YouLookFab Forum » Topic: Interesting take on MetGala looks (long read)

YouLookFab Forum » Topic: Interesting take on MetGala looks (long read) https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/interesting-take-on-metgala-looks-long-read Style Advice for Fashion Lovers en-US Sat, 18 Apr 2026 12:36:52 +0000 http://bbpress.org/?v=1.0.2 <![CDATA[Search]]> q https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/search.php approprio on "Interesting take on MetGala looks (long read)" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/interesting-take-on-metgala-looks-long-read#post-1805052 Thu, 04 May 2017 13:31:38 +0000 approprio 1805052@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ You beat me to it I've had my head down for a couple of days, so missed my chance to post but for anyone interested <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.metafilter.com/166732/Draping-dynamic-contours-with-a-drooping-material-wtf-SO-MUCH-MATH">there's more lively discussion over on Metafilter.</a> This is why I sew. Ledonna N. on "Interesting take on MetGala looks (long read)" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/interesting-take-on-metgala-looks-long-read#post-1805047 Thu, 04 May 2017 13:11:07 +0000 Ledonna N. 1805047@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Yes for STEM i appreciate your write up and thoughts. This year the looks were my favorite because of the challenges. Firecracker (Sharan) on "Interesting take on MetGala looks (long read)" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/interesting-take-on-metgala-looks-long-read#post-1804813 Wed, 03 May 2017 18:21:58 +0000 Firecracker (Sharan) 1804813@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ This is an interesting read, Cindy--thanks for sharing it. I agree that there is a whole lot of engineering in apparel design and construction. Fortunately for me, one does not have to know the math to succeed at some of this engineering work. I couldn't design gowns like any of these, but I do a fair amount of pattern manipulation, and I work with a range of fabrics, and I've learned how to make some things work. (Diane and Approprio are way beyond my sewing and design skills, btw. And knitting, Diana's forte, is totally beyond me--as yet!) One thing the author doesn't mention is the addition of computer pattern-drafting programs nowadays. I can't imagine the computer engineering behind getting a program to produce the pattern one wants. P.S. Sewing at my level does require a lot of math skills, mostly arithmetic, I would say. I've become quite adept at handling fractions, just from my hobby of sewing. rachylou on "Interesting take on MetGala looks (long read)" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/interesting-take-on-metgala-looks-long-read#post-1804811 Wed, 03 May 2017 18:13:48 +0000 rachylou 1804811@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ This is great! I will attest that baking is an exercise in chemistry - and physics! Gaylene on "Interesting take on MetGala looks (long read)" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/interesting-take-on-metgala-looks-long-read#post-1804801 Wed, 03 May 2017 17:46:27 +0000 Gaylene 1804801@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ The. STEM skills behind those designer clothes were what drew me to fashion as a teenager. Sewing a Vogue Designer pattern in the 60s and 70s was an education because of small, intricate pieces and techniques which made it possible for a pleat to hang just so or a neckline to lie flat instead of gaping open. Figuring out how to merge and alter pattern pieces to fit my body made me realize why a true tailor was an artist in his/her own right. It's too bad that stretch fabrics and a demand for low-priced goods have almost completely eliminated the knowledge most people used to have about the math and engineering skills required for fitting techniques and clothing design. I was kind of stunned when an expensive, tailored Theory jacket purchased by a former YLFer lacked something as basic as a sleeve head cap to ensure the sleeve head didn't collapse at the shoulder. It's an engineering thing--a small, but important, scrap of fabric which is essential to a tailored sleeve but was obviously eliminated because of cost cutting. What was even more telling was that almost all the comments to this person's question as to why this happened were that this collapsed fabric was "normal". Maybe in a $25 dollar item, but NEVER in a $800 jacket! Barbara Diane on "Interesting take on MetGala looks (long read)" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/interesting-take-on-metgala-looks-long-read#post-1804787 Wed, 03 May 2017 17:08:14 +0000 Barbara Diane 1804787@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Wow, fascinating. And important. Thanks! AviaMariah on "Interesting take on MetGala looks (long read)" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/interesting-take-on-metgala-looks-long-read#post-1804715 Wed, 03 May 2017 13:36:36 +0000 AviaMariah 1804715@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ The reason I dislike sewing becomes much clearer.  