Iris Van Herpen Brand Study

Pioneer of new voice in fashion

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INTRODUCTION

PRODUCT RANGE STORES

COLLABORATIONS

04 HISTORY

06 THE BRAND BRAND NAME VISION ELEMENTS OF THE BRAND

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BRAND IDENTITY SWOT ANALYSIS COLOR PALETTE, SILHOUETTES, STYLE,MATERIALS, PHOTOSHOOT, ADVERTISEMENT, WEB COMMUNICATION

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MARKETING CAMPAIGNS FASHION SHOWS, EXHIBITIONS, MOVIE AND ALBUM COLLABS CAMPAIGNS

CONCLUSION

S T N E T N O C

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02

IRIS VAN HERPEN

T U O B A

Designer uniting fashion and technology Iris van Herpen is a Dutch fashion designer and couturier renowned for her futuristic, darkly fantastical aesthetic, Iris van Herpen stands for a reciprocity between craftsmanship and innovation in technique and materials. She creates a modern view on Haute Couture that combines fine handwork techniques with digital technology .Van Herpen forces fashion to the extreme contradiction between beauty and regeneration. It is her unique way to reevaluate reality and so to express and underline individuality.

The essence of van Herpen is expressing the character and emotions of a woman and to extend the shape of the feminine body in detail. She mixes craftsmanship- using old and forgotten techniques- with innovation and materials inspired on the world to come

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TIMELINE

2006 Graduated from Artez Institute of the Arts 2007 Started label in Arnhem, The Netherlands.

Displayed first collection in Amsterdam fashion week 2011 Became guest member of the Parisian Chambre de la Haute Couture.

JOURNEY OF Iris

Van

Herpen

Born on June 5,1984, the Dutch Designer grew up in a small town called Wamel located in The Netherlands. The 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.

She did an internship at Alexander McQueen,and Claudy Jongstra before starting her own label in 2007. Since the year 2011, she is one of the guest members of Parisian Chambre Syndicale de la Haute Couture. A year after graduation, Iris launched her eponymous brand consisting of women’s wear.

Y R O T S I H

1984 Born on June 5 1984, Wamel, the Netherlands

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From

ballet

to

couterier Iris van Herpen had a love for classical ballet as she was growing and never realized at the time that her career path would be different than this. Design meant materiality and Dance on the other hand was very much abstract. However, school changed everything for her.

When she began her education journey at Artez, she became predominantly interested in designing apparel. According to her, anything created in dance ends with dance but anything she creates in fashion design starts to live its own life once she is done creating them.

TIMELINE 2011 Showcased her first collection Chemical Crows in Paris Fashion Week 2013 Debut in first RTW collection.

First collaboration with architect Philip Beesley 2017 Won Johannes Vermeer Award 2020 Showcased her collection "Transmotion" for PFW digitally

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THE BRAND Van Herpen opened her own label Iris van Herpen in 2007 in Arnhem,The Netherlands. The first collection "Chemical Crows" by the brand was showcased at the Amsterdam Fashion Week. The brand focus is on womens apparel and accessories, mainly shoes. It is positioned in the luxury market along with some big Haute Couture houses.

Although the new focus has shifted towards Ready-towear, Iris Van Herpen is still a brand dedicatedto innovative haute couture pieces. Each garment and accessory of the brand is produced in the atelier located in Amsterdam.

Brand outlet and webshopIris van herpen does not have its own outlet or physical store. However, the limited editions of women's apparel accessories such as belts, scarves and shoes are available in the webshop or website of the brand. The products are available on a made to order basis and they take 4-5 weeks to make the product and ship it.

Other Department stores and website- The RTW debut of Iris Van Herpen was made in Seibu, Tokyo which is a departmental store.

The ready to wear and couture collection are also sold in some top online & offline luxury selling retailers such as "The Corner","Harrods", "SSense", "Atelier New york" as well as in Museums and exhibitions

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The body and female forms are my canvas to visualize the invisible, shaping a continuous dance between craftsmanship and

N O I S I V

innovation.

