9 surprising facts about the sense of touch Touch is perhaps the most overlooked sense. Every one of us receives tactile information about the world around us every second of the day. Right now, if you're sitting, your butt is being squished into your chair. Your fingertips are probably touching a mouse, or swiping the glass of your phone. All this information is so omnipresent, in fact, that the only way to make sense of it is to tune most of it out — you probably weren't paying attention to these sensations until you read those words. "You can't turn off touch. In the book, Linden explores all sorts of fascinating aspects about this enigmatic sense. 1) Your brain pays wildly disproportionate attention to touch on different parts of your body The cortical homunculus — a human figure scaled to match the proportions of how touch sensors are represented in the brain. "The part of your brain that processes touch information has a map of your body surface. These receptors, he says, come in four varieties. (Shutterstock.com)
These designers prove that fashion is bored of gender norms “It’s boring to make clothes marketed to one group of people defined by their age, race or sex,” Patric DiCaprio of New York label Vaquera told us yesterday, and he’s certainly not the only designer who feels that way. Most prominently coming out of America’s coastal cities of New York and LA, a new wave of young designers are making your typical gender-targeted men’s and women’s collections feel well and truly behind the curve. Employing models of all genders, ages, shapes and sizes in their shows and campaigns, these six independent brands are currently redefining the American fashion industry’s straightforward standards. Self-proclaimed “non-demographic” label 69 doesn't let any human variables constrain its designs. Eckhaus Latta is actively closing the gap between targeted, gender-specific and sexless apparel. Bringing its weirdness to the masses, independent fashion powerhouse Moses Gauntlett Cheng infuses a soft androgyny into each one of its garments.
Meet the boys leading Margiela’s gender revolution Today, a gang of models took to the Paris runway for John Galliano’s second ready-to-wear collection for Maison Margiela clad in fishnet t-shirts, glam rock silver eye make-up and with limbs wrapped in clingfilm. Despite the event being a womenswear show, that gang included not just girls but guys – although, dressed in the same slinky, skin-exposing jumpsuits and jackets as their female counterparts, their presence went almost undetected. For those who have been paying attention to Galliano’s work at Margiela, such casting decisions shouldn’t come as a surprise – back in July, the designer blurred the boundaries of gender in fashion by enlisting androgynous boys to walk in Margiela’s Artisanal show, something unheard of in the hallowed halls of haute couture. With blonde hair and blue eyes, Vincent embodies a very angelic type of androgyny. Belgian model Maarten was scouted on Facebook by Hakim Model Management.
Sensorium Exhibition: A Space Devoted to the Five Senses Céline Merhand and Anaïs Morel are the designers behind the French label, Les M, and they’ve created an environment to explore all five of your senses. The Sensorium exhibition is on display at the contemporary art museum MUDAM in Luxembourg through 8/27, where, like most museums, you normally can’t touch, eat, or speak – only appreciate the art. They’re now giving visitors the opportunity to test their senses in this beautifully designed space. The materials are screaming to be touched and experienced through a series of events and workshops devoted to the various senses. I hope to see this exhibition travel to another museum soon so that some of you will have a chance to check it out.
Lexus Design Award 2015: A Journey of the Senses I set out to Milan recently to not only check out the finalists of the Lexus Design Award 2015 competition, but to explore a special exhibition that was an offshoot of this year’s team: Senses. The finalist’s designs were incorporated into an experience that Lexus dubbed A Journey of the Senses. Lexus partnered with designer Philippe Nigro to translate the brand’s emphasis on the senses, where they focus on offering a pleasurable, sensory-filled driving experience. Just like the cars themselves, the exhibition kept visitors engaged through Nigro’s ‘Inside-Out’ concept. Zone 1 sets out to engage the senses with a concept car cocooned around dozens of mirrors that reflect the car and its design details in various ways. Zone 2 is where visitors got to take a look at the design finalists in the Lexus Design Award 2015 competition. The first prototype is Diomedeidae, a kinetic lighting sculpture by Daiki Nakamori, Adriano Alfaro, and Gaetano Mirko Vatiero. Photos by Andrea Gilardi.
REI Created an Urban Oasis with its evrgrn Gear REI recently created a magical outdoor garden installation in the heart of Washington DC, by taking over a vacant lot and turning it into an urban oasis called the evrgrn Loft 2.0. The intimate space brought community leaders, media, influencers, and outdoor lovers together for a chance to check out the brand new evrgrn collection (see below), which will make you want to plan that next camping trip pronto. A two-day event was planned with the help of local chefs, mixologists, artists, and musicians to help cover all the guest’s senses. The space’s design centered around sustainability and design resulting in a cozy atmosphere at REI’s Community Space at the Wunder Garten. Throughout the space, the new REI products finished off the look, which included a hammock forest, a vintage-style bar, camp settings including a campfire ring and corners with tents, and more. The trees and greenery were sourced locally from Manorview Nursery in Maryland. 24 Pack Backpack Cooler Center Stage Rug Sum Tote
That human touch that means so much: Exploring the tactile dimension of social life | Magazine issue 2/2013 - Issue 17 | In-Mind That human touch that means so much: Exploring the tactile dimension of social life Interpersonal touch is a fundamental but undervalued aspect of human nature. In the present article, the authors review psychological research showing that even fleeting forms of touch may have a powerful impact on our emotional and social functioning. Given its significant beneficial effects, touch may be valuable as a therapeutic or health-promoting tool. No one wants to live aloneWho wants to smile, laugh, or cry aloneHave we lost the touch that means so muchHave we lost the human touch From Human Touch, performed by Nina Simone (written by Charles Reuben) Ever had cold feet at night? Given that interpersonal touch is increasingly becoming a scarce commodity, it is important to ask how touch influences our lives. The Emotional Power of Touch Whether we get a friendly slap on the back, a sensual caress, or a loving kiss --interpersonal touch has a powerful impact on our emotions.
