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The Future Rocks fosters community around jewellery

The Future Rocks by AKQA

US and Global – The platform is serving a gap in the lab-grown diamond market by providing an ethical marketplace with an editorial and community-centric focus.

Launching with a progressive campaign by AKQA, The Future Rocks platform seeks to profile lab-grown diamonds through an inclusive and engaging lens. The marketplace is supporting emerging jewellery designers by providing them with a space to sell products as well as communicate their unique stories and values. Meanwhile, shoppers are provided with a channel to access ethically sourced, quality jewellery.

‘We hope to ignite and capture the hearts of both jewellery lovers and people who’ve never bought jewellery before,’ says Anthony Tsang, CEO of The Future Rocks. ‘We wanted a bold campaign to resonate with a new consumer base, reflecting progressive values that they embody – such as inclusivity, ethics and diversity.’

In a similar vein, editorial platform Dimepiece takes a subversive approach to the luxury watch industry, targeting younger women consumers normally overlooked by watch marketers.

A sauna-art hybrid promising enlightened states

TikTok teamLab Reconnect, Tokyo

Tokyo – Art collective teamLab is partnering with social media platform TikTok on an exhibition combining art and sauna experiences to alter mental states.

The exhibition, TikTok teamLab Reconnect, is an immersive environment where visitors replicate the process of entering a sauna, having a cold shower and then taking a rest, before engaging with artworks. The intention is for visitors to enter a ‘sauna trance’. According to teamLab, this sensation prompts the senses to sharpen, as well as clearing the mind and allowing people’s environments to be experienced more fully.

‘By taking alternating hot and cold baths, visitors open their minds, experience an ever-expanding physical sensation and become one with the art,’ says teamLab in a statement. The artwork on show takes inspiration from the laws of nature, building on teamLab’s new art project, Supernature Phenomenon.

As we explore in Enlightened States, the notion of Meditative Museums is helping the public to reach a calmer state of mind.

Ren’s beauty campaign invites collective eco-action

US – Skincare brand Ren has announced a collaborative campaign as an environmental call to action for the beauty industry.

For the campaign, #WeAreAllies the brand has formed an alliance with four of its industry competitors: Biossance, Caudalie, Herbivore Botanicals and Youth To The People. Shunning any competitive associations, the brands are working together on a shared goal of improving the environmental impact of the beauty sector. With a particular focus on packaging, the brands are supporting each other in becoming planet-friendly, and ideally operating on a zero-waste basis.

‘Taking action to reduce waste in the beauty industry is a challenge; together we can share ideas and pioneer new solutions to reduce packaging waste while raising awareness and inspiring other brands to join us with their sustainability efforts,’ says Arnaud Meysselle, CEO of Ren.

Recognising that collective action is stronger than individual efforts, brands are engaging in Symbiosis Strategies that allow them to work together on shared goals. Discover this trend within Elastic Brands.

#WeAreAllies by Ren, US

Stat: Gen Z prioritise early retirement over parenthood

LittleHumans by Petit Pli, London

As Generation Z enter the workforce and begin to reflect on their financial futures, new research from Pension Bee reveals a link between child-free lifestyles and the option of early retirement.

According to the research, one in 10 childless 18–23-year-olds in the UK are considering foregoing parenthood, citing an aim to retire early as a key driver of their decision. This compares to 4% of Millennials with the same mindset.

The choice not to have children as a way to bring forward retirement was also found to be more common among people living in London, with 5% of respondents across all generations saying this. Of note, not a single respondent living in the northeast of England expressed this mindset. Opting to go child-free was also more likely to be considered by those in average to higher-paid jobs – particularly those earning £25–55k ($35–76k, €29–63k).

While we’ve previously explored people’s environmental and financial motivations for having a child-free lifestyle, the lure of early retirement and perceived 'freedom' is emerging as a priority.