At first, Herpen started off using fabrics in her work, however it limited her from sculpting, building and constructing new structures and forms. Thus she added various atypical materials to her list for usage to create her extraordinary designs. Taking this to consideration, it is not astonishing that the words ‘sculpt’ and ‘sculpture’ are used when referring to her work.

Since her first show in 2007 Van Herpen has been preoccupied with inventing new forms and methods of sartorial expression by combining the most traditional and the most radical materials and garment construction methods into her unique aesthetic vision. Harpen carries out interdisciplinary research and frequently collaborates with different artists to create her uniquely treated creations.

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S T N E M E L E

T A G L I N E

O G O L

The logo of the brand is designed by Oliver Theisen.

Logo of the brand is quite simple and little artifact, the reason because of which it remains imprinted.

The font used in the brand name is quite similar to futuristic light and the type face has sharp edges. On top of it the first letter of the each word is written in a innovative way adding a dramatic look to it.

CHARACTERISTICS

The brand does not have a tagline but the motto of the Iris van Herpen is NORMAL RULES DON'T APPLY That also describes all of her collections. She breaks all the rules of fashion, the rules of art and she also involves the world of technology in her work.

Known for fusing technology with traditional haute couture craftsmanship.

"Form follows function’ is not a slogan with which I concur by bringing form, structure and materials together in a new manner, I try to suggest and realize optimal tension and movement." - IRIS VAN HERPEN

Technology is a guiding principle because of it's sculptural nature and unfamiliar form.

Forward thinking and futuristic creator Utilizes 3D printing as a garment construction technique.

Renowned for her unconventional material use.

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Iris Van herpen specialises in women's couture and ready to wear apparel and accessories.

HAUTE COUTURE Bespoke designs of their Couture creations, that includes dresses, co-ords, and accessories customized for special occassions.

PRODUCT RANGE

READY-TO-WEAR Some couture collections are sold as Ready to wear line in different stores & webshops that includes, dresses, suits, skirts, jumpsuits, and two piece garments.

FOOTWEAR Platform shoes produced in collaboration with artists and designers ACCESSORIES Scarves, Belts, Face Jewellery

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E E R R U U T T U U O O C C

COLLECTIONS Chemical crows Mummification Refinery Smoke Synesthesia Radiation Invasion Hybrid Holism Crystallization Escapism Micro

E E T T U U A A H H

Capriole Voltage Wilderness Embodied Sensory Seas Aeriform Seijaku

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W T R COLLECTIONS Magnetic Motion Quaquaversal Biopiracy Ludi Naturae Hacking Infinity Embossed Sounds

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R A E W T O O F

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T E S R O C

T L E B

S E V R A C S

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S E R O T S

Iris Van Herpen does not have any physical store.

Although the couture collections are sold on bespoke and made to order basis that are created in their atelier. .

Some of the Ready to Wear collections are available in many online and offline luxury retail stores. The products are also displayed and sold in exhibitions and museums.

The Cartel store, UAE Online- https://thecartel.ae

IVH Studio at Arnhem, Amsterdam Onlinewww.irisvanherpen.com

RTW Line at Seibu Departmental Store, Shibuya,Tokyo

Farfetech, UK Online- https://www.farfetch.com

LE BON MARCHE, Paris Online- https://www.24s.com

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For me fashion is an expression of art that is very closely related to me and my body. I see it as an expression of identity combined with desire, moods and a cultural setting." - Iris Van Herpen 17

B R A N D

I D E N T I T Y

The brand identity is structured on the archetypal identity oriented towards substance and thought. The archetype of fashion associated with Iris Van Herpen as a brand is the inspiration of the designer herself, the very essence of her thought.

The interpretative way, that is the artistic expression, implemented by the strategy, of her vision of thought suggests an emotional charge such as to establish an archetypal link, that is, nothing less than a feeling of identification. The empathic connection is dictated by the designer's pure mind.

Van Herpen’s designs are sleek in a way that calls to mind marvels of evolutionary design, like stingrays or coral, combined with the type of repetitive structures one expects only a machine could produce.

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Van Herpen mostly uses stony, metallic, dark and earth hues in her collection taking inspiration from the nature and earth.

Common colors used are black, white, greys, metallis, indigo and lilac tone, nudes, and skin tones,along with some new additions such as ochre, purple, yellow and red.

