Iris van Herpen / The Netherlands

the Netherlands born 1984

Characteristically avant-garde, Van Herpen’s otherworldly, sculptural garments, and the manner of their production, are redefining the language of fashion. An early proponent of 3D-printing techniques, Van Herpen has consistently sought to stretch the edges of her medium both conceptually and materially. To this end she has fostered an interdisciplinary practice enriched by collaborations across the globe from fields as diverse as dance, architecture, science and music. Each process-driven collection is an exploration of new materials and techniques, derived from logic and chaos, to create a modern approach to haute couture.

Dress, 2011, in the NGV Triennial was designed for Icelandic singer Björk to wear during her 2012 Biophilia tour. The design is based on van Herpen’s 2011 spring−summer Escapism collection (her first couture collection). This collection drew conceptually from feelings of emptiness, the grotesque and the fantastic, and aesthetically from the work of American artist Kris Kuksi. Like many of van Herpen’s works, Dress, 2011 took several months to make and fuses machine and hand work to create the exaggerated forms.

BIO

Dutch fashion designer Iris van Herpen is well known internationally for her experimental and futuristic runway collections. Since 2007 she has pioneered a distinctive aesthetic that integrates traditional forms of craftsmanship with unconventional materials and technological innovation. The result is garments that are complex, poetic and defy convention. Invited to join the haute couture calendar in 2011, Van Herpen now presents twice-yearly collections in Paris.