My first document

december issue

2023 HAUTE COUTURE

DISE IRIS VAN HERPEN: A DESIGNER OR A WITCH?

a look into the future

IRIS VAN HERPEN

A magazine by the Mayor University

Done by Alejandro Navas

DIAGRAMACIÓN Y GRÁFICA DIGITAL

Professor Daniel Peralta y Gabriela Cordero

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IRIS VAN HERPEN

INDEX 04 08

WHO IS IRIS VAN HERPEN?

THE MAISON OF IRIS

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AN INTERVIEW TO THE MODIST

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BOUTIQUE

04 18

BRIDAL WORLD

TIMELINE

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IRIS VAN HERPEN

IRIS, THE ARCHI IN THE FAS “Those years of dance taught me so much about my body, the transformation of movement, the ‘evolution’ of shape, and how to manipulate both shape and movement.

My interest in fashion were rooted in dance, in which I am now able to transform this kinaesthetic knowledge into new forms and materiality.” - Iris van Herpen

Widely heralded as one of fashion’s most forward-thinking designers, Iris van Herpen discovered fashion for the first time in her grandmother’s attic, where she unearthed a mini-museum of garments and costumes that opened her eyes to another decade. Trained in classical ballet and throughout her career, the designer has been fascinated by fluidity and the entangled art of movement. The mercurial dance in which the body and mind intersect

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have perpetually propelled Van Herpen’s sensorial design philosophy and paved the way for more conscious forms of fashion.

Contemplating movement as a metamorphic force enables these ethereal garments to extend from the human body, sculpting their forms into multi-dimensional silhouettes. Movement adds another layer to the brand’s craft. Van Herpen’s vision is guided by the human anatomy and the way the woman moves, making these other-worldly looking garments adored by clientele worldwide.

Van Herpen’s work is deeply embedded in nature. Its beauty, mystery and chaos are aspects that the designer draws inspiration from. Elements of water, air and earth and its translation into liquescent, diaphanous,

IRIS VAN HERPEN

ITECT SHION WORLD or textural forms sculpt the celestial designs. For instance, the infinite properties alluding to movement such as the unbound forces and fluidity behind water or its crystalline formations are facets that flow into the designs. Venturing into uncharted territories often means defying the parameters of disciplines, expanding Van Herpen’s interest into lesser-explored territories within nature such as the wood wide web, sound waves, cymatic patterns, synapses, magnetism, symbiosis, voltage, or kinetic movement. Through biomimicry, the maison visualises and materialises the invisible forces that shape our world, perpetuating a deep sense of organic presence.

A fascination for architecture has been with the designer from the very beginning. Echoed in her creative process, a visual dialogue between these two worlds arises — on a conceptual level, the level of materiality and the level of techniques. Fashion and architecture are both expressions of self, culture and community that reflect the times and fabric of society. Dichotomies of the hard and soft, the structure and organic elements are visually evident in the brand’s distinctive viewpoint.

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IRIS VAN HERPEN

Iris van Herpen is a Dutch fashion designer and couturier renowned for her futuristic, darkly fantastical aesthetic, which she has shown during Couture Week in Paris.

Van Herpen’s designs are hypnotic garments based on multilayered kinetic sculptures. Her early adoption of 3D printing technologies placed her in the vanguard of the technology’s introduction into fashion, favoured by the likes of Lady Gaga, Björk and Tilda Swindon.

Growing up in the small town Wamel, the dutch fashion designer creatively expressed herself through painting, dance and playing the violin, before she was introduced to the transformative power of fashion upon entering high school.

Van Herpen learned to sew, cut patterns and embroider, a discovery that led her to study Fashion Design at Artez Institute of the Arts Arnhem and intern at Alexander McQueen in London and Claudy Jongstra in Amsterdam, where Van Herpen polished her handiwork. The dutch designer eventually opened her own label in 2007. Drawn to traditional craftsmanship in fashion Van Herpen began laser cutting and printing her detailed designs that would soon evolve into haute couture

gowns.

