In the News
In The News: Clothes Made From Pineapple Leaves? Wearable Fashion Takes On New Meaning
H&M has made its mark in the fashion world as far as sustainability goes, and its latest “Conscious Exclusive” collection is the newest example of the company being a leader in the marketplace.
To reduce the use of single-use plastics, there are three new materials being introduced into this collection: Piñatex (a leather-like material derived from pineapple leaves), Orange Fiber (made from orange peels) and BLOOM Foam (made from algae biomass).
“It’s so incredible to have the opportunity to work with all of these truly beautiful materials that show that fashion and sustainability must go hand in hand,” said Ann-Sofie Johansson, H&M’s creative advisor, in an interview with Vogue. “If [the aesthetic] is not 100 percent, our customers probably will not like it.”
The collection will be available in stores on April 11.
Also in the news…
‘Midsommar’ meets horror
We don’t love taking something as pure as “Midsommar” and putting a horror genre spin on it, but alas, creators are going to create. Ari Aster, who is the writer-director of “Hereditary,” is behind the new film. It’s hard to decipher much from the trailer, but Aster told Vulture, “It’s a breakup movie, in the same way that ‘Hereditary’ is a family tragedy.” OK, that still doesn’t tell us much, but we’ll be watching (through our hands covering our eyes).
WOW, that sucks
If you booked a low-cost flight to Scandinavia this summer, you better check who you booked through. WOW Air abruptly shut down this week, leaving passengers stranded. “This is probably the hardest thing I have ever done but the reality is that we have run out of time and have unfortunately not been able to secure the funding of the company,” WOW CEO and founder Skuli Mogensen wrote in a letter to the company’s 1,000 employees. Reuters has the full story.
Working moms could take a lesson from Sweden
One researcher talked to working moms in the United States, Italy, Germany and Sweden to learn more about their roles and the effects their work has on their daily lives. The Harvard Business Review has a transcript from an episode of the HBR IdeaCast, and a few minutes in, the researcher talks about Sweden’s culture of gender equality as it relates to parenting, noting the incentives for men to take advantage of paternal leave.
Rapping for social change
In a country best known for its pop and dance artists, when a rapper hits the stage — especially one with an agenda — our ears perk up. This headline from the New York Times caught our eye this week: “She Raps, Sweden Listens,” which profiles Silvana Imam, a rapper with Lithuanian and Syrian roots. Imam has an interesting background that weaves its way into her lyrics.
