Throughout history and across different cultures, red has always held a strong political, social, emotional and symbolic meaning. From love and passion to anger and aggression, this scarlet hue seems to wield a powerful, psychological power.
Studies have shown that when an individual or team wears the color red, it increases their chances of winning a physical contest against a person or team wearing a different color. Why? Because wearing red is thought to heighten perceptions of one’s own dominance and threat. What gives red this powerful significance?
Our attachment to certain colors forms and grows as we experience the world. We build associations between colors and the things they represent. However, red is a relatively rare color in nature and due to it carrying actual biological significance – think blood – humans and other animals are hardwired to perceive it more forcefully than other hues.
This accelerates us to our punchy and powerful third color of the S/S 21 season – Oxy Fire.
This extrovert hue is fiery, saturated and guaranteed to spark a reaction. It builds on the commercial success of red and orange, with a complexity that fuses elements of both; depending on the light or material used, it can look more like one or the other. Its boldness signifies intense activity, and the surge of red blood cells during peak performance. Use it to energise and enliven products and collections.
A directional shade, be brave with signature pieces and gently reinvigorate them with Oxy Fire. It is especially powerful on performance wear and for a contemporary twist, use in women’s occasion wear styles. As the influence of active-inspired colors expands and evolves, high-adrenaline reds like this will move further into casual wear categories.
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