Students are asked to choose between science, art, and commerce as their stream of choice for their careers from a very young age. Science would involve practical knowledge through experiments, art would refer to anything related to creativity, and commerce would deal with economy and finances.
Talking of art, anything related to designing and creativity, be it painting, sculpting, crafting, and especially fashion designing, is strictly categorized under art.
Nevertheless, pause for a moment and take a break from the stereotypical categorization and think— does fashion designing only fall under art? Granted that it involves the creative tickle and a whimsical sense of aesthetics, but yet, several things do qualify it as a science.
In this article, we will immerse ourselves in a discussion, where we will try to understand the true nature of fashion designing— is it art or is it science?
A glimpse of what fashion designing is
Before getting to the bigger question, let us first understand what is fashion designing. In a much simpler phrase, fashion designing is designing and making clothes. However, in a complex and more dissected view, fashion designing is the art and the process of studying materials, fabrics and creating new apparel that abides by a sense of aesthetic. The products made are inspired by all sorts of things, including nature, social surroundings, cultural behaviors, etc.
In most fashion designing courses being taught worldwide, the curriculum also follows the business aspect of fashion designing, which includes budgeting, pitching your designs, and forming a business out of your designing. After all, fashion designing is a vast industry in itself.
Also, fashion designing is not just restricted to apparel. Accessories are a huge part of fashion and are also needed to be designed. Therefore, under fashion designing, one may find jewelry making, shoemaking, bag designing, etc.
There are other things that fashion designing cater to. Individuals such as stylists, make-up artists, fashion critics with a vast knowledge of fashion and a keen eye for it are very well a part of the fashion industry.
Fashion Designing—Science or Art?
After knowing what fashion designing is, the next thing we need to understand is the definition of what is art and science. Understanding the meaning of these two will help us understand where fashion designing falls.
Art has been defined by many as the process of creation to convey an idea, emotion, or statement, while being visually appealing or following a sense of aesthetics. It can be firmly based or inspired by cultures, social scenarios, beliefs, and impressions.
Now, going by the definition of art, fashion designing does fall under art. It is the process of creation that does not usually follow a system or pattern. One needs to have a natural flair at it, with a perfect sense of aesthetics and appeal, and an eye for it. It is not constant and may change with time, always evolving and moving.
Let us now take a look at the other side of the coin. Many book definitions consider science a systematic and organized study of the structure, behavior, form, and so of the physical and natural world around us via systematized experiments and observations.
As said before, in a standard setting, fashion designing would not be considered a science. However, if you see it better, especially with today’s technologies, fashion designing is becoming more and more of a science. It is not just about random creation.
Constructing a design from scratch includes a systematic procedure of first forming the design. It then requires studying the design, understanding the requirements, studying the materials and fabrics to bring out the desired effect, and finally putting it together to form the final product.
This process requires a flair and demands a fair amount of knowledge and experiments to get the product. Therefore, in that sense, it is not wrong to state that fashion designing can be considered a science as well.
Fashion Designing as a Psychological Factor
Ever heard a reporter or a fashion magazine call someone’s attire bold or innocent? When you hear such statements, do you not feel like the attires themselves have a personality which it is passing on to its wearer?
Have you noticed how we decide on different apparel or outfits for different occasions and try our level best to look our part?
Fashion designing has psychology as a huge ruling factor in its making. What you wear can help bring out who you are as a person. What you wear to which place is also not random but has the science of psychology working behind it.
We want others to distinguish us in a certain way, and when we look at the part, it boosts our self-confidence. By understanding such behaviors, designers can create and introduce apparel to the mass that satisfies such psychological cravings and needs.
This includes studying the mass, discovering the pattern, understanding the underlying causes, and then utilizing it to construct the apparel. This entire process is what makes fashion designing not just art but even a science.
It does not necessarily mean that it has to be molecular science or astrophysics. Instead, fashion designing can be defined as a branch of social science that involves studying the mass.
What Can We Make Out of It?
If you were to look at fashion designing, it would be safe not to categorize it under one particular stream. Instead, we could see it sitting on the borderline of what is an art and what is science.
Though, of course, fashion designing will always be an art, but with modern technology and the also intensive studying and observation, fashion designing is becoming a science.
Therefore, to conclude it all, it will be hard to look at fashion designing as just art or as just a science. Instead, it can be said that fashion designing is both an art and a science.
It needs talent and a sense of appeal for creation— making it an art. But it also involves techniques, studying, observation, and experimentations— making it a science.
