Iris Van Herpen is the only designer at the moment that actually excites me about fashion and the future of the industry.

I am truly in awe from yesterday’s Iris Van Herpen’s couture collection ‘Sensory Seas’ ~ where she drew inspiration from our central nervous system in microscopic detailing, mirrored with the fibrous marine ecology of our oceans.

The first threads of inspiration came from the neuroanatomist Ramón y Cajal. Exploring our central nervous system in microscopic detailing, Cajal documented his revolutionary findings through anatomical drawings that are considered amongst the world’s greatest scientific illustrations. Hunched over his microscope, he merged science with art and brought to life the threads of our enchanted biology to the human eye.

Other inspiration stemmed from diving into the deep depths of the Hydrozoa, a class of delicately branched sea-life organisms. Shifting between a polypoid stage and a medusa stage, the Hydrozoa embroider the oceans like aqueous fabrics, forming layers of living lace.
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The Dutch designer is recognized as one of fashion’s most forward-thinking creators who continuously pushes the boundaries of fashion design. Since her first show in 2007 , the designer 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. 

She is often hailed as a pioneer in utilizing 3D printing as a garment construction technique, and as an innovator who is comfortable with using technology as one of the guiding principles in her work because of its sculptural nature and unfamiliar form. The complexity of her creations has made van Herpen a fixture on the Paris Haute Couture calendar, and yesterday’s show was, in my opinion one of the best shows I have seen in a long time.

Because of her interest in multidisciplinary approach to creation that goes beyond fashion, she has 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).

Show credits:

• Model: @issalienSpecial thanks to collaborating

• Artist: Paul Friedlander

• Collaborating Artists: @philip.beesley | @sheleeart | @dukemorse | @perryhallphoto

• Styling: @patti_wilsonCasting: Maida Gregori Boina | @maximevalentini | @cm.casting

• Show Production: SixUp Paris | N6Press: Alexandre Malgouyres | @kcdworldwide

• Video by @blitzkickers

• Photography: @giostaiano | @alepix

• Music Direction: @sssalvadorrincluding tracks; @joepbeving & @maartenvos_ - Apophis (Deutsche Grammophon) & @kuedo_ - Bend Moon (Slow Knife - Planet mu Records)

• LightDesign: @stefanprokop

• Choreography: @diekidiekMakeup: @chiaolihsu | @macpro

• Hair: @martincullen65 | @bjornaxen

~#irisvanherpen #sensoryseas #pariscoutureweek #parisfashionweek #couture