Hi there,
For this weeks’ issue we spoke with an interior designer about how to make your home office more comfortable and we interviewed the founders of Bscly about an easy wardrobe.
That 2020 unofficially is the year of sweatpants is no surprise with clothing designed for video calls even having a moment at fashion weeks. However, a number of industry analysts have noted the polarization of Basics vs. High-end fashion spend. Susie Stanford made a great point; “It’s easy to see COVID as the end of formalwear and high heels. I think it just creates polarization; really dressing up when you do go out, even if that’s only a handful of occasions a month.”
See you next Thursday! I'll be wearing sweatpants.
Jenny
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Card games, baby strollers and modern religious objects. Here are 7 brands spotted this week:
Gnista. A non-alcoholic drink that tastes smokey and complex.
Via Maris. A brand that's designing traditional Jewish object for modern tastes.
Restore. Foodware, including straws, cutlery and takeaway boxes, made from regenerative materials.
Mejo. Psychedelic 500-piece puzzles, made in Italy.
Troop Beverage Co. Canned cocktails with all the ingredients listed on the label.
Autofarmer. A competitive card game that's all about growing cannabis.
Påhoj. An all-in-one bike seat and baby stroller from Sweden.
Picking out what you want to wear in the morning – especially when you need to be somewhere bright and early – can be a faff. To solve this problem, Bscly sells "kits" containing a uniform consisting of a t-shirt, trousers and sweatshirt, in limited colourways.
What about the pandemic?With the majority of people still working at home, that early morning conundrum is now less common – but founders Holga Balina and Vit Abrams think the "new normal" isn't a problem: "We want to become the next-gen brand that fits the lifestyle of the future, where work and life become one," Vit says.
What's the big idea?Bscly is launching with a single clothing kit but hopes to add more styles in the future. Long term, it wants to expand into other categories and solve more of life's annoyances – such as realising you forgot to replace your shower gel, or throwing on a t-shirt that wrinkles too much.
At the peak of the pandemic, 70% of Americans ended up getting sent home to work, either on a full- or part-time basis. It prompted a huge shift in how we interact with our personal spaces and, despite measures easing up, it looks like work-from-home may be the preferred default for many. Which brands are catering to our home office needs?
Why "biodegradable" isn't what you think. Liquid Death is laughing all the way to the bank. Hims is going public, via a merger with Oaktree Acquisition Corp. Vegan brand Daring Foods raises an $8m Series A round. Can pimple patches encourage people to vote? (Related: a critique of Biden Beauty.) Fly By Jing's founder shares her recipe for Biang Biang noodles. Asket now offers Impact Receipts on its clothing. Are mushrooms the future of wellness? Etsy shops made millions off masks.
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