I enjoyed seeing those dresses.  My favorites this year so far were Clara ??  (she has the silver hair painted on her head) and Ashley Graham. lyn67 on "Interesting take on MetGala looks (long read)" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/interesting-take-on-metgala-looks-long-read#post-1804657 Wed, 03 May 2017 09:18:53 +0000 lyn67 1804657@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ I used to sew for hobby so I really and fulheartedly agree with all -and the quitessence of it in nr 27. Ask our fellows  Approprio, Firecracker, Diana & Dianne and they will tell you the same:-). Anonymous on "Interesting take on MetGala looks (long read)" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/interesting-take-on-metgala-looks-long-read#post-1804654 Wed, 03 May 2017 09:05:47 +0000 Anonymous 1804654@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ I had been wondering about the Met Gala. I will read your links with a whole new respect.  Thank you CindySmith.   Well, I am spired for the rest of this day.   Greyscale on "Interesting take on MetGala looks (long read)" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/interesting-take-on-metgala-looks-long-read#post-1804647 Wed, 03 May 2017 08:17:15 +0000 Greyscale 1804647@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Oh! I had seen one of those tweets retweeted on my timeline (about redefining STEM away from feminine interests) but I didn't click through to read it so I didn't even know it was about fashion. Thanks for sharing this. Sheila on "Interesting take on MetGala looks (long read)" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/interesting-take-on-metgala-looks-long-read#post-1804645 Wed, 03 May 2017 07:20:25 +0000 Sheila 1804645@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Very interesting, insightful read. Thanks for sharing. Dianna on "Interesting take on MetGala looks (long read)" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/interesting-take-on-metgala-looks-long-read#post-1804635 Wed, 03 May 2017 05:57:59 +0000 Dianna 1804635@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ I read the whole article, and it is very interesting, thanks for sharing Cindy. Jaime on "Interesting take on MetGala looks (long read)" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/interesting-take-on-metgala-looks-long-read#post-1804593 Wed, 03 May 2017 02:38:28 +0000 Jaime 1804593@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Love this and also particularly loved this year's met gala with its avant garde/Rei Kawabubo theme and tribute. Generally I think fashion is given far too little respect as a serious and important part of society. Compare the regard sports gets, for example. I am not into sports but I can appreciate its social value. (And I am raising a girl math genius that loves fashion, if I may say so myself.) cindysmith on "Interesting take on MetGala looks (long read)" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/interesting-take-on-metgala-looks-long-read#post-1804590 Wed, 03 May 2017 02:32:09 +0000 cindysmith 1804590@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ I was roaming around on Twitter this morning, and I saw an epic rant by physicist Mika McKinnon ( <a rel="nofollow" href="https://twitter.com/mikamckinnon">@mikamckinnon</a> ) about the Met Gala looks. She was basically saying that there is a lot of STEM skills going on in creating a couture look for a red carpet, especially when that red carpet is a tribute to Rei Kawakubo. For those of you who aren't on Twitter, I'm going to copy and paste the tweet-storm and the pics she was talking about in each tweet. I'm numbering the tweets to correspond with the pics I'm attaching. Where there was no pic attached, I'm attaching a pic of the tweet to preserve the matching until there is no more need She also wrote it up in article form for Racked [dot] com and that article is here <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.racked.com/2017/5/2/15518540/met-gala-gown-design-science-technology-engineering">https://www.racked.com/2017/5/.....ngineering</a> 1) The engineering casually on display at <a rel="nofollow" href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MetGala?src=hash">#MetGala</a> never fails to impress me. I do nearly every textile craft . That's mindblowingly hard 2) Multiple fabric & fundamental material changes, dramatic structure, intense texturing, all in dynamic form 3) All the boobtape in the world wouldn't achieve this look without strong engineering during design 4) Getting the right silhouette? More engineering. Even a good crinoline takes all the math; hoops even moreso. 