Iris van Herpen, whose talent is no longer in question and who already enchanted Vauxhall Fashion Scout last February before winning the Dutch Fashion Award at the end of 2010, presented her collection for the first time in Paris, off de la couture. Those present were not tempted by the siren calls of more classic couture, for it has to be said that this is experimental fashion, and no matter what anyone says, this is a collection that would not have gained the prominence it deserved had it been shown ready-to-wear.
With each new wave of guests in the Institut Néerlandais’s pretty salons, all varnished parquet and elegant moldings, anticipation rose a notch as we read about announced collaborations and imaginations heated up.
The desire to escape from everyday life, all too often associated with the increasing digitalization of our world, takes on a new dimension in the hands of Iris van Herpen, who offers us an escape to nature and art, inspired by the work of Kris Kuksi.
First lights, a Metropolis-like figure rises up before us, hieratic and imposing. Iris van Herpen’s vision took shape before our eyes, just as it did in the rapid prototyping bins. If you’re not a design geek, 3D prototyping involves creating objects from resin particles, via computer-generated 3D models (often in CAD) and using a special volume-generating printer. By bypassing conventional production methods and their consequences – material waste, seams – could volume printing be the future of clothing design? Will we one day be printing our own clothes at home?
Another form of escape can be found in the collaborations formed with Stephen Jones, for six hats including a sound system that played a tune consistent with that of the show’s music, and United Nude for shoes embellished by Bart Hess. Could it be that Iris van Herpen is breaking away from the straitjacket of solitary creation of a collection and its accessories, for a multi-support, multi-handed work that never ceases to evolve?
In any case, we can thank Mademoiselle van Herpen for offering us a beautiful journey into her radiant future.
Text: Lily Templeton @ Mademoiselleaparis.com
Photo credit: Kay-Paris Fernandes for Mademoiselle à Paris
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