Taylor Shenk

My project is an investigation of brand loyalty and belonging in the fitness community. In my own experience working and being involved in fitness culture, I noticed an intense, obsessive loyalty among activewear consumers to their favorite brands. And while each brand essentially sells the same spandex product, the differences between groups were poles apart. Which left me wondering, what is it that brands do to attract community? This led me to design EVERYWEAR, a speculative activewear company where purchases equal access to a tight-knit network of friendships and resources. My goal, in representing EVERYWEAR’s point of view and then pulling back the curtain, is to highlight how easy it is to fall victim to advertising ploys. We spend so much time trying to fix the issue of exclusivity that we don’t notice the reason it still exists is because we are attracted to it. I hope this project sparks a reconsideration of your own purchasing behavior and the lengths we are willing to go to in order to belong.