The personal brand proliferates with personality-pointed offerings.

Susie Cowie evolves the concept of a personal logo, embroidering shirts with icons of special significance to the wearer such as a favorite home, vacation vista, or flower. In this same vein, Japanese store and restaurant Ogata Paris recently opened a bespoke incense room where patrons can craft truly personal scents. In the realm of monogrammed product, We've seen a shift from name stamping to saying something—look to the community of snarky L.L. Bean tote lovers on @ironicboatandtote as case-in-point.

Age inclusivity embraces Italian sensibilities. Introducing, Sciura chic.

Sciura: An elderly Milanese lady, elegant and refined in style and attitude.

In celebration of its recent Sant Ambroeus collaboration, The Attico wisely teamed up with popular Instagram account Sciuraglam, known for capturing street style of women who embody the Sciura attitude. The resulting campaign refreshes the model for age inclusivity in marketing, featuring stylish older women dressed in The Attico’s apparel, proving one can age gracefully while still remaining chic and cool. This topic is not new, but many interpretations miss the mark, either straying too far from age appropriate looks or boxing older women into segmented, matronly styles. When approaching age inclusivity, think elevated and timeless. Consider tapping influencers Grece Ghanem or Linda V Wright for your next campaign to perfectly embody ageless style.

Aesop makes store-design brand strategy.

"We don’t use a cookie cutter mold for our stores, and always try to do something unique and special for the area that we’re in," says Karl Wederell, general manager of Aesop, cult-favorite Australian personal care brand. While easier said than done, this simple rule helped launch Aesop into the consumer's vocabulary of high-end home and personal care. Unlike most brands in an expansion phase, which tend to replicate store designs across cities and regions, each Aesop store is unique, one more awe-inspiring than the next. What the brand sacrifices in operational efficiency, it makes up for in brand equity, and therefore longevity (something that's pretty hard to come by these days). Take note: the physical in-store experience is key to brick-and-mortar survival.

The key to solar energy adoption? Make it sexy.

The idea of using solar energy is good in theory, but more often than not, people opt out because most designs are, well, ugly. Subverting this expectation, Sunne creates elegant solar lamps that we actually want in our home, prioritizing beauty as much as function. Berlin-based brand We Do Solar makes modular solar systems designed for balconies in a minimalist aesthetic that’s not visually disruptive. Here, we’re reminded of an important lesson: build something beautiful and they will come.

“Made In” means nothing.

Consumers are learning location doesn't directly correlate to quality. Jewelry brand Chunks proudly states its products are made in China, debunking the connotation of poor quality or working conditions,  pointing out “Made in the U.S.” doesn't guarantee ethical production practices. MSCHF’s new ‘Made in Italy’ purse pokes fun at the stereotype with leather handbags made in...Italy, Texas. Shoppers are wise to marketing tactics and do their due diligence, so when speaking to production processes, it’s important to be authentic and honest.