Her first collection in 2007, featured the brass ribs of 700 umbrellas reassembled to fashion her garments, an unprecedented move that caught the attention of The Groninger Museum, that offered to buy some of the collection Van Herpen collaborates with the Belgian company Materialise NV for the printing of her designs and has partnered with a number of artists from various disciplines, often on a recurring basis, including choreographer and dancer Nanine Linning, visual artist Bart Hess, Philip Beesley, Stephen Jones and Irene Bussemaker, shoe brand United Nude, filmmaker Zach Gold, and jewellery designer Heaven Tanudiredja, along with director and filmmaker Joost Vandebrug. For her latest collections, Van Herpen partnered with artists such as Anthony Howe and architect Neri Oxmann, making a name for herself with her unconventional material use, including transparent acrylic, silicone, microfiber fabric and polyester film lace. Since 2011, the designer has showed at Paris Fashion Week, under the Chambre Syndicale de la Haute Couture.

Herpen's designs are exhibited in various museums, including New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Royal Museum in Toronto and the Groninger Museum.

Van Herpen's scientific inclination has also led to collaborations with CERN, the European Organisation for Nuclear Research and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

In 2011, Van Herpen's 3D printed garments were included in Time Magazine's list of 50 Best Inventions of that year, while she was also awarded the ANDAM Gran Prix Award in 2014, The European Commission's 2016 STARTS Prize, and the Dutch state prize for the arts, the Johanness Vermeer Award in 2017.

With its sculptural and architectural nature, Van

“For me fashion is an expression of art that is very closely related both to me and to my body. I see it as an expression of identity combined with desire, moods and a cultural setting.”

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IRIS VAN HERPEN

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IRIS VAN HERPEN

THE MAISON OF IRIS VAN HERPEN A UNIVERSE IN CONSTANT EXPANSION

ROOTS OF REBIRTH Iris van Herpen shows her latest collection ‘Roots of Rebirth’ during Paris Haute Couture Week on January 25th 2021.

- Roots of rebirth collection -

Through ‘Roots of Rebirth’, Van Herpen notions towards the miraculous lacery of interconnectedness from the natural ‘wood wide web,’ weaving a dialogue between the terrestrial and the underworld.

At the maison of Iris van Herpen, Haute Couture is a transformative force that transcends boundaries and unites multi-disciplinary technologies with intricate artisanal craftsmanship. The brand’s visionary creations merge pioneering techniques and luxurious materials, often evoking a sense of avant-garde wonder. Whether shaping a dress through electromagnetic weaving or sculpting one from 3D hand-cast transparent leather, the maison challenges traditional notions of the handmade to create ethereal garments that are radically future-facing and exquisitely feminine.

Haute Couture Week as a member of the Fédération de la Haute Couture. The maison’s ambition to reinvent the métier as the engine of innovation, pushing forward sustainability as second nature and materiality is mirrored in its inter-disciplinary approach to art and fashion.

Each collection is a quest to venture beyond today’s definition of a garment, exploring new forms of expression for a more meaningful, diverse and conscious fashion for the future.

Celebrating female empowerment, the maison values a collaborative design process with inspirational women such as the brand’s cherished global clientele and extraordinary muses like Cate Blanchett, Beyoncé, Scarlett Johansson, Lady Gaga, Fan Bingbing and Naomi Campbell.

Founded in 2007, the brand showcases its Bespoke designs are meticulously crafted for an collections bi-annually at the exclusive Paris international clientage from within the illustrious

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IRIS VAN HERPEN

Haute Couture atelier. Organic, innovative femininity is expressed through state-ofthe-art Couture that embraces individuality powerfully and fearlessly. Through symbiotic collaborations with artists from all stripes such as the choreographer Damien Jalet, the performative artist Björk, the kinetic artist Anthony Howe, the trans-disciplinary architect Philip Beesley or the computational artist Neri Oxman the brand challenges the future of fashion by rethinking previously unimaginable ways of Haute Couture.

