Math is the New Black
The Math Center at LIM College is committed to helping students build their academic as well as practical mathematics skills to be successful in the business of fashion. Though students see the glitz and glamour of the industry in runway shows, in magazines, and in stores, they often forget that fashion is a dynamic business that requires both creative and analytical thinking to be profitable. The Math Center wants to showcase the quantitative side of the fashion industry in an engaging new medium.
The Math Center will create Math is the New Black, a web-based video series to link classroom and industry. Students, especially those enrolled in remedial math courses, often question how the math they learn at school relates to the real world. The Math Center wants to expose students to relevant business applications that go beyond the typical textbook examples. With this insight, students will be better prepared for success once they enter the workforce. As Charles Schlicter, emeritus dean of University of Wisconsin, has said, “Go down deep enough into anything and you will find mathematics.” If one were to analyze the process through which a fashion product moves from concept to consumer, he or she would realize that mathematics is critical to the successful completion of every step.
Each video in the series will feature a current LIM College student interviewing an industry professional. This professional will discuss the importance of mathematics to their department and/or specific job, illustrating its significance with examples of challenges that someone in their field can encounter, but solve with mathematics. The Math Center’s videos will connect these examples with lessons learned in the current math curriculum.
Check out their first video below.