Quartzy’s BofF VOICES Brief: Biofabrication, blockchain, and one posh boathouse
Good morning, fashion folk!
Welcome to Business of Fashion’s VOICES conference at Soho Farmhouse. I’m Marc Bain, fashion reporter for Quartzy, Quartz’s new lifestyle and culture site. I’ll be sending a special edition of the Quartz Daily Brief to guide you through the events ahead.
Hopefully you’ve settled into your countryside environs in beautiful Oxfordshire. The forecast has turned a bit chilly, topping out at just 2°C today, so dress warmly.
It’s fine English weather! Now, on to our packed schedule. Feel free to tweet along with the hashtag, #BoFVOICES.
WHAT TO WATCH FOR TODAY
A sobering view of the world. Global economies are in flux, and the world’s refugee crisis continues. Just this month, the Business and Human Rights Resource Centre called on Topshop and other European brands to better monitor their production in Turkey, where Syrian refugees have suffered exploitation in the garment industry. In VOICES’ first session, speakers including Dries Van Noten, Phillip Picardi, and Chin-Chin Yap (who produced Ai Weiwei’s documentary Human Flow) will discuss the big issues in the world beyond fashion.
Full circle. The fur may fly in today’s second session, which pits Mark Oaten, CEO of the International Fur Federation, and the Humane Society’s PJ Smith. Also, expect new findings from Dame Ellen MacArthur, whose foundation just announced the Circular Fibres Initiative to discover innovative ways to recycle clothes in a “circular textile economy.” Dapper Dan might offer some ideas. Luxury labels once shut him down for “recycling” their logos in his designs for hip-hop royalty. Now, they seek his partnership.
Bio-fascination. As fashion innovates around ethics and sustainability, one of the most exciting areas is biofabrication, which replicates animal products without the animals. Think super-strong spider silk minus the spiders. (We see you, Stella.) Or supple leather without the cow, courtesy of Modern Meadow, whose co-founder and CEO Andras Forgacs will speak at the day’s third session, on technology. Also, expect an AI-related announcement from BoF and Google, and a chat about koding—er, coding—with Karlie Kloss.
Take care. Conferences can be intense, so keep an ear out in the amphitheater for soothing soundscapes composed by District Vision’s Max Vallot. Then, our first scheduled break will take place from 18:00 to 20:00. Use it to pause and rest up for the salons. It might be a nice moment to curl up in the Main Barn, which has a full cocktail menu, complete with seasonal garnishes from the garden.
WHAT EVERYONE IS TALKING ABOUT
Nice place you got here. It’s hard to believe the Soho Farmhouse was a ramshackle 18th-century farm before the Soho House’s hoteliers opened it in 2015—a mash-up of English countryside and, somewhat surprisingly, upstate New York cabin culture. They refurbished old buildings, like the derelict water mill that became a pub, and erected new ones, such as the Boathouse, which houses the Japanese restaurant Pen Yen, as well as a steam room, sauna, and infinity pool. (Because nothing screams “Catskills cabin” quite like an infinity pool.)
Prince and princess. We’re gathered for serious stuff, but it’s still a fashion conference. There’s lots of buzz about the newly betrothed Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, especially that ring. Incidentally, the couple is said to be so besotted with the Soho Farmhouse, they’re house-hunting nearby.
Blah blah blockchain. Whether or not you uttered the word “blockchain” today, it’s a topic global execs can’t stop going on about. It’s not only the concept that underpins Bitcoin, which keeps climbing to unbelievable prices; it’s allowing fashion brands as well as global juggernauts including Walmart to monitor their supply chains in exciting new ways. If you’re still unclear on just what exactly blockchain is, travel with Quartz’s video team to the island of Yap, where an ancient system of stone money provides a great primer on our future in cryptocurrency.
CHART INTERLUDE
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NEWS FROM AROUND THE WORLD
Donald Trump turned up the pressure on North Korea… He threatened more sanctions against North Korea and also called Kim Jong-un a “sick puppy,” a day after the country’s latest missile test. UN ambassador Nikki Haley said China should cut off all oil supplies to the rogue regime or it would “take the oil situation into our own hands.”
…and fired back at Theresa May on Twitter. The US president told Theresa May (also tagging the wrong Twitter account in the process) to “focus on the destructive Radical Islamic Terrorism that is taking place” in the UK after the prime minister criticized his re-tweeting of Britain First’s far-right videos.
South Korea raised interest rates. The Bank of Korea raised rates for the first time in six years, signaling growing confidence in the export-driven economy. It’s also the first rate increase by a major Asian central bank since 2014.
Kellyanne Conway was appointed to solve America’s opioids crisis. The former White House spokeswoman was appointed by Trump as the administration’s new opioid czar, to tackle a drug epidemic that kills 142 Americans a day.
Nasdaq will offer bitcoin futures in 2018. The world’s second-largest stock market announced plans to offer the ability to bet on the booming cryptocurrency, along with brokerage Cantor Fitzgerald. Bitcoin is up 1,000% to date this year and breached $11,000 yesterday, while Ether also set a new record.
MATTERS OF DEBATE
Snapchat is becoming the anti-Facebook. A redesign attempts to draw a distinction between consuming news and content versus socializing with friends.
Matt Lauer was always NBC’s misogynist hiding in plain sight. The former star NBC anchor had been subtly demeaning women and abusing his power for years.
Having your breasts groped by your boss doesn’t count as sexual harassment in the US. Judgments laid down decades ago have set an impossibly high bar (paywall) for employees trying to sue for sexual harassment.
SURPRISING DISCOVERIES
Martian soil can grow plants and host earthworms. The wriggly garden favorites reproduced healthily in an iron-rich, lab-made soil.
A scheduling snafu at American Airlines let way too many pilots book time off at Christmas. The airline is offering to pay pilots as much as 150% of their hourly wage to cancel their plans and show up for work instead.
Wisconsin granted hunting licenses to babies. After the state eliminated age restrictions, it gave out 52 licenses to children under five, 10 of them to infants.
Google Translate’s algorithm is gender biased. When translating from a gender-neutral language like Turkish, it pairs “he” with “hardworking” and matches “she” with “lazy.”
Our best wishes for a productive day. Please send any news, comments, biofabrics, and Martian earthworms, to [email protected]. To subscribe to the weekly Quartzy newsletter, click here. You can also follow us on Instagram and Facebook.