I have just come out of the exhibition dedicated by the Parisian Museum of Decorative Arts to the Dutch fashion designer Iris Van Herpen and I hardly know if I admired haute couture or sculpture there. Or both. Or even more.
Iris Van Herpen is a young prodigy. After working at Alexander McQueen, she launched her own brand in 2007 and organized her first fashion show when she was only 23 years old. Her total independence from groups or financiers allows her to deploy a multifaceted and very personal talent, which calls upon the most refined craftsmanship as well as the most advanced technologies.
And as a matter of fact, her creations are at the same time futuristic, fantastical and fantastic.
Her muses are, logically, personalities who like to flirt with the limits of sartorial possibilities, like Björk or Tilda Swindon.
Iris Van Herpen, who collaborates with scientists, architects, biologists and artists, concentrates her art on haute couture to the detriment of ready-to-wear which she tried but abandoned, which is perfectly consistent with her desire for clothing durability and with the complexity of her creations which can take months to develop.
Her personal references originate from architecture, nature, dance, music and new technologies materialize the rich interior universe of a designer who never hesitates to use new materials, new techniques or new technologies. She was the first in fashion to use 3D printing to create sculptural and spectacular pieces.
The exhibition dedicated to Iris Van Herpen at the Museum of Decorative Arts, entitled “Sculpting The Senses” is structured around eleven themes such as water and dreams, life in the depths, the forces of life, dark mythology and even cosmic journey. It is an immersive experience, which presents works by other artists and is accompanied by noise or music depending on the theme.
Breathtaking.
December 22, 2023
