Terms and materials: Fashion

Making clothing and making art–what might seem like two very different disciplines–are in fact very closely linked by the processes of design and construction. Art moves fashion designers to play with unusual forms and shapes, while fashion can encourage artists to think about qualities such as texture and create art that engages with the human body.

You may have come across some terms in the previous films that were new to you, or that need some further explanation. Take a look through the glossary below for a few terms in more detail.

Abstract art– In a nutshell, abstract art uses shapes, colours, forms, and textures to achieve an effect instead of trying to represent reality as we see it. The word "abstract" simply means to withdraw or separate one thing from something else. So if we apply this term to art it would refer to something an artist has made after starting with a visible object and abstracting elements from it to arrive at a new form.

Body art– As it sounds, body art is a form that is mostly concerned with the body. Usually that of the artist, the body is the principal medium and focus.

Ergonomic – Designed to conform to the human body or reflect its features in some way.

Minimalism– Developed in the 1960s, this extreme form of abstract art relies on very simple geometric forms in an effort to relate to nothing beyond its own reality. It embodies qualities such as order, purity, and simplicity.

Sculpture– Quite simply, sculpture is a three-dimensional form of art with very ancient origins. It can be made by carving, modelling, casting, or constructing.

Texture – Texture refers to how something actually feels when touched, or more commonly in flat media like painting, it refers to the visual "feel" of the work.