The silhouettes that Van herpen uses are inspired by the natural objects and mechanisms. Her silhouettes range from close-fitting, bodyhugging to outsized, voluminous,free falling, abstract and geometric ones.The silhouettes in her collections give a complete new dimension to women's wear.

She has been displaying garments with innumerable unique and innovative silhouettes.

e e t t t t e e u u o o h h ll ii S S

C Co o ll o or r P Pa a ll e et tt te e

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M Ma at te er r ii a a ll s s

a an nd d

Iris Van Herpen specialises in prints, fabrications,moulding and manipulations and that is what the brand is known for. The brand always tries to explore not only with new fabrics but they also use unconventional materials in their collections.

Her elaborate haute couture collections combine traditional craft with digital techniques such as automation, laser cutting, digital fabrication and 3D printing. She always takes inspiration from organic elements such as fossils, plant membranes, feathers, fins, bubbles, sound waves and makes it using both conventional and unconventional materials.She has worked on fabrics like Silk, glass organza, acrylic, polyester& polyester film lace, microfiber, goat leather, viscose, fur, wool, mesh, lace, and sheer fabrics, mylar,cotton,silicons chevrons and many more . For several designs, van Herpen worked with a nylon-silk weave called " liquid Fabric". Along with that she uses unconventional materials such as glass sheets, iron fillings, polyurethane resin, glass crystals, steel and even magnets.

T Te ec ch hn n ii q qu ue es s

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G G N N II L L Y Y T T S S

Van Herpen's style has a dark, fantastical, illusionary aesthetic and that is reflected on the garments as well. She developed her personal signature and style by focusing on craftsmanships involving a high level of handwork and demiurgic techniques.She has very imaginary and sculptural nature. It has been adopted in the styling aspect also. van herpen uses face and eye jewellery, abstract shaped headdress and hats, scarves to style her muses along with shoes which are like a sculpture on the feet mimicking nature.

The styling also adds a very dramatic look to the outfits when on runway. The make up is kept subtle and nude most of the times with some creative hairstyling.

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P P H H O O T T O O S S H H O O O O T T S S

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T N E M E S I T R E V D A

The brand uses publications and magazines for its advertising medium. The designs of IVH have been featured by famous publication houses such as Harpers Bazaar, Vogue, Times Magazine, System magazine.. Their designs have been worn some A-list celebrities such as Rihanna, Beyonce, Cara Delevingne, Daphne Guinness for these famous magazine cover.

Many publication houses also feature Hepren's design on their online portal and social media handles. IVH do not promote or advertise their collections on telivision or commercials.

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S N O I T A C I L B U P

Three solo books have been published on the designer’s work. “Iris van Herpen” by the Groninger Museum to accompany her first solo exhibit, “Iris van Herpen: Transforming Fashion” by the High Museum of Art to accompany the United States museum tour, and most recently “Iris van Herpen Backstage”.

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WEB COMMUNICATION

Website Link- www.irisvanherpen.com

The official website of the brand stays updated and active. It is being updated after every time a new fashion show takes place. Each collection presents photos from the parade, behind the scenes photos, photoshoots, and a broad explanation of the inspiration taken. . Along with that, there are many process films and campaign advertisements.We can find all the information about the designer and her achievements, awards, and collaborations. The webshop though has limited edition of the accessories and it is not readily available. They take orders on made to order basis which is created in the amsterdam atelier of the designer and they complete it within 4 weeks.

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The brand has facebook and instagram pages also and it is updated on regular basis. It is always loaded with new developments, features in magazine and editorials, and the latest news.

FACEBOOK

INSTAGRAM

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Van Herpen singular vision combined with the complexity of her creations has made her a fixture on the Paris Haute Couture calendar, where she has shown since January 2011.

She has also showcased her collections in Mercedes benz fashion week, Berlin, Amsterdam Fashion week. Van Herpen’s distinct aesthetic viewpoint made her dress many progressive musicians and actresses such as BjÜrk, Cate Blanchett,Cara Delevingne, Joey King, Katy Perry, Gwendoline Christie, Celine Dion, Fan Bing Bing, Lady Gaga, Naomi Campbell, Solange Knowles, Natalia Vodianova, Miley Cyrus, Grimes, Eva Green and Daphne Guinness.

