Iris Van Herpen Designer #3

  

Iris Van Herpen 

Iris Van Herpen is a Dutch fashion designer  who  designs modern haute couture. She combines fine handwork with digital techniques. She is known for pushing fashion to the extreme and uses the contradiction between beauty and regenerations. Iris Van Herpen use a range of materials, techniques and technology to create her work and  Van Herpen has began exploring 3D Printing which has allowed her to create unique astonishing designs. She takes inspiration from a wide range of sources mainly focusing on natural forms and the structure and pattern that occurs in nature.

She has designed outfits for Beyoncé, Salvador Breed,Bjork, Grimes, Lady Gaga, Joey Yung and has collaborated with a variety of designers. She has recently designed the stage outfits for Madam Butterfly which consists of a fan design dresses  to allow movement and to relate back to the story.

Iris Van Herpen’s work is unique due to the range and scope of materials used to create her work. The material she uses has allowed her to explore making sculpture dresses that are highly elaborated and intricate. I feel her work fits into the subculture of punk due to her harsh shape and dimension that she creates though the materials used. This reminds me of the use of safety pins and studs that were used in the punk movement to decorate and show individuality. Leather is used a lot throughout her work as a base or incorporated into her designs this also relates back to the subculture of punk as leather is an essential to punk.

 Van Herpen also considers the placement of her structures to allow the body to move. She has a love for the body and the movement so her designs complement and use the body movements to enhance her designs. Her designs follow, complete, and change the body and the emotions that accompany it, when simultaneously the body adapts and adopts the new forms. The strong striking theatrical dress relates to punk as the punk movement was seen to be theatrical and breaking the rules. Which can be seen in Iris Van Herpen designs as it is breaking the mould and giving haute couture a new look.

  

  

 Iris Van Herpen is an edgy haute couture designer whose work is very inspiring as she takes inspiration and fusses techniques from the past and techniques and technologies of the future.