Are you one of those students who would prefer to throw way your Math textbook because you are into fashion design and dream of the day when you become a fashion designer? Do you think that taking Math is a bummer and who needs it anyway?
Math is such a central part of our lives; we really can’t avoid it, even if we want to. We use it in so many ways and don’t even call it Math. I discovered this many years ago when I worked in the Math department at a major university. One of the Math professors (male and PhD holder) had done an absolutely beautiful work in tapestry. It was all based on an algebra formula, if you can believe it! His wife got him to do all her quilting designs because he made every design in perfect symmetry.
So if you are planning a career in fashion design or textiles, don’t toss out the math book and definitely don’t garbage your geometry set; you will need them. Let’s take a look at where that geometry set and the knowledge that goes along with it will come in handy:
Shapes – angles in design are important, for example; gored skirts, V-necklines, asymmetrical hems, etc. In order to design aesthetically appealing outfits, geometry is used to make these appealing patterns. Designers use geometry principles to create these new designs.
Prints – geometry in colour is fashionable and sophisticated. An outfit that is more suitable for the office or the business world may well be in a geometrical print fabric.
Foundations of design – design, regardless of what you’re designing, it is based on geometry. It is fundamental to designing fashion and many other things. Without geometry the beautiful and alluring designs we see in the market would not exist. We would just wear plain old sacks and even that is based on a rectangle.
Additionally, if you check out the admission requirements at a university that offers clothing and textiles, you will see may see that one of the core subject requirements is Math. That makes sense because pattern drafting is all about shapes and inches or centimeters.
There is no escaping it; we need and use math every day of our lives. So prepare for that math test; do well in it because the geometry problems you get can be applied to real life situations in our careers and in our daily lives.