M A R K E T I N G C A M P A I G N S

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For this collection, Iris van Herpen draws inspiration from the sensory processes that occur between the intricate composition of the human body, mirrored with the fibrous marine ecology of our oceans.s.

T F I H S S L U O S

S A E S

Y R O S N E S

The collection was inspired by early examples of celestial cartography and its representations of mythological and astrological chimera.

A I P O T N Y S

t s e B s n o i t c e l l o C t A W F P

FASHION SHOWS

Iris Van Herpen presents her Collection at Paris Fashion Week twice a year. Alongwith PFW she also showcases in other fashion shows such as Mercedes Benz Fashion Week and Amsterdam Fashion Week. Her collections have always been a centre of attraction due to her usage of radical materials and innovative garment construction methods. The designs The designs look like a piece of art on the runway speaking for themselves.

Her shows are interesting to see as it has some abstract and illusionary installations amazing the spectators.

In this collection the designer explores the new worlds that arise within synthetic biology and the intertwining relationships between the organic and the inorganic. ĘťSyntopiaĘź acknowledges the current scientific shift in which biology converges with technology and visualizes the fragility and power within.

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The Dutch designer explores the concept of lucid dreaming. lucid dream, the dreamer is conscious of the dream state and therefore is able to exert a degree of control on what is happening.

Van Herpen drew inspiration from the Danish underwater artists Between Music who challenge the relationship between the body and its elemental surround, in a subaquatic environment where air is absent.

II D DU UL L E EA AR RU UT TA AN N

S PY YH H S II S SO ON NP

For this collection, the designer finds inspiration in the hypnotic manifolds within our ecologies through the work of American artist Anthony Howe. The three-dimensional cyclical harmony of Howe’s kinetic sculptures is the wind beneath the wings of this collection.

M RE EA A MR RO OF F II R

Y YC CA AR R II P PO O II B B

D D II C CU UL L

A 3D printing collaboration with Julia Koerner fuses the artisanal with the technical to create a kinetic dress which dances as it amplifies bodily movement. Molded boots in collaboration with United Nude accelerate and reconfigure the silhouette.

For this collection the designer examined the natural and manmade landscapes of our world from a bird’s-eye view, tracing the laws of entropy.

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S S S W W O O H H S

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E A G G E D D R R A

T A V V A A T N N A

EXHIBITIONS

Herpen's work has been included in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Victoria & Albert Museum, the Cooper-Hewitt Museum in New York and the Palais de Tokyo in Paris, Royal Ontario Museum, Dallas Museum of Art, High Museum of Art, High Museum of Art. She had her first solo exhibition in Royal Ontario Museum, in Toronto where she exhibited 45 couture looks of a decade.

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Beyoncé wore Iris van Herpen 'Micro' dress in her video 'MINE'.

Katy Perry wears Iris van Herpen for her music video and single album cover of ‘Never Really Over’.

Designed Björk's dress for her 'Biophilia' album cover and 'Crystalline' single cover.After this album, Iris continues designing for Björk her tours, videos and performances.

Designed all costumes for 'Kreatur' by choreographer Sasha Waltz, which is premiered at Radialsystem V in Berlin.

Grimes wore Iris Van Herpen for the music video "Violence".

MOVIE AND ALBUM COLLABS

Iris van Herpen dressed Scarlett Johansson in the movie 'LUCY', directed

by Luc Besson.

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Katy Perry in shift Souls For Never Really Over Video

Scarlett Johansson in IVH custom made Mummification dress for "LUCY"

Bjork in Crystalline Album Cover

Grimes in the music video "VIOLENCE"

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Grimes (also known as Claire Boucher) collaborated with IVH and starred as the leading face for their debut ready to wear womenswear campaign.

"Transmotion" short film for the Fall couture 2020 featuring Game of thrones actress Carice Van Houten. Instead of Runway presentation Iris opted for digital couture by making a short promotional film.

Collaboration with filmmaker and choreographer Russell maliphant for the fashion film named "Another". The dynamic film is an exploration of fashion in motion and features a piece from Iris Van Herpen Biopiracy show.

