THE MILLEMIUM

LYRICS -THE THESIS- RETROCESSION OF EMIGRATION-
Signal - fashion for a good reason.
Chapter 9

THE MILLEMIUM & LES^SENCE ETHICAL FASHION INITIATIVE'S GOAL.
Focusing in a sustainable implenment Fashion Mark for the benefit of people.

The blaring music, the flashing lights, the clothes, the models, the glamour! From New York to Milan, Fashion Week has begun... and there is so much more to this event than the ensembles. In this creative space and time, novelty, trends, masstige, reinvention, impulsivity, and technology create the underlying current that drives the fashion force.

So what is it about Fashion Week that captures our attention? It is often our lack of attention that draws us in. The newest, the latest, and the greatest that emerge from these events are what we call trends. The brain loves trends because they are fast acting short-lived blasts of novelty... and our gray matter simply loves new things!

The return to femininity has important sociological implications. Feminine fashion was often used to "keep women in their proper place" in the kitchen, on a shelf or out of the boardroom. As women were given greater rights, privileges, freedom, and opportunities for success and independence their fashion choices shifted. Feminine fashion was rejected and women embraced "power" clothing.

In addition to technology aiding in the delivery of the latest runway trends, financial accessibility has increased revenue for many designers. Fashion for the masses was initially the antithesis of Fashion Week. In this economy, creating and displaying low-end items with high-end looks will now keep designers in business. 

Psychologically speaking, individuals who may never be able to purchase high-end items can become part of an elite brand by buying the lower-end items. Masstige, or prestige for the masses, allows us to have a small piece of a glamorous inaccessible world... even if it is only in the form of a polyester scarf or plastic plate.

Amidst the constant stream of runway fashion, WE believes that dressing must ultimately communicate a reflection of the truest self. WE states that "everyone wants to be known" and fashion allows an expression of authenticity. As WE address in our  thesis , You Are What You Wear, all dress choices are internally motivated and can be analyzed to reveal the inner self. Trends chasing is often motivated from a desire to fit in, feel current, and masks insecurities. These ever-changing fashion dictates never allow for a concrete identification of your look, your preference, and ultimately the message you want to put forth in the world. WE suggests "plucking out the trends that work for you." Find those that are harmonious with that which you already are!

Color Psychology: Does It Affect How You Feel?How Colors Impact Moods, Feelings, and Behaviors

Search the siClothing Physiolog

Do you feel anxious in a yellow room? Does the color blue make you feel calm and relaxed? Artists and interior designers have long believed that color can dramatically affect moods, feelings, and emotions. "Colors, like features, follow the changes of the emotions," the artist Pablo Picasso once remarked.

Color is a powerful communication tool and can be used to signal action, influence mood, and even influence physiological reactions.

Certain colors have been associated with increased blood pressure, increased metabolism, and eyestrain.

So how exactly does color work? How is color believed to impact mood and behavior?
What Is Color Psychology?

In 1666, English scientist Sir Isaac Newton discovered that when pure white light passes through a prism, it separates into all of the visible colors. Newton also found that each color is made up of a single wavelength and cannot be separated any further into other colors.

Further experiments demonstrated that light could be combined to form other colors. For example, red light mixed with yellow light creates an orange color. Some colors, such as green and magenta, cancel each other out when mixed and result in a white light.

If you have ever painted, then you have probably noticed how certain colors can be mixed to create other colors.

"Given the prevalence of color, one would expect color psychology to be a well-developed area," researchers Andrew Elliot and Markus Maier have noted.

"Surprisingly, little theoretical or empirical work has been conducted to date on color's influence on psychological functioning, and the work that has been done has been driven mostly by practical concerns, not scientific rigor."

Despite the general lack of research in this area, the concept of color psychology has become a hot topic in marketing, art, design, and other areas.

Much of the evidence in this emerging area is anecdotal at best, but researchers and experts have made a few important discoveries and observations about the psychology of color and the effect it has on moods, feelings, and behaviors.

Of course, your feelings about color are often deeply personal and rooted in your own experience or culture. For example, while the color white is used in many Western countries to represent purity and innocence, it is seen as a symbol of mourning in many Eastern countries.

