During the pandemic more people found escape in virtual worlds, donning secondary identities that they were free to manipulate however they wished. Playing into this, Roblox debuted 'Gucci Garden', where avatars become genderless mannequins as they embark on a journey of self-discovery.

The pandemic lipstick effect has sent the popularity of indulgent homewares soaring but Gucci takes this a step further with its stationery collection. The range banks on people’s penchant for mental health-boosting analogue pursuits, injecting a dose of mindful luxury into everyday life.

The world of luxury watches predominantly caters to men, leaving many women feeling shut out of a legacy part of fashion. But higher demand from women and creative disruption from brands are helping to carve out space for new voices and styles, energising a market entrenched in tradition.

COVID-19 has led to an uplift in e-commerce, and customers are planning to keep much of their shopping online way beyond the pandemic’s end. Canvas8 spoke to brand expert Mark Pilkington, author of Retail Recovery, about the role bricks and mortar stores will play for consumers in the future.