CNN
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borosilicate glass, mylar film, polyurethane, glass organza, polyamide powder and thermogypsum polymer. These are the raw materials used by Dutch couturier Iris Van Herpen to create sculptural, otherworldly confections worn by stars such as Lady Gaga, Tilda Swinton and Jennifer Lopez.
Van Herpen may not be famous yet, but her fans are a woman who pushes the boundaries of culture. She is a longtime collaborator with musician Björk, and this year the couturier created a custom caped dress for her. Record-breaking “Renaissance” World Tour.
Performer Grimes wore a laser-cut Van Herpen dress that was “inspired by the distant future.”“In America: A Dictionary of Fashion” Met Gala In 2021 It took 900 hours to make And in 2022, several celebrities will be wearing Van Herpen dresses.Gilded Age” Met Galamodel Winnie Harlow, and singers Teyana Taylor and Dove Cameron.
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Musician Grimes attended the 2021 Met Gala wearing a futuristic Iris Van Herpen dress that took 900 hours to create.
Inspired by Cameron’s arresting spiral nebula, the ensemble took more than 600 hours to make and was made from recycled Mylar, a type of reflective, shiny plastic. Carpetside, Cameron gushed to Vanity Fair about the unexpected look: “It reminds me of a spine…I love how intricate and detailed it is.”
More than 100 works by the designer are currently on display in a new retrospective entitled “Sculpting the Senses.” Museum of Decorative Arts In Paris. Often inspired by rock formations, fossils, and skeletons, the show dives deep into Van Herpen’s web of natural influences.
“I wanted this to be more than just a fashion exhibition,” she told CNN via email. “With this retrospective, I wanted to represent all the layers of life that I am influenced by: dance, art, science, architecture, nature, philosophy.”
Warren du Preez/Nick Thornton Jones
The translucent layered “Cosmica” dress, featuring clouds of color, was created in collaboration with artist and former NASA engineer Kim Keever.
Recurring motifs such as water, the human skeleton and the natural world have evolved with each collection. Van Herpen says these references have come to her in various forms over the years. Her upbringing surrounded by water in a village on the Vaal River in the central Netherlands continues to be a source of inspiration. She calls water “nature’s mirror” and uses unusual methods such as glass blowing and lasers to interpret its different colors and textures. disconnection. The inspiration for her skeletal designs, such as Prime Minister Cameron’s Met Gala dress, is a little more elusive, as she cites both anatomical drawings and museum fossils as important starting points.
“It’s amazing to discover the bone structure of extinct animals and note the differences and similarities with our own internal spinal structure,” Van Herpen explained. You can go back millions of years and imagine the spinal structure a million years from now…it’s a timeless source of inspiration. ”
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Model Winnie Harlow attended the 2022 Met Gala wearing a piece by Van Herpen that she considered a “masterpiece.”
Van Herpen launched his eponymous brand in 2007 at the age of 23, after starting his career as an intern at Alexander McQueen. Since then, she has developed new ways of working with innovative materials, combining technology and traditional couture techniques. In 2010, Van Herpen presented her first ever 3D printed dress at Amsterdam Fashion Week (10 years later, Forbes announced this technology)A space to watch over). In 2011, she sent another skeletal 3D-printed look made of white synthetic polymer to the Paris Haute Couture Her Week runway. This move earned her a spot on Time magazine’s list of her 50 Best Inventions of 2011. skeleton dress It was acquired by the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York in 2012.
“By combining modern technology with historical skills and know-how, we bring the vision of classic haute couture to today’s world,” explains Van Herpen. “I call this evolution of craftsmanship ‘craft solutions.’ It moves haute couture into the future.”
The Dutch designer eschewed fashion trends in favor of something more provocative, experimental and instantly recognizable. “I always knew this was her work,” photographer Molly S.J. Rowe said in an interview with CNN. Lowe has collaborated with her house of haute couture, and her images are featured in a book accompanying the exhibition. “She’s not only beautiful, but also challenging. She’s always pushing the limits. She’s sensitive but strong at the same time,” she said.
“She can bring these dichotomies together into a dress.”
“Iris Van Herpen: Sculpture of the Senses” Museum of Decorative ArtsParis, until April 28, 2024.