The Psychological Effects of Color.
Why is color such a powerful force in our lives? What effects can it have on our bodies and minds?
While perceptions of color are somewhat subjective, there are some color effects that have universal meaning. Colors in the red area of the color spectrum are known as warm colors and include red, orange, and yellow. These warm colors evoke emotions ranging from feelings of warmth and comfort to feelings of anger and hostility.
Colors on the blue side of the spectrum are known as cool colors and include blue, purple, and green. These colors are often described as calm, but can also call to mind feelings of sadness or indifference.

How do people respond to different colors?
Color psychology suggests that different colors can evoke psychological reactions. For example, color is often thought to have an impact on moods and emotions. Sometimes these reactions are related to the intensity of a color, while in other cases they are the product of experience and cultural influences.
How does the color green make you feel? For many people, it immediately brings to mind the lush green of grass, trees, and forests.
Perhaps because green is so heavily associated with nature, it is often described as a refreshing and tranquil color.

Green
Which is Nature's colour, is restful, soothing, cheerful, and health-giving." - Paul Brunton
The Color Psychology of Green
Green is a cool color that symbolizes nature and the natural world.
Green also represents tranquility, good luck, health, and jealousy.
Researchers have also found that green can improve reading ability. Some students may find that laying a transparent sheet of green paper over reading material increases reading speed and comprehension.
Because the color green is so associated with nature, people often describe it as natural, fresh, and restful. However, it is important to remember that all reactions to color are also shaped by cultural influences and individual experiences. The next time to find yourself observing the color green, whether it is in a room, in a painting, or in an outdoor setting, take a moment to consider the types of emotions and moods that the color tends to evoke.

 Gold
The color of wealth, success and status.The color gold is the color of success, achievement and triumph. Associated with abundance and prosperity, luxury and quality, prestige and sophistication, value and elegance, the psychology of this color implies affluence, material wealth and extravagance.

Gold in its physical state, by its very nature, denotes wealth and prestige in every country, culture and market in the world today - it is probably the most valuable and easily traded commodity available in the global market place.

Optimistic and positive, gold adds richness and warmth to everything with which it is associated - it illuminates and enhances other things around it.

At the uppermost level, this is a color which is associated with higher ideals, wisdom, understanding and enlightenment. It inspires knowledge, spirituality and a deep understanding of the self and the soul.In the meaning of colors, gold is generous and giving, compassionate and loving, the benefactor or patron, sharing its wisdom, knowledge and wealth with others.

Black

Black is the color of authority and power. It is popular in fashion because it makes people appear thinner. It is also stylish and timeless. Black also implies submission. Priests wear black to signify submission to God. Some fashion experts say a woman wearing black implies submission to men. Black outfits can also be overpowering, or make the wearer seem aloof or evil. Villains, such as Dracula, often wear black.

Blue
The color of the sky and the ocean, blue is one of the most popular colors. It causes the opposite reaction as red. Peaceful, tranquil blue causes the body to produce calming chemicals, so it is often used in bedrooms. Blue can also be cold and depressing. Fashion consultants recommend wearing blue to job interviews because it symbolizes loyalty. People are more productive in blue rooms. Studies show weightlifters are able to handle heavier weights in blue gyms.

CLOTHING PHYSIOLOGY
Clothing physiology is the study of the interaction between human body and its clothing in different environment. The comfort of a person in a given situation depends on these interactions. A person can be subjected to many different environments and his bodily requirements can vary widely. Under normal circumstances, heat is continuously being dispersed from the body through the skin (about 90%) and through respiration (10%). During vigorous activity, the body produces a great deal of excess heat.

Clothing physiology

• Sitting still –100 watt 
• Walking – 350 watt 
• Vigorous (forceful) sport -1000 watt 

If the generation of excess heat is greater than the transport, then the body reacts by producing an increased flow of liquid perspiration at the surface of the skin. Evaporation of the perspiration has a strong cooling effect. If the transport is greater than the heat generation, then the body begins to chill. In order for the user to be comfortable, clothing must participate in regulating the interchange between the body and its surrounding microclimate through insulation, ventilation, moisture absorption, and moisture transport. By appropriate choice of clothing, even extreme climate conditions can be accommodated.
Wicking process. The process which absorbs moisture or perspiration from the human body and finally transfers it to the normal environment is termed wicking process.

