NoT™ Fashion
No Trojan Horses
The Trojan Horse is one of history's oldest lessons about influence hidden beneath appearances. According to Greek mythology, the Greeks presented the people of Troy with a massive wooden horse that appeared to be a gift. However, hidden inside the horse was a troop of Greek soldiers. Once inside the city walls, the soldiers emerged from within the horse, opened the gates of Troy from the inside, allowing the Greek army to enter the city walls and capture Troy.
Today, technology, media, advertising, entertainment, and online communication often operate in a similar way. Songs, movies, advertisements, television programs, social media platforms, trends, and digital environments communicate embedded ("hidden") values, behaviors, incentives, language, identities, and other cultural influences that impact individual and community outcomes.
As within, so without.
Culture is Code
Culture is a coded system of ideas, values, beliefs, behaviors, symbols, customs, practices, and social influences shared and transmitted within society. Code is information that communicates meaning, patterns, instructions, signals, and behavior.
Culture codes influence our thinking, behavior, consumption, activities, language, beliefs, creativity, and ways of relating to society. A meme is a unit of cultural code transmitted from one individual to another through imitation, repetition, exposure, communication, and participation. Memes spread through images, language, music, fashion, trends, symbols, slogans, humor, advertising, entertainment, social media, and other forms of cultural influence.
Every individual and corporate action contributes to culture. Some cultural codes strengthen individual and community well-being. Others produce harmful cultural memes that have a net negative social impact on individuals and communities at large.
NoT Fashion™
…is deeper than it looks.
Fashion is a way of behaving or doing things that is currently popular or generally approved of.
Fashion influences trends, styles, conventions, customs, attitudes, language, beliefs, aesthetics, lifestyles, norms, and social practices through exposure, imitation, participation, and cultural influence.
Fashion influences what people admire, repeat, normalize, and aspire toward.
NoT™ Fashion is fundamentally about examining what's going on beyond messaging, appearances, trends, social influences, impressions, popularity, aesthetics, and cultural signals in order to raise awareness, encourage constructive social discourse, and promote individual and corporate social responsibility for sustainable community outcomes.
NoT Fashion™ is on a mission to:
Raise Awareness. Encourage Constructive Social Discourse. Promote Social Responsibility.
We Believe…
- Social Responsibility is the ethical responsibility of private individuals and corporations to act for the greater good.
- Community Impact is the ultimate measure of influence.
- Constructive discourse promotes individual and community well-being.
No Trojan® is a call to question popular culture, analyze conventional wisdom, evaluate the status quo, and do only that which is for the greater good.
"For those who have ears…"