Iris van Herpen Worked with Nick Knight and stylist Amanda Harlech and created a fashion film featuring her A/W 16 designs. The collection explores the concept of lucid dreaming, where the dreamer is conscious of the dream state and therefore is able to exert a degree of control on what is happening.

C A M P A I G N S

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https://youtu.be/Kj8igpZDPMc

. https://youtu.be/aS4emRhmRHM

C A M P A I G N V I D E O S

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Because of van Herpen’s interest in multidisciplinary approach to creation that goes beyond fashion, she has often collaborated with various artists such as Jolan van der Wiel and Neri Oxman and architects such as Philip Beesley and Benthem and Crouwel Architects. The designer’s interest in science and technology has led to ongoing conversations with CERN (The European Organization for Nuclear Research) and MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology).

FURTHER COLLABORATIONS: UNITED NUDE Swarovski Nick Knight Dom Perignon Philip Hoewe Aesop Zach Gold Joost Vandebrug Julia Koerner

C O L L A B O R A T I O N S

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IRIS VAN HERPEN X AESOP

IRIS VAN HERPEN X PHILIP BEESLEY

IRIS VAN HERPEN X SWAROVSKI

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C O L L A B O R A T I O N

B E Y O N D

F A S H I O N

Iris van Herpen Debuts Major Architectural Collaboration for Naturalis Iris van Herpen recently created more than a kilometer of hand-sanded concrete threedimensional designs that shape the new structure of The Netherland's worldrenowned Research Institute for Biodiversity.

The new Naturalis boasts a collection of forty-two million objects, ranked amongst the five largest natural history collections in the world, now united with its nine exhibition halls, research facilities, and laboratories in one magnificent combination of interconnected structures designed by Neutelings Riedijk Architects and fashion designer Iris van Herpen.

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Increased demand in future due to new, innovative concepts and technological advancement.

Channeling the brand identity in stores and online can drive brand awareness and reputation without losing exclusivity Flagship stores in major fashion cities can provide a strong brand recognition.

Widening the product range.

Strong brand communication and promotions for striving in the industry

O

T

Other luxury fashion houses can be a threat due to wider range of products and more brand awareness Competitors such as Gareth Pugh, Yohji Yamamoto, Alexander Mcqueen and Issey Miyake are also showcase collections with similar approach and more market presence.

High street brands offering more premium collections.

Threat from e commerce websites and online retailers.

S S E N K A E W

S W

No physical store Detached from wearable fashion Not accessible to all strata of consumers Low market presence and brand awareness Lack of brand communication and promotions Limited products in webshop Too conceptual Limited ready- to-wear product line Never ending study of details leading to an inability to act

S T A E R H T

S E I T I N U T R O P P O

S H T G N E R T S

Unique design reputation Novelty and Exclusivity Innovative and futuristic Appreciation from mixed audiences apart from fashion Widening the dimension of fashion Ecological and sustainable Collaborations with artists from various genres Premium quality products Brand loyalty towards its clients Technologically advanced methods of production

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C O N C L U S I O N To conclude, from the analysis it is quite evident why Iris van Herpen is said to be a jack of all trades: designer, artist, couturier, innovator, and futurist. Her forward thinking and distinct approach on fashion has transformed and shaped the future of couture fashion. An increased brand awareness and communication can act as an aid for the brand.

However, according to her branding and a global retail network are not part of her fiveyear plan. It is the addition of outside projects, like designing costumes for the Paris Opera Ballet or working on the biodiversity center’s renovation, that keep her engaged as well as afloat financially. And that is how van Herpen’s work unites the most forward-looking technology with artisanal craftsmanship.

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Iris van Herpen as a designer has fascinated everyone for the past 12 years. people are attracted to her fearless take on fashion, and how she has been bringing science and technology to fashion. She continues to be a woman who is unafraid to redefine the definition of couture through her artistry.

I want to contribute and empower the 21st century of haute couture. And by haute couture, I mean more generally, "the art of fashion," the place where innovation and craft are perfected into finest possible level."

-IRIS VAN HERPEN

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STUDY

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BRAND

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