OUR FASHION COLLECTIONS PROPOSITION.

FORCE TRENCH CONNECTION 

For us fashion psychology, cognitive psychologist who applies psychological science to the context of fashion. So, We are concerned not only with clothing (fashion), but with human behaviour across all aspects of fashion from design through the entire supply chain, to consumption and disposal. We are concerned with the many and varied individual, societal and environmental issues that result directly or indirectly from the fashion industries.

Beauty in particular is a huge focus, as well as body image, self-esteem, confidence, the sexualisation of women and the selection/treatment of models. With regard to money, we’ll study debt that comes from compulsive spending, and over-consumption that results in the disposal of unworn items. This results in the problem of landfill sites and other pollutants. In regards to production, there are many ecological issues such as pollution of lakes and rivers from dye, depletion of natural resources from over-production, etc.

2. What exactly does a fashion psychologist do? What's a typical day in your life like?

I am mainly an academic so like most other academics, my days are busy and varied. In addition to preparing teaching materials, supervising research students, managing staff, conducting research projects and attending meetings, I spend a good deal of time meeting people who want to find out how to make a positive difference in a particular area of interest. I have also been contacted by an organisation that works with older people to help them boost their self-esteem through the vehicle of fashion. Another example would be a research study I recently completed investigating  women’s perceptions of the industry’s advertising geared towards women. The work is always varied and interesting. I can honestly say, I’m never bored!

Psychology.fashion helps your business
People are involved in every level of the fashion industry, from the design of clothing to its disposal. If you don’t understand the psychology behind creativity, perception, identity and consumption, you don’t understand the fashion industry.

Creativity
How do people generate novel and useable ideas and solutions? Psychology has the answers.

Perception
What psychological processes enable people to make sense of colour, silhouette and beauty?

Identity
Fashion enables us to stand out and belong simultaneously. Psychology knows how to use this knowledge in your business.

Consumption

What psychological aspects are involved when consumers decide to spend money on fashion? Emotion? Desire?

DARKNESS  BAGS 

Smaller companies are creating 100% biodegradable fabric and algae-based fabric dye, but larger brands are slower to innovate.

magine a pair of trousers you could throw on the compost. After years of use, they could decompose among the eggshells and tea bags to leave behind nothing but some fertile soil to help grow new raw materials. It takes the circular economy to a whole new level.

This is the idea behind F-BRIC, a range of materials developed by Swiss company Freitag. Until recently, Freitag’s only line of business was making bags out of old truck tarpaulins.

While natural fibres like cotton will compost over time, synthetic fibre like plyester  won't, and natural fibres are often blended with synthetic. Looking for sustainable workwear for its 150-strong workforce, Freitag’s owners were disappointed by the fabrics on offer, so they developed their own. The company now has a range of sustainably produced and compostable material made in Europe, from broken twill to make trousers, to a jersey fabric for t-shirts. It has also patented the design for buttons that can be screwed off and reused.

Larger companies may change their ways as consumers start demanding better, more sustainably produced fabrics. Freitag says he sees growing concern among consumers about the materials they are wearing and how they were produced. “The first issue was food. You eat it, so if you can afford it you start to really think, ‘what am I eating?’ I think clothing is the next step; you have it on your skin.”

9|9 ALOHA  Sustainability + Fashion in Japan , Marking Territory.

The way movements starts, (re)define themselves, and prosper (or not) in a given national market is always interesting to observe and analyse. Certain patterns repeat across geographies – not implying they’re adjoint – other mechanisms seem to work exactly opposite in one part of the world than in others. Japan – for multiple reasons, not the least the still ongoing, if diminishing, cultural influence onto its neighbours –

he term ‘ethical’ (as in ‘ethical fashion’) has entered the language only very recently – 18 to 24 months ago – and is currently used as-is as English loan word, but written in the Japanese Katagana sillabary (エシカル). This for a number of reasons, the main one being that there is no Japanese word that carries a notion similar to that of ‘ethical’ as when used in the context of commodities production. 倫理的 (pronounced: rinriteki) as well as 道徳的 (pronounced: dotokuteki) come with nuances related to (unwritten) rules or implicit (Japanese) cultural norms of conduct and moral.

