear are increasingly conceived as lived-in spaces that flex to support focus, entertainment and connection, rather than simply facilitating movement. For more, read our Future Five 2026 report.

DAB 1α Electric Motorcycle, France

Strategic opportunity

Use technology to enrich user experiences by delivering meaningful value – safety, convenience or connectivity – in ways that feel natural and intuitive, without disrupting existing routines or habits

Stat: Stress-reducing benefits of exercise are stronger for women than men

Undropped Kit, Asics, UK

US – Regular exercise is linked to lower daily stress among US adults, but the effect is significantly stronger for women than men, according to new data from Gallup’s National Health and Well-Being Index.

Gallup’s findings are based on responses from nearly 17,000 US adults surveyed during the first three quarters of 2025, underlining how exercise delivers unequal but meaningful mental health benefits across genders and life stages.

The survey found that women who exercised for at least 30 minutes on six or seven days a week were far less likely to report high stress than those who did not exercise at all. Among women, reported daily stress fell from 56% for non-exercisers to 45% for those exercising nearly every day, a 20% reduction in the likelihood of stress. By contrast, the gap among men was far smaller, dropping from 43% to 40%.

The relationship was most pronounced among women aged 18–44 and those aged 65 and over. In the youngest group, daily stress fell from 68% among non-exercisers to 54% among frequent exercisers, double the reduction seen among men of the same age. Among women aged 65 and over, stress dropped from 39% to 27%, while remaining largely unchanged for men.

Women’s health remains a vastly under-researched area. These findings underline the need for gender-specific insights. Read LS:N Global’s viewpoint The Future of Femtech, featuring Marina Gerner, author of The Vagina Business, on closing the gender health gap.

Strategic opportunity

Support and fund research closing the gender health gap by partnering with femtech start-ups focused on micro-behavioural changes, longevity and preventative care