At Iris van Herpen, each creation is supported by the pillars that uphold the brand — nature, architecture, art, and dance. A sense of organic presence that emerges from the lightness and movement of texture is at the core of the garment. The maison draws stimulus from the natural world, its fragility and possibilities, from symbiosis to sound waves, synesthesia to the subterranean. Threads of inspiration derive from biomimicry or brain neurones, from climates or cymatics. Celebrated subjects arise from flight, are found in fungi or delve into the depths of the deep sea0 trenches. Constantly driving to evolve from the previous collection,

- Berta Vazquez for IVH -

the designs seek the unknown and aim to visualise the imperceptible inspiration behind them.

The atelier is based in Amsterdam, The Netherlands, where new techniques are being born and cultivated, Couture is meticulously crafted and garments are individually named.

The Art of Haute Couture by Iris van Herpen stands for slow fashion, designing in a thoughtful and collaborative manner, utilising approaches that are current, and paving the way for multi-disciplinary designs that extend the imagination.

- 2 0 1 7 , PA R I S FA S H I O N W E E K -

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IRIS VAN HERPEN

AN INTERVIEW WITH VAN HERPEN

By Hannah Norman

Widely recognised as one of the most talented and forward-thinking designers working in the haute couture fashion industry today, we speak to Iris van Herpen to find out about pushing the links between clothing and technology, the materials she likes to work with, and how she started her label without using a sewing machine Tell us about what prompted you to become a fashion designer and the early days of your career?

I used to practice classical ballet, and my mother was a dance teacher, so movement, transformation and the female form have been a fascination for me from a very young age. During those years of dance, I learned a lot about the endless shape-making that we all create with our bodies, and about the infinite micro transformations happening within all movements we continuously make.

And how strongly our body mobility and our identity-making are interwoven. I see every living person as a continuous evolution of shape, a dance that is being performed all life long. These same concepts still provide inspiration for my collections now, and inspire me to think of a ‘‘biotechnological’’ future for fashion, a fashion that is so much more advanced and alive then the staticness of how we ‘‘make’’ or create today. My background in dance continuously feeds me inspiration to think of new forms of femininity. During my first years of starting my label, I had a very holistic approach to fashion – every piece I designed was made by myself and a needle and thread only.

Not even a sewing machine was used! I embraced the opposite of fast fashion, mass production and high consumerism. I embraced fashion as art. The same philosophy is still the heart of Iris van Herpen Haute Couture today.

- Iris Van Herpen -

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IRIS VAN HERPEN

How would you describe your signature style, both in terms of your work and your individual day-to-day dress?

Iris van Herpen stands for an organic, innovative femininity that expresses state-ofthe-art couture that embraces individuality powerfully and fearlessly. The Iris van Herpen woman is sensual and strong and intellectually driven to look beyond our scripted horizons. Meanwhile, my personal day-to-day dressing embodies a wide range from traditional Japanese embroidered kimonos to all black tight jeans and knitwear for when I walk my dog. And of course, my own designs are in my closet that I wear for special moments and celebrations.

What inspires you day-to-day and where does the inspiration for your designs come from?

What was your “I’ve made it!” moment?

My first runway show in Paris on the invitation of the Fédération de la Haute Couture et de la Mode was a very special and magic moment. For the first time, I felt part of a very long history of couture craftsmanship. My work was embraced by the couture houses of Chanel and Dior, and they were supporting my innovative approach – that moved me so much. I am still grateful to be able to show my collections in Paris twice a year and to be acknowledged by the Fédération de la Haute Couture. That first show in Paris gave my work a global presence and was the beginning of incredible collaborations and projects with brilliant women like Cate Blanchett, Lady Gaga, Tilda Swinton, Cara Delevingne, Scarlett Johansson, Bjork and more.

Inspiration comes from so many fields, from science to dance, from sculpture to mathematics, from poetry to astronomy, from anatomy to innovation, from nature to philosophy. Fashion is art to me; it is a laboratory of identity. That is why I collaborate with other artists, scientists and architects, to ultimately weave threads from our past identities towards our unknown identities to come. Fashion needs to inspire us to create ourselves, to find ourselves, and to then re-shape ourselves.

How would you say your style has evolved over the years?

When I first started, I was focussed on handwork and craftsmanship only – I didn’t even used a sewing machine.