5) Q: Women are inherently uninterested in STEM! A: Maybe idiots should stop constantly redefining STEM to exclude anything feminine. 6) Contouring for a dynamic body = hard. Draping dynamic contours with a drooping material = wtf SO MUCH MATH. 7) I hold a physics degree & did computational grad work. Seeing these dresses as a final exam question would make me break into a cold sweat. 8) With wearable EL wire and LEDs, fashion design requires understanding E&M. Gorgeous applied circuits! 9) Confession: Every attempt I've made with wearables in my gowns has failed because I under-designed for the weight of the battery packs. 10) High heels are a sliding block problem in friction & inclined slopes. Bonus: Pressure; Material strength. 11) Getting those beautiful curves on the rosette-ruffles? Applied geometry incorporating fabric bias. 12) Geometry required to make a line on a curved surface read as straight is not trivial. (Tattoo artists know the pain) 13) Ruffles & pleats require more math than I can tolerate to calculate fabric. Bonus: Make a curve look straight, redux 14) Creating structure with flexible material while still allowing for kinematics (walking, posing): Engineer with bias. 15) Q: What does bias have to do with fabric? A: Bias is a material property of woven fabric; most elastic 45° off warp & weft. Related: grain 16) Q: Why bother calculating? Just sew something and adjust it until it works! A: Ahahahahhahahagaadhgddxvb... No. That doesn't work. At all. 17) 1. Fabric is expensive, Lace can be >$150/meter. Over-buying is infeasible. 2. Fixing flawed design STILL needs math (& is harder). 18) I started machine-sewing at age 4. I've been taught by amazing seamstresses. I'm extremely detail-oriented. I still have Epic Sewing Fails. 19) Common problems: Misunderstanding material properties, poor conversion from Euclidean to non-Euclidean geometry, miscalculating allowances. 20) Think about the geometry this dress. Pattern cut on flat fabric, sewn into curved surface, reads as straight lines. 21) Boning is a structural engineering problem. How do you balance rigid & flexible to control dynamic loads? 22) Fabric is dense and heavy. A train this long with this many layers needs serious hidden structure to stay attached. 23) Upside of ignoring fashion design as applied, challenging engineering? Explaining this will never be on an exam: 24) Q: How does fashion require transforming between Euclidean & non-Euclidean geometry? A: Cowls are cut as rectangles: 25) Beyond structural challenges, aesthetic theory relies heavily on math & optics. Golden ratio, Fibonacci spiral, rule of thirds, illusions... 26) What gets me about fashion design is that every challenge is compounded by using jiggly, fragile, dynamic, temperamental humans as the base. 27) Fashion designers are stealth engineers using way more math & physics than they let on. Fancy gala gowns are masterwork engineering displays I had never thought about it like this. Like, I have always had respect for the creative genius that goes into a Rei Kawakubo creation or a Rick Owens runway show or even the shredded Isabel Benenato sweaters I own. Like, even with the shredded sweaters, I could never come up with something that just looks as right as my sweaters look. I could never do what Rei Kawakubo and Rick Owens do. I've always had respect for the sewing skills and knitting skills, and all of that. But I had never thought about how much algebra went into taking a pattern and making it for a bigger or smaller size. I had never thought about the geometry involved in making straight lines appear on the curves of a human body. I had also never thought about baking/cooking as chemistry, but it is. I had never thought about knitting/crocheting being manual programming, I had never thought of those traditionally "women things" as being STEM fields, and yet they are. Women are way smarter than anybody (including themselves) give them credit for.