The Japanese ‘sustainable fashion’ scene has founded this lack rather useful: they voluntarily adapt the loan word, and – so it seems – do not suffer from any historic, and rather unfavourable clichés existant in Europe and the US. Not the least because the word ‘ethnic’ – also a loan word – is spelled entirely different when localised (エスニック).
In contrast, the word ‘natural’ – again the English loan word (ナチュラル) – is most commonly used in the context of products, and immediately conjures images of clothes brought back by backbackers from India. The association of ナチュラル (natural) with エスニック (ethnic) is important although not necessarily detrimental to the same degree as in Europe.

But: ‘natural’ until recently came also with the connotation of a fashion sense that defied the mainstream for its bland use of colour, and distinctly comfortable designs.
Yet, also here time has created a distinct shift in perception: When a few years ago signing up to such a fashion sense would have been the ultimate social death for any early-tweens girl, ‘natural’ cosmetic, ‘natural make up style’ and ‘natural clothing style’ have become the ultimate thing to aim at. Gone are the days of dangerously high heels, outrageously patterned dresses and skirts, and colour combinations that hurt the eye.

 The Japanese 物作り (monozukuri) mindset is likely one of the principle reasons for that.
What is Monozukuri?
"Monozukuri is a compound word comprising 'mono' which means 'products,' (literally, 'thing') and 'zukuri' which means 'process of making or creation'.
The concept embraces more than the literal meaning. It offers the idea of possessing the 'spirit to produce excellent products and the ability to constantly improve a production system and process'. The concept carries 'overtones of excellence, skill, spirit, zest, and pride in the ability to make things good things very well. Monozukuri is not mindless repetition; it requires creative minds and is often related to craftsmanship which can be earned through lengthy apprenticeship practice rather than the structured course curricula taught at traditional schools. In that sense, Monozukuri is an art rather than science."
It is a mind set I have encountered times and over again. From the simple sushi shop around the corner, over Uniqlo’s approach to their collection design, through to one of the most successful and innovative global flat knitting machine manufacturers.
It is thanks to this mind set that also Japanese consumers tend to have a weakness for exclusive, well made quality items, and are happy to pay for them if the can afford them.
Last, but certainly not least, the fact that activism isn’t a strong – or even widely accepted – aspect of Japanese culture, may potentially pan out to the advantage of ethical fashion.
Principalising is something that has never sold any garments – or not many, in any case. This was, and remains, a basic assumption straight away by all Japanese brands I have had the opportunity to talk to. Product design, quality and customer desire are at the forefront of the designers’ and brands’ awareness. In a sense hence, the ‘coolness’ factor (or maybe more accurately: the ‘fashionable’ factor) is at the forefront of what is being offered, and the backstory comes later. And, while ethical fashion may be less of a topic overall, those brands that fall into this category, struggle with fewer of the clichés and social hurdles than their European and American peers.

To conclude: Language, the history of a market and how customers are being sensibilised (in the past, as well as in the present) matters a huge deal with regards to how new concepts – sustainable or ethical fashion in this case – are being perceived.
It cannot be underestimated that new territory needs to be chartered and marked carefully. Sometimes, a slow development of a new trend may actually be an advantage, because it allows for a carefully measureed plan of action and progress. The use of terminology and cultural concept is part of this, and can help – or hinder – what we aim to achieve.

NIKE FORCE AFRICA MADE SPORT WEAR EDITION.  NO CHARITY JUST WORK.

Sport in the City – Mobility, Urbanity and Social Change {FORCE).Healthier lifestyles and the "Athleisure" trend drive demand.
It is no longer frowned upon to wear sportswear throughout the day, for activities other than exercise. Sportswear is perceived as comfortable, and its relaxed style is gaining traction amongst all generations.

