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Agua Mágica revives mezcal drinking rituals

Agua Mágica

US, Mexico – The ultra-premium spirits brand has launched its first mezcal with the aim of spotlighting the events, festivities and celebrations at which mezcal is traditionally consumed.

Focusing on the history of Oaxaca – the birthplace of mezcal – and the rich origins of the drink, Agua Mágica is reclaiming the spirit from industrialisation and commoditisation. To do this, it's using a combination of sourced and harvested single-village agaves, espadín and tobalá from the terrain of San Juan del Río. This location provides ideal natural conditions for agave – resulting in a complex and rich mezcal flavour.

Alongside retaining these important creation rituals, the brand also reasserts the place of mezcal to be consumed as part of festivities and gatherings, including weddings, funerals and births. ‘My mission with Agua Mágica is to initiate conversations around redirecting mezcal's current growth trajectory, through a premiumisation and re-contextualisation of mezcal consumption occasions,' explains Rafael Shin, founder of Agua Mágica.

As consumer interest in Modern Mezcal grows, this brand is stepping in to preserve the origins of agave-based spirits.

Topi skincare is for contrasting climates

Topi botanicals

US – Topi is a skincare brand designed to protect the skin from different climatic conditions.

The brand, which positions itself as ethically and sustainably sourced, was launched with two vegan serums targeted at holidaymakers – its Sun Serum and Snow Serum. Each contains botanical ingredients to form a protective barrier on the surface of the skin, working against the skin aggressors that occur in these juxtaposing climates.

When creating the brand, Topi’s founders considered the impact of both indoor and outdoor conditions found while travelling, such as heating, air conditioning, pollution, LED screens and aeroplane environments. ‘I’ve always had an interest in medicinal botanicals,’ says Quentin Smith, co-founder of Topi. ‘[So] I wanted to find other ways of using them that made sense for how I like to care for my skin and interact with my environment on a day-to-day basis.’

In our forthcoming Beauty, Health and Wellness Forum, we’ll examine the effects of our surroundings and the environment on our overall wellbeing. Tickets are available to buy here.

Yoox’s online hub wants to entice Gen Z shoppers

Hi Guy_Z! by Yoox

UK – At a time when Generation Z are snapping up pre-owned fashion, online retailer Yoox hopes to attract them to discounted luxury goods with a new youth-focused hub.

Dubbed Hi Guy_Z!, the platform will spotlight up-and-coming designers and talent, with promotions focused on businesses that follow sustainable practices. Among the brands initially selected to be featured on Hi Guy_Z! are Jacquemus, Fear of God, A-Cold-Wall, Our Legacy, Nike and The North Face. Each of these have been chosen using a combination of data and buyer knowledge relating to Gen Z customers. Through this channel, Yoox welcomes a more curated approach to reaching a particular group.

‘The idea was to create something that was welcoming, warmer and closer to their tone of voice and perspective,’ says Paolo Mascio, president of fashion at Yoox Net-a-Porter. ‘We already have customers between 15 to 25 years of age and we already carry a lot of brands that appeal to this audience, but we want to represent a virtual place where young people can really meet and establish use.’

Elsewhere, we’ve identified the ways that other retailers are innovating through off-price strategies that tap into the interests of young consumers.

Stat: US citizens believe they will get wealthier

Modern Banking for the Culture by Greenwood, US

US citizens generally think they will get richer, according to a recent study by YouGov.

Almost half of Americans (48%) say they’re going to accumulate more capital, while nearly one in five (19%) believe they will become ‘much richer’. By contrast, three in 10 think their circumstances are likely to remain stagnant, while 16% say they are more likely to become poorer.

The research also found that those who are already wealthy are the most likely to expect to get richer, with more than three in five Americans earning over £70.5k ($100k, €82k) in gross personal income anticipating that they’ll become wealthier. This compares to just over two in five of those earning under £35.2k ($50k, €41k).

To discover more about how fintech brands are supporting consumers with asset management, look out for our forthcoming interview with Diem.