Now my process has become much more collaborative, interacting with architects, scientists, and engineers to create garments that combine experimental technology with traditional craftsmanship. This interdisciplinary research creates a constant dialogue, and new knowledge and challenges for the atelier. Next to that, femininity is playing a bigger role in my work. I have grown into being a women myself and this leads me in my designs today. I have found that femininity and seduction are such powerful tools, and so stigmatised at the same time. I am not afraid to break those old patterns.

- AI generated image -

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IRIS VAN HERPEN

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149 euro

BOOK

BOU TI QUE This Artist Edition - personally signed and numbered by Iris van Herpen - comes with three unique elements that show the designer’s creative process from idea to material tests : an original Haute Couture art print illustration by Iris van Herpen, a technical pattern drawing on a transparent sheet, as well as a hand-picked fabric swatch which comes straight from her archive.

Each limited Artist Edition holds

- “The Artist Edition” Book -

a different compilation of these collectors items which makes every book unique.

UNIQUE ARTISTS ADDITIONS: * Art print of an original illustration

by Iris van Herpen * Technical pattern-drawing on transparent sheet * Original archive fabric swatch

IRIS VAN HERPEN

MEANDER BELT 955 euro

Intricately carved using pioneering laser-cutting techniques, the newly launched Iris van Herpen Corset Belts take inspiration from the brand’s visionary Haute Couture creations.

Drawing from the ebb and flow of tides and the shifting scape of dunes, fluid outlines and rippling patterns offer luxurious refinement to the wardrobe of a modern muse.

The leather corset belt elegantly encircles the waist, sculpting an hourglass silhouette and accentuates the feminine form.

Available in four nuanced designs and four colourways per style, the Iris van Herpen

Corset Belts are designed in our Amsterdam maison, developed within our atelier and crafted in Italy by artisans; using the finest nappa calf leathers and also available in authentic look & feel Majilite faux leather.

The meander pattern, also known as a Greek key or Greek fret, is a repeated motif featuring a continuous line, usually in a rectangular or square shape, that forms a series of right angles.

This pattern has its origins in ancient Greek art and architecture and is characterized by its geometric and symmetrical design.

- “Meander” Belt -

ALCHEMY SCARF 299 euro

The “Alchemy Scarf,” a testament to her artistic prowess, is a stunning creation inspired by the Alchemy Couture collection. This exquisite piece exemplifies the seamless fusion of high fashion and cutting-edge technology that defines Iris van Herpen’s distinctive style.

- “Alchemy ” Scar f -

Crafted with meticulous precision, the Alchemy Scarf embodies the essence of haute couture. Iris van Herpen is renowned for pushing the boundaries of traditional fashion, and this scarf is no exception. The use of innovative

materials and intricate detailing showcases a commitment to craftsmanship that elevates the accessory to wearable art.

Inspired by the Alchemy Couture collection, the scarf weaves a narrative of transformation and mystery.

Geometric patterns, ethereal shapes, and symbolic motifs reminiscent of alchemical elements adorn the fabric, creating an enigmatic and captivating design. Each fold and contour tells a story of metamorphosis, echoing the alchemical pursuit of transmutation.

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The Haute Couture process commences with a creative consultation to understand your needs, preferences and desires

we will design a curated selection with options that vary in colour, form, details and materials

IRIS VAN HERPEN

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BESPOKE & BRIDAL COUTURE DESIGN

the toile fittings will take place to ensure every fine detail is perfected before construction commences

“I’m not only looking at the body, I also look at the space around the body, like a dancer would. It’s like translating a piece of dance into a garment, evoking kinaesthetic sensations through dressing. Honoring the nature of the body in process, the designs express femininity, volume, lightness and movement into wondrous experiences of reality. ” - Iris van Herpen

Iris van Herpen’s design approach creates a distinctive aesthetic.

Respecting forgotten construction techniques and expanding them with tools that are technologically available today defines the designer’s work.

Both the past and the future find a place in Van Herpen’s creations seemingly becoming one. Traditional Couture techniques, like handstitching, embroidering, or draping, lie at the core of the maison’s craft. Yet by developing and experimenting novel and innovative materials, previously unthinkable notions of Haute Couture are weaved into the creative process.