THE PROMOTION OF ACTIVE LIFESTYLES
The government is heavily promoting active lifestyles, and middle- and higher-income consumers in particular are now investing in sportswear. International brands such as Nike and adidas are at the higher-end of the price spectrum, but they are purchased not only by higher-income groups, but by all income groups, as locals are highly aspirational.

PRIVATE LABEL AND CHEAPER ALTERNATIVES
Not all consumers opt for costly brands, for reasons including: the inability to secure credit; unwillingness to pay high prices; limited funds; and the prioritisation of spending. In these cases, consumers must look for value alternatives.

COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE INTERNATIONAL BRANDS LEAD SPORTSWEAR
Sportswear is highly fragmented, and the only player with a double-digit value share is NIKE. This is a highly visible brand due to its distribution network and official sponsorship, both locally and internationally.

A DECLINE IN SHARE FOR INTERNATIONAL PLAYERS
Despite maintaining their lead in sportswear, the two top players lost some share in 2017. The reason was the difficult economic climate, with consumers either voluntarily cutting back on discretionary spending to allocate their money to more essential items, or forced to stop spending due to more stringent credit regulations.

SLOW GROWTH EXPECTED FOR SPORTSWEAR

Sportswear is expected to see only slow growth over the long-term, in part due to the challenging retail environment and cash-strapped consumers. Although “athleisure” and the drive for comfort will stimulate growth, strong double-digit growth is unlikely without a sudden change.

LES^SENCE ETHICAL FASHION INITIATIVE'S GOAL

The Ethical Fashion Initiative’s goal is to build a responsable fashion industry that measures its impact. The Ethical Fashion Initiative connects talented but marginalised artisans – the majority of them women – to the international fashion industry. The Ethical Fashion Initiative believes in a responsible fashion industry, where workers earn a living wage, are offered dignified working conditions and minimises impact on the environment. Not Charity, Just Work.
The Ethical Fashion Initiative also supports Africa’s rising generation of fashion designers, and encourages them to forge sustainable and fulfilling creative collaborations with local artisans.

The Ethical Fashion Initiative’s goal in Congo-Zaire is to help young African designers build fashion brands within the formal economy. Growth will act as a catalyst for wider job creation, and will create a flow of work for traditional artisans as a new wave of designers strive to celebrate unique local skills. Job creation will relate to all areas of the fashion industry, from seamstresses to tailors and accountants.

The African artisans the Ethical Fashion Initiative works with produce for African fashion designers and have the following skills: sewing, tailoring and pattern-cutting.
The Swiss Sustainable Group LES^SENCE funds the Ethical Fashion Initiative’s work in CONGO-ZAIRE.

FORCE WOMAN'S WORLD

Sustainable Cosmetics Summit.Changing the face of the beauty industry by sustainable development

Women’s Economic Empowerment; The Key to a Sustainable World.

In 1970 economist Ester Boserup published Women’s Role in Economic Development, where she explained that women were being systematically left out of the development agenda, which in turn harmed the global economy because women are crucial to economic growth. Almost 50 years later, ending gender inequality and empowering all women and girls, is still crucial to development and is an important focus of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

While SDGs outlines a number of goals to achieve gender equality, one issue at the forefront of achieving many SDGs is women’s economic empowerment: defined as women’s capacity to participate in, contribute to and benefit from growth processes in ways which recognize the value of their contributions, respect their dignity and make it possible to negotiate a fairer distribution of the benefits of growth. According to the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) investment in gender equality produces the highest returns compared to all other development spending. Higher female earnings translate into higher investments in children’s education, health and nutrition; and when more women work economies grow.

Unequal opportunities in employment and wages are a major economic constraint for women. According to the United Nations (UN) Women, 700 million fewer women of working age had paid employment compared to men in 2016. Women remain half as likely as men to have full-time employment and often earn up to one-third less than men, in part due to occupational sex segregation. Women are also likely to take on three times as much unpaid domestic work and care activities, and contribute nearly 58 percent of unpaid work to family enterprises and farms. According to the McKinsey Global Institute, the value of unpaid care work performed by women is $10 trillion, or 13 percent of the global gross domestic product (GDP). If the employment participation gap and the wage gap between women and men were closed women could increase their income globally by 76 percent, which is calculated to have a global value of $17 trillion.

