WEEK 3: WEEKLY REFLECTION

Though our group dossier wasn't chosen, our reserach was very notable and has laid a foundation for the rest of the project. We went to Pentland and presented our Dossier and pitched to Ellesse about what the future for the collaboration holds.

Now, as the Research team, we are helping each individual group with their tasks by researching their topics and helping them out whenever they ask for it. We decided the best way to do this was by creating a shared Google document that each team leader would have access to, meaning that they would be able to add and edit as they choose to.

Our Google document.

We tried to keep it as organised and clear as much as possible, even though we'd have around 10 people accessing it at once and editing it themselves. The Events team were the first team to ask us for some research, asking if we could research more into events that are held in Soho and anything that is taking place in Soho in the next coming weeks.

Is Soho an affluent area? Should our event take place in Soho?

Then the Editorial team asked us if we were able to research more into the wellness trend, including Mental Health and the yoga movement. I started researching into yoga and meditation, and this is the research I initially found:

1. The sportswear brand, Nike, has launched its first collection of unisex yoga apparel, likening the activity to a secret workout weapon for athletes. Rather than focusing on the types of wellness and mindfulness tropes typically associated with yoga, the line focuses on strength, and is promoted by a range of professional athletes, including NBA players, footballers and skateboarders. By repositioning yoga as a strength-building sport for men, Nike is tapping into the new generation of men who want to become physically strong without adopting a #ripped macho mindset.
2. Between 2012 and 2017, the number of children and teenagers in the US practising meditation increased by 900%. The number practising yoga also rose from 3.1% to 8.4% during the same period. The findings from a new report by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) also reflect a general rise in the number of people meditating and doing yoga. The study shows that an estimated 35m American adults are now meditating. The surge in uptake among kids and teens, however, is the greatest, suggesting this is a fast-growing market.
3. Recent research from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention studied the rise of yoga, meditation and chiropractors among US adults. Although yoga is the most popular pursuit – 14.3% of US adults practised yoga in 2017 – meditation, at 14.2%, is not far behind. Furthermore, meditation is the fastest-growing wellness activity, suggesting it may soon overtake yoga. The study also gave a limited racial breakdown, finding that white people were more likely to participate in all three activities than black and Hispanic consumers. The wellness industry, particularly yoga, has for years followed a narrative tailored towards affluent, white women. However, brands are beginning to take action in order to make the industry more inclusive and less alienating.

I found that LSN: Global was a very helpful and useful site to use to research more into the yoga movement and to see what other brands were currently doing within this sector, especially Nike, a competitor of Ellesse.

Taken from LSN:Global.

This research led further down the sportswear and athelisure trend, focused more on minority groups which could be a focus for the editorial team.

1. Sportswear is also becoming a key opportunity as both female and male Muslim consumers look for more inclusive clothing to support their pursuit of fitness and wellbeing.
2. Setting the tone for sports brands taking a more modest approach, Nike launched its lightweight Pro Hijab for female Muslim athletes in 2017 after several rounds of development with female athletes. ‘[It has helped to] advance the conversation around hijabs and Muslim women in sports and further make sports an inclusive space,’ says Ibtihaj Muhammad, a champion US fencer and Nike athlete.
3. More recently, women’s modest sportswear has developed under brands such as Under-Râpt, which makes sustainable and ethically produced modest athleisure wear, including windbreakers, sporting jumpsuits and lightweight harem pants suitable for yoga, boxing or relaxing.

Editorial Theme: Sustainability and Our Environment.

Though the Editorial team focused and decided on a yoga theme for the main editorial, my team and I were headed more into the sustainability direction as the ethical industry has foreseen major growth in the last couple months.