Trends, Ideas and Inspiration

Fashion and finance come together!

"Now they merge! For years the story that you find the fashion/advertising business at one side and the “finance” at the other side of the bar at Stureplan in Stockholm, had circulated. As a trend barometer the Ventalists (Venture capitalists) are not so trendy. They are as many others, the follow each other. Recently, at least in Sweden and excluding the big ones such as LVMH, Gucci group and others that plays in highest league, the “money” had found a new business to invade. Many smaller and upcoming Swedish fashion brands such as Filippa K, WESC and ACNE Jeans had sold out parts of their companies – often in order to expand. The entrepreneurs have in many ways fought for a long time, but not all. Here we can see a little bit more mature market, so to say."

Read the full article here by Claes Foxérus.

Do You Take Stella?

Private bank Coutts & Co has commissioned Stella McCartney to design its latest current account card. The design supposedly "combines the intricacies found on banknotes and on the Coutts cheque book with aspects of the British countryside".

PSFK Link: Stella is the new black

StockDigg?

StockDigg is a Digg for city & finance stories. StockDigg say it is a "financial website that provides investors access to major financial news as well as user-submitted stories (e.g. stock picks and analysis) and individual stock rankings by investors."

 

What is DigStock? DigStock is a financial website that provides investors access to major financial news as well as user-submitted stories (e.g. stock picks and analysis) and individual stock rankings by investors. With DigStock, users rank stocks and submit stories, which are reviewed (i.e. ranked and tagged) by other investors. Only the most timely, relevant, and valuable stories go to the front page.

If it's as influential as the original Digg, this could be huge. Not too sure it's connected to the original Digg though. Which is a little naughty, no?  Read more..

Taxed for surfing the web while at work

The British House Of Commons is debating the idea of taxing individuals who use computers at work for their own personal use. Think tax on company cars and you see the angle - if you use the computer for your personal use, then it will be a form of pay!! (by Piers Fawkes)

Under the rules that replace the scheme, office computers used in part for non-business purposes are treated as a benefit in kind, meaning that employees will have to pay income tax on them, and employers will have to pay national insurance contributions for them as well. On a computer bought for £2,000, an employee paying higher-rate tax would face a £160 bill each year and an employer would have to pay an extra £51.20.  Read more....

ATM Privacy Area

We're not too sure whether this has been orchestrated by London's Metropolitan police or by the bank itself. Before each ATM machine in the bank's wall is a square saying 'ATM Privacy Area'. We guess that it's probably a measure to dissuade chaps like the one pictured lighting a fag to not sit between the ATMs and ask for some spare change, guv'nor.

Photo taken on Wardour Street, London.