A Fusion of Math and Art by Diarra Bousso
Diarra Bousso’s experiences as a mathematician, artisan and former Wall Street Trader have led to the creation of Diarrablu - her lifestyle brand. Her designs showcase her culture with every detail and piece - it tells a story.
“I grew up in Senegal, and I wanted to be the perfect student…. I was never a cool girl or an ‘It girl’, I was a nerd,” Bousso told POPSUGAR. Bousso comes from a family of artisans. “In the summers when I would go to my dad’s village, I’d see that work and it’s so rich and beautiful”, she said. Between splitting her time visiting her dad’s village and attending a private French school in the city, Bousso explained she wasn’t sure how to connect between the two worlds. “I always knew that I was going to do something at the intersection of those two worlds, but I didn’t know how to do it”.
She moved to the United States where she attended graduate school at Stanford University, graduating with a degree in math and education research. Bousso didn’t want to go down either path and found herself stuck trying to figure out how to blend her background in math with her love of fashion. She started doodling during her spare time and realized, “ I can doodle, and I can also write a math code to do the doodles for me”. While it isn’t common for designers to code their designs, Bousso was creating her own rules.
“Once you write a couple of equations, by just changing a few numbers, you can create a new print very quickly. So it makes the process of drawing now very efficient because you can draw one thing, then actually create thousands by just changing the numbers”, she explained.
The equation that Bousso writes creates Afrocentric shapes and prints that also tells stories, centering on the diversity of Africa. She described the process as empowering. Bousso owns the production of the prints and no longer has to attend markets or trade shows for fabrics. Also, she has an approach that allows her to save money without washing fabric. “Algorithms allow me to solve a very important problem in fashion in terms of sustainability. They also allow me to really explore creativity beyond what’s available, because there are no limits to what you can make”.
This new technique has not only allowed her to engage with her audience but, to also create polls to find out which designs they prefer. “We produce what people want. There’s no excess inventory”, she said. Once she has the pattern in fabric form, she cuts it to maximize the amount of pieces produced; creating a dress, a necklace, shoes and a face mask from three yards of fabric. “We keep it iterating until there is nothing left”, she explained.
Bousso’s designs are made for both luxury and comfort. Her collections are endless and each design takes you to a place of peace, freedom and stillness.
Photo Credits: POPSUGAR
Report: Juana Norales