NFTs – what’s all the fuss about these jpegs anyway?

NFTs – what’s all the fuss about these jpegs anyway?

In early February, a jpeg of a pixelated, pale, bandana-wearing alien sold for nearly $24 million dollars. Why? It is an NFT (non-fungible token) from a 10,000-strong collection of digital avatars called Crypto Punks, many of which are also priced in the millions....
The Japanese art of collaboration

The Japanese art of collaboration

Japanese consumers are particularly fastidious. They are highly self-conscious about what any given consumption choice tells others about themselves. They identify themselves as part of certain lifestyle tribes or kei (系) from which it is possible to guess at their...
The Paradox of the Inner Man

The Paradox of the Inner Man

In the previous article, we have seen that it is women who have driven appreciation of a new androgynous aesthetic. As a result, intensive grooming and beautification are now the norm for countless younger men. They feel free to express themselves outwardly in a way...