Iris van Herpen Fall 2022
Iris van Herpen paints an idealized vision of fashion, where ethereal dresses seem to grow around limbs like ivy climbing a trellis. His creations, suspended between organic and futuristic, and often defying gravity, have been ready for the metaverse forever.
Reality set in on Monday when the illness of key Microsoft technicians derailed plans for a mixed reality track experience that would have used the tech giant's HoloLens, a holographic device.
Nevertheless, there was plenty to enjoy with the naked eye in the ballroom on the parquet floor of the Élysée Montmartre, where van Herpen staged his first physical couture show in years, marking his 15th birthday. Beneath a ceiling adorned with writhing and twirling golden feathers, she paraded 16 dresses that wove a trio of meticulously detailed mythological tales across three pages of show notes.
You can unravel these allegories, or just sit back and be dazzled by dresses that fall somewhere between insect wings and carnivorous plants. Some looked like snowflakes on steroids; other deep sea creatures growing delicate tendrils. Many of them had a silver sheen to them, adding to their alien allure.
Always pushing the boundaries of technology, fabric innovation and haute couture craftsmanship, van Herpen has somehow married its 3D printed bodices to a biodegradable banana leaf fabric or a stiffened, pleated tulle that swirled from the shoulders and hips, like a winding steamy lake.
While many of the dresses looked familiar, the surprise of her runway was her royal Narcissus coat, the collar and shoulder line opening like a flower. Faces poked out of the cream-colored stunner, etched into recycled ribbons that were embroidered to stand vertically on the fabric, like a sculpture by Richard Serra.
At the end of the show, the models were classified into small groups according to the three myths around which the collection was built: Daphne and Apollo, plus Arachne, plus Narcissus.
And then came van Herpen with two members of his team, and the whole workshop in tow, whose hands brought it all to life. Happy Birthday, Team Iris!
Iris van Herpen paints an idealized vision of fashion, where ethereal dresses seem to grow around limbs like ivy climbing a trellis. His creations, suspended between organic and futuristic, and often defying gravity, have been ready for the metaverse forever.
Reality set in on Monday when the illness of key Microsoft technicians derailed plans for a mixed reality track experience that would have used the tech giant's HoloLens, a holographic device.
Nevertheless, there was plenty to enjoy with the naked eye in the ballroom on the parquet floor of the Élysée Montmartre, where van Herpen staged his first physical couture show in years, marking his 15th birthday. Beneath a ceiling adorned with writhing and twirling golden feathers, she paraded 16 dresses that wove a trio of meticulously detailed mythological tales across three pages of show notes.
You can unravel these allegories, or just sit back and be dazzled by dresses that fall somewhere between insect wings and carnivorous plants. Some looked like snowflakes on steroids; other deep sea creatures growing delicate tendrils. Many of them had a silver sheen to them, adding to their alien allure.
Always pushing the boundaries of technology, fabric innovation and haute couture craftsmanship, van Herpen has somehow married its 3D printed bodices to a biodegradable banana leaf fabric or a stiffened, pleated tulle that swirled from the shoulders and hips, like a winding steamy lake.
While many of the dresses looked familiar, the surprise of her runway was her royal Narcissus coat, the collar and shoulder line opening like a flower. Faces poked out of the cream-colored stunner, etched into recycled ribbons that were embroidered to stand vertically on the fabric, like a sculpture by Richard Serra.
At the end of the show, the models were classified into small groups according to the three myths around which the collection was built: Daphne and Apollo, plus Arachne, plus Narcissus.
And then came van Herpen with two members of his team, and the whole workshop in tow, whose hands brought it all to life. Happy Birthday, Team Iris!
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