Another constraint to women is a lack of financial inclusion; which means that formal financial services such as bank accounts, loans and insurance, are not readily available to them. Women around the globe have less access to formal financial institutions as compared to men and are less likely to have a bank account. In addition the credit gap for women-owned businesses is estimated at $300 billion globally. According to the World Bank, which aims for universal financial access by 2020, most of the 2 billion people worldwide who lack a bank account are women. This lack of financial inclusion continues to promote gender inequality and reinforce women’s economic subordination.

Women are kept from financial institutions because of sexist laws, and/or misogynistic social norms. Legal barriers constrain women’s economic development in several ways. Not only do countries have laws that prevent women from opening a bank account, but according to the World Bank 155 of the 173 economies surveyed globally had at least one law blocking women’s economic opportunities. In 100 of those economies women faced gender-based job restrictions, in 46 economies women have no legal protection from domestic violence and in 18 economies husbands can forbid their wives from working.

Globally women make up 43 percent of the agriculture workforce, however, in many countries there are laws that prohibit women from owning land; in fact less than 20 percent of landowners are women. Women also have limited access to the resources and services they need for farming such as, fertilizers and seeds, education and extension services and livestock. If women had the same access to these resources, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), they could increase their yield by 20 to 30 percent, raise total agricultural output in developing countries by 2.5 to 4 percent and reduce the number of starving people by 100 to 150 million.

If gender inequality as a moral imperative is not enough to convince the world that women’s economic empowerment is important, there is mounting evidence that it benefits everyone. When women have access to the same economic opportunities as men, and the legal protections in place to ensure those opportunities they will: devote more of their household budget to their children’s education, save more money overall, have children that are less likely to become sick or be undernourished as well as grow the overall global economy.

The good news is the development world understands this, and has made women’s economic empowerment a major focus of the SDGs. Additionally, the UN Secretary-General established the High-Level Panel on Women’s Economic Empowerment in January 2016 to provide concrete guidance to governments, the private and public sectors and civil society to implement change. Women’s economic empowerment is the pre-requisite for sustainable development, ending poverty and achieving a better world by 2030.

SUSTAINABILITY

Sustainable Commerce looks at the role that commerce and trade can play, when properly enabled by urban form, in creating an efficient and durable development framework that supports healthy and robust regional economies.

We are planners and retail experts who believe that a vibrant and self-sustaining economy is one that is primarily locally based, or at the very least, one that is based on a strong local foundation. We believe that a comprehensive, hierarchically-defined regional planning model is transit supportive and one that promotes long term economic and environmental health at both the individual and community level.

Our goal is to educate and inform communities and planning professionals of the value and importance of locally-based economies, and to influence and guide planning policy to achieve more sustainable system-wide performance at the regional scale, over time.

We believe the benefits of a regionally integrated, spatially-defined planning model promote food and energy security and economic stability; through cumulative and indirect value recapture and reinvestment; and through greater systemic performance and efficiency.

Sustainability has three branches: the environment, the needs of present and future generations, and the economy. Using these branches, WE creates the ability of a system to thrive by maintaining economic viability and also nourishing the needs of the present and future generations by limiting resource depletion.

Sustainable management is needed because it is an important part of the ability to successfully maintain the quality of life on our planet. Sustainable management can be applied to all aspects of our lives. For example, the practices of a business should be sustainable if they wish to stay in businesses, because if the business is unsustainable, then by the definition of sustainability they will cease to be able to be in competition. Communities are in a need of sustainable management, because if the community is to prosper, then the management must be sustainable. Forest and natural resources need to have sustainable management if they are to be able to be continually used by our generation and future generations. Our personal lives also need to be managed sustainably. This can be by making decisions that will help sustain our immediate surroundings and environment, or it can be by managing our emotional and physical well-being.