Van Herpen seamlessly blends delicate handwork with radical forward-facing technologies such as laser-cutting, injection moulding, magnetic weaving or 3D printing to create unparalleled patterns and silhouettes. In 2011, the 3D printed ’Escapism’ dress was recognised and heralded by TIME Magazine as one of the 50 best inventions, propelling the maison to

Each Iris van Herpen Couture gown is designed based on your personal measurements.

international heights.

Each design epitomises the synergy between hand and material. Instead of hand-sketching, Van Herpen’s design philosophy is guided by intuition, curiosity and movement. Luxurious fabrics which are oftentimes directly draped on a mannequin by hand mark the starting point of the creative work — carefully feeling and exploring the material’s possibility. From its early days, the brand thrived for its unique language within the fashion system.

A brand that doesn’t limit itself to the industry norms but continues to grow by the influence of various fields — from sculpture to mathematics, poetry to astronomy, nature and philosophy.

The scope for imagination is perpetual through the eyes of Iris van Herpen.

Using your measurements the atelier will construct a personalised mannequin on which the design will be shaped, sculpted, and transformed to come to life.

THE ART OF HAUTE COUTURE

The design is fully handcrafted and can take up anywhere from 700 to 1500 hours for it to being created as every detail is finessed.

IRIS VAN HERPEN

Our team of skilled seamstresses will measure you during the creative consultation to personalise your gown to ensure the perfect fit.

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IRIS VAN HERPEN

TIMELINE TIMELINE

2007

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2008

2009

Iris van Herpen starts her label

Fashion and Architecture

3D printing garments

After studying Fashion Design at ArtEZ Institute of the Arts Arnhem, Iris van Herpen starts her label in 2007 and shows her first collection at the Amsterdam Fashion Week.

Iris van Herpen sets her first steps in collaboration outside of fashion, into architecture.

She collaborates with the architects Benthem Crouwel Architects, creating her ‘Water’ dress.

Iris van Herpen designs her first 3D printed garment, that she shows at the runway at the Amsterdam Fashion Week. The ‘Crystallization’ top is inspired by shell structures and 3D-printed from white polyamide.

2012

2015

2016

Solo Exhibition

Solo exhibition expands

Metropolitan Museum NY

‘Iris van Herpen: Transforming Fashion’ opens at the High Museum of Art, Atlanta. The exhibition is a continuation of the exhibition in the Groninger Museum, but now extended to show 8 years of work including 45 Couture garments.

The ‘Manus X Machina’ exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum NY shows seven Iris van Herpen iconics, including the ‘Bird’ dress, the ‘Skeleton’ dress, the ‘Moon’ dress and the ‘Crystallization’ top.

The Groninger Museum presents the first large-scale solo exhibition of the work of Iris van Herpen.

The exhibition is curated by Mark Wilson and Sue-ann van der Zijpp and shows an overview of her work of the first four years.

IRIS VAN HERPEN

2010 Awards

2018 Opera Pelléas et Mélisande In collaboration with Marina Abramovich, Damien Jalet and Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui, Iris van Herpen creates all the costumes for the singers and dancers of the opera ‘Pelléas et Mélisande’ by Claude Debussy.

Best Inventions TIME Magazine TIME Magazine names Iris van Herpen’s 3D printed dress one of the 50 Best Inventions of 2011.

2019 Iris van Herpen Naturalis Biodiversity Center in Leiden Neutelings Riedijk Architects and Iris van Herpen have collaborated on the Naturalis Museum.

2011 Chambre Syndicale de la Haute Couture Iris van Herpen becomes guestmember of the Parisian ‘Chambre Syndicale de la Haute Couture’.

From this moment she shows her new collection twice a year at Paris Fashion week.

2023 Beyoncé June 17, Beyoncé opens her Amsterdam show with an Iris Van Herpen garment, gracing the city with her amazing vocals and mesmerazing riffs.

TIMELINE

Iris van Herpen wins the Dutch Fashion Awards 2010 as well as the Dutch Incubator Award, the Accessory Award and the Dutch Design Awards, RADO.

2011

TIMELINE 19