How health and fashion are closely related. Considerations of a medical doctor.

In the midst of two worlds, as diverse as they are finely intertwined, I reflect on how I can apply my experience in the health field to my passionate love for design and art; discovering much more than what I anticipated with my knowledge.

I have a clear and firm concept of well-being and health as a whole, with a holistic vision of what influences both externally and internally the attainment and maintenance of the state of health as defined by the WHO (World Health Organization): "A state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being," not simply the absence of disease (WHO, Alma Ata 1978). This integral or holistic approach to health, which I explain, includes all dimensions of being; it comes from its Ayurvedic origins, more than 5,000 years ago, and has been maintained in modern post-Hippocratic medicine, where its understanding is increasingly strengthened.

Fashion, as we understand it today, is a social trend that originates in the expression of culture, a manifestation of identity amidst social expectations, and a projection of body image that may or may not truly identify the individual.

At this time, it is evident how the expression of an individual's lifestyle greatly impacts their overall well-being and leads them to a holistically conceived state of health.

Achieving a balance based on conscious wellness choices means striving to achieve and maintain health in all its dimensions.

Crafting, designing, and creating clothing at this moment of human evolution implies a responsibility to health, sustainability, society itself, and its future.

Prioritizing materials that protect the health of the skin—cotton, linen, and polyester blends that allow for adequate ventilation without losing warmth—is key. Designing for comfort and musculoskeletal health, allowing for unrestricted flexibility and proper posture. Creating artistic expressions that allow individuals to feel original, yet authentic and emotionally connected to their outfit is perhaps a great challenge.

Without a doubt, fashion has intrinsic paths intertwined with health, and this is no trivial matter. We will need to study this field of medicine further as it will allow us to make more in-depth diagnoses and potentially offer effective therapeutic options.

Monica Cornejo. MD. UIS Colombia 1995.