Peachy Den and Adidas spotlight the enduring power of female sporting legends
UK – British fashion label Peachy Den has teamed up with global sportswear giant Adidas to re-imagine the bold spirit of 1980s and 1990s football kits, drawing inspiration from old-school varsity aesthetics and terrace culture.
At the heart of the campaign is the short film Legends Never Retire, starring Gill Sayell, a Lioness who represented England at the 1971 Women’s World Cup. Casting Sayell reinforces the collaboration’s focus on heritage, individuality and strength, positioning her as a living embodiment of the values the collection seeks to channel. For Peachy Den, this is a cultural statement that connects past and present, showing how legacy can be a driver of both identity and innovation.
The partnership reflects a wider movement identified in our Women’s Sports Economy report, where female founders, athletes and pioneers are reshaping the landscape of sport. By spotlighting under‑recognised legends, Peachy Den and Adidas underline the growing cultural and commercial momentum of women’s sports, which is increasingly shaping consumer identities and industry strategies alike.
Strategic opportunity
Female-owned brands like Peachy Den can shape the future of women’s sport by crafting original campaigns and products that honour overlooked legacy players while rewriting sports identity through a distinctly female and culturally resonant lens
Riley makes organic period care a hotel room standard
UK – Irish B Corp company Riley has launched a discreet organic period care hotel kit to bring menstrual essentials to hotel rooms as standard amenities.
The kit includes 100% GOTS-certified (Global Organic Textile Standard) organic cotton pads and tampons free from chlorine bleach, pesticides and toxins. Riley designed the offering to eliminate late-night pharmacy runs and awkward requests at the front desk, and to provide guests with dignity and care alongside shampoo, shower caps and other in-room items.
‘We’ve been blown away by the response so far,’ Fiona Parfrey, co-founder of Riley, shared on LinkedIn. ‘Hotels are loving it. Guests are loving it. And we’re one step closer to making period care as standard as shampoo.’ The introduction of the kit highlights a persistent gap in hospitality services, as period care has long been overlooked while remaining a basic necessity for roughly half of all travellers.
Riley’s move may mark the start of a broader shift towards more thoughtful, accessible hospitality design and could inspire other companies to address similar blind spots. Find more insights about the future of hotels in our Travel and Hospitality sector page.
Strategic opportunity
Consider how to review and address your current in-room and in-store amenity line-up to cater for ‘invisible’ guest needs, such as menstrual care, mobility aids and mental wellness tools
Stat: Gen Z reject AI dating tools
US – As dating apps bet big on AI to attract younger users, a new Bloomberg Intelligence survey shows Gen Z aren’t buying it. The poll of nearly 1,000 US users found that almost half didn’t see any benefit in using AI tools to build profiles or start conversations.
Gen Z reported greater discomfort than Millennials with using AI to draft biographies, craft replies or tweak pictures – raising questions about whether these features are solving real user pain points.
Despite AI offerings such as photo selectors on Bumble and prompt suggestions on Hinge, Gen Z’s dating habits are diverging from those of previous generations. Many are dating less, prioritising serious relationships or opting to meet in real life. This behavioural shift has led to eight straight quarters of subscriber losses at Match Group, which owns Tinder and Hinge.
In Gen Z Dating Futures, we highlighted this dating app fatigue among young consumers, and spotlighted the in-person social spaces, sports and college communities as emerging alternatives.
Strategic opportunity
Dating apps should move on from gamified swiping and AI prompts to emotionally attuned journeys. Integrate prompts or moments of reflection that deepen users’ understanding of their relational habits and preferences over time, giving added value to your service