Delighting the Five Senses in a Retail Store | ShopKeep The first thing you come across when you enter the average supermarket is fresh fruit and vegetables. This isn’t an accident. At heart, the purpose of great store design is simple. As ShopKeep’s VP of Sales & Marketing, recently noted in his guide to ‘Small Business Guide to The Art of Sales’: Every single person who walks through your doors should spend money in your store. This is of course, easier said that done. First off, let’s break out the two types of customer more clearly, broadly speaking there are Finders and Browsers: 1. 2. If you can tailor your efforts to convert this latter group, you’ll be able to make a bigger impact on your bottom line. Engage All Five Senses @ Retail | Lawn & Garden Retailer Think about the last store you visited that you recall “smelling” something. Was it the scent of coffee? Maybe a signature candle? Or possibly the smell – good or bad – of the perfume a sales associate was wearing. Were you inspired by displays? Customers have five natural responses to everything in their lives, and that includes shopping. Sight While lawn and garden retailers have no shortage of visually appealing products to capture their customer’s attention, product alone doesn’t always do the trick in making a memorable, visually appealing experience. Additionally, having well-lit, very attractive displays will engage customers to want to shop more. Additionally, do not neglect the power of store signage. Touch Customers instinctively want to touch things. By experiencing products through touch, they will have a more personal connection. Another thought to consider is if your customers may have kids in tow. Who needs a sand box when you have bird seed? Sound Smell Taste
Ambience for the five senses - Inside Retail Store ambience isn’t just about pretty lights, installing the flashiest technology trend, or lighting a few perfumed candles. To create a truly evocative experience to rival the likes of Burberry, Colette Paris, or Apple, retailers need to take their brand to all of the shopper’s senses. This is about giving customers a familiarity with your brand in five different, but connected ways: smell, taste, sound, touch, and sight. Inside Retail Magazine has compiled the latest trends, and considerations for these areas after speaking to key industry experts. Smell Custom scents are a newer consideration, with best practice examples including Peter Alexander, Shoes of Prey, and Lush. “Smell is still not widespread in Australian retail so it has a lot of impact,” says Matt Newell, strategy partner of retail agency, The General Store. Newell says this underused sense was a top priority for the agency when it designed the first bricks and mortar store for e-tailer, Shoes of Prey. Taste Sound Touch Sight
The Devil Is in The Retail: The power of creating an immersive environment through the exploration of the senses | RPM's Hugh Robertson on marketing | Event blogs By Cat Sterry, Art Director at RPM From our earliest steps to our last moments, we experience the world through our five senses. Watching a child gummily chewing on a plastic toy in the park the other day, I was struck by how as we grow in life we become less reliant on these senses to explore the world. While a child will try everything but eat his toy to understand its shape, strength, taste and texture, as adults we become more passive in how we experience the world, often languishing behind a computer or smartphone in favour of the real thing – after all its accessible to anyone at anytime. As we strive to recreate this sense of childish awe in the consumers we target, more and more brands are moving towards digital solutions within brand experience and trading off the physical experiences – styling, creative set design and sensorial flourishes are often the first things to get the chop when thinning out budgets. Is this a sign of things to come perhaps?
A Karen Touch Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork, LLC - Facts on Touch INTERESTINGFACTS ON TOUCH: * Touch is the first sense to develop in humans, and may be the last to fade.* There are approximately 5 million touch receptors in our skin-- 3000 in a finger * Touch is the first sense to develop in humans, and may be the last to fade. * There are approximately 5 million touch receptors in our skin-- 3000 in a finger tip. * A touch of any kind can reduce the heart rate and lower blood pressure. * Touch stimulates the release of endorphins (the body's natural pain killers) which is why a mother's hug for a child's skinned knee can literally make it better. * People with eating disorders who receive massage three time a day for ten day's, gain weight faster and get out of the hospital six days sooner than those who don't. * Elderly people who massage surrogate grandchildren report higher-esteem and better moods . * Massage before an athletic event, makes the athlete more flexible, enhanced speed and power, and less prone to injury . * One in five Americans have had a massage from a massage therapist in the past five years and 13% report receiving one in the past year. * NCBTMB currently has over 600 Approved Providers of Continuing Education.