Integrating Art, Science, and People

The worlds of fashion and science are very different. Some differences are more noticeable, such as the focus of the scientific world on research and the focus of the fashion world on couture. Other differences are more subtle, yet are very important to today’s social situations.

In the fashion industry, people come from all over the world and are all different genders. While this is also true in science, it is known that minorities do not fill most of the prominent positions. This is a problem because there are lots of scientists who are minorities and they, no matter how skilled they are, might not get the same opportunities. But if you combine a generally very open field, such as fashion, with a less open field, such as science, you create opportunities.

These opportunities give scientists a chance to practice science in a more open environment. Descience is an example of this: the scientist gets to expand his or her research to the fashion world, gaining new knowledge and creative advice from designers.

This does not just help professionals; it also helps children who start to doubt their dreams because they don’t fit the stereotype of what a scientist or engineer should look like. I am 13 years old and a lot of girls around my age start to stray from dreams of becoming a scientist because society strongly enforces the idea that scientists should be men. I try to hold true to my dreams no matter what the gender stereotypes are, but it is not easy especially if people might be biased about your future because because of your gender. Having a group like Descience really helps. It gives girls a place were they might feel more comfortable following their science dreams. Having a more open environment can help create confidence around someone’s dreams. It helps people who might be less likely to follow their dreams because of a stereotype.

Overall, mixing fashion and science can create a place accepting of more types of people. It can benefit children and adults. It can inspire many potential scientists to follow dreams that they would not have pursued before. These new scientists will bring with them fresh ideas that will hopefully change our world for the better.