The recent Sculpting the Senses exhibition, held at the Museum of Decorative Arts in Paris from November 2023 to April 2024, was a sensational and captivating tribute to Iris Van Herpen’s extraordinary career. Celebrating sixteen years of her ground-breaking fashion design, the exhibition offered a deep dive into her innovative methods and celebrated her status as a pioneer in the industry.
Since the inception of her eponymous label in 2007, Van Herpen has earned praise for her innovative and sculptural designs that push the limits of traditional fashion. Her creations often draw inspiration from the natural world, art, and science, particularly in areas like biology, neurology, and marine life.
As a strong advocate for sustainability, Van Herpen’s work consistently incorporates recycled materials and explores techniques that minimise waste, reflecting her commitment to reducing the environmental impact of fashion.
A celebration of marine life through design
Among her recent creations, the Architectonics collection, unveiled during Paris Haute Couture Week on July 3, 2023, stands out as her most recent sea-inspired work. Inspired by floating cities and bionic design, this collection imagines a future where humans live seamlessly on both land and at sea. The inspiring designer skilfully blends natural forms with futuristic concepts, offering a compelling vision of how our lives might evolve.
Today, we want to highlight Iris Van Herpen’s earlier coastal collection, Sensory Seas, which premiered in 2020. This collection showcases her remarkable ability to blend science with art, capturing the ocean’s ebb and flow and reflecting the intricate relationship between the human body and marine environments.
Born in 1984 in the village of Wamel, Netherlands, she was immersed in nature and the living world from a young age. This deep connection to her surroundings, combined with her intensive study of classical dance, laid the groundwork for her unique approach to design, particularly in how she incorporates the human body into her work.
In Sensory Seas, the designer draws from the ideas of Spanish neuroanatomist Ramón y Cajal and French visionary architect Jacques Rougerie, who specialises in marine and coastal habitats. The collection explores the parallels between the human nervous system and marine life, illustrating how the transmission of signals within the body mirrors the ocean’s rhythmic currents and emphasising the delicate bond between humans and the sea.
Design, sustainability, and the Art of the Ocean
Van Herpen’s dedication to sustainability is evident in the collection’s use of materials such as recycled plastics and 3D-printed fabrics. Techniques like laser-cutting and heat bonding, known for their precision, are employed to create intricate, high-detail designs. The collection is a harmonious blend of nature and technology, focusing on regeneration and transformation.
The captivating colour palette of Sensory Seas is inspired by the ocean’s many hues, featuring soft shades of blue, lilac, purple, green, and coral red. These colours are meticulously blended to create a marbled, fluid effect that mimics the movement of water.
The designs themselves are inspired by marine life, with flowing, wave-like forms, organic patterns, and cellular structures. Each silhouette both flowing and sculptural, with 21 elegant looks that resemble liquid labyrinths.
Floor-length trains, voluminous shapes, and translucent layers enhance the sense of motion and fluidity, making the garments appear as though they are in never-ending motion, like the sea itself.
Through this avant-garde collection, Van Herpen not only celebrates the beauty of the ocean but also raises awareness about the urgent need to protect marine environments.
In an era where climate change and pollution threaten marine biodiversity, her work serves as a powerful reminder of the fragility of these ecosystems. By making the idea of ocean conservation more concrete and emotionally engaging, Van Herpen encourages us to reflect on our relationship with the natural world and to take meaningful action to safeguard it.
In summary, the Sensory Seas collection stands as a testament to Iris Van Herpen’s visionary approach to fashion, where the convergence of art, science, and environmental consciousness creates a profound and moving experience.
Words by Aoife Morrall
Photos : Iris Van Herpen
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