Iris van Herpen exhibition at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris.

Sometimes, fashion acquires such a high degree of formal virtuosity that it is elevated to the level of plastic art, becoming an object of wonder and thought: this is the case of haute couture by Iris Van Herpen, honored in a retrospective exhibition at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris until April 18.

There are only two days left to discover the viscerally singular work of this Dutch fashion designer, probably one of the most atypical and inventive of her generation. In the space of fifteen years, she has built up a highly coherent artistic body of work, based on a combination of traditional skills and the use of new technologies such as 3D printers and laser cutting, through a plastic vocabulary as original as it is abundant, in which flora and fauna play a central role. In contrast to perishable fast fashion, his practice reinvents itself with the ambition of contemporary art. Right from the first room, in a semi-darkness from which emerge pure visual creations, the advent of unheard-of materials and textures, we are immediately struck by the sculptural character – the art to which the title of the exhibition refers – of her clothes. The choice of material is the starting point for all her creations: she assembles materials rarely used by fashion designers, such as stainless steel, silicone, blown glass or thermoformed Plexiglas, alongside silk or organza (visitors can enjoy a “workshop” area where they are invited to touch various materials used by the artist).

The tour unfolds in nine major thematic sections in an immersive scenography, accompanied by Salvador Breed’s sound design: the plastic qualities of his garments are enhanced by tailor-made lighting, allowing us to appreciate all their subtleties. It’s all about shifts, metamorphoses and mutations. It’s a world teeming with ideas and materials, one that both amazes and sometimes frightens: some of her dresses stand like strange insects or hybrid compositions with futuristic allure, while references to the living world populate her creations, sometimes evoking marine animals, coral or branches; others seem liquid, suggesting water in all its states: drop, wave, foam… One section of the exhibition takes the form of a cabinet of curiosities, recomposing the motifs of his inspiration (insects, flowers, shells – all elements found in his creations). While natural elements permeate her work, she also draws on references from contemporary art, dance, design, architecture and science. Iris van Herpen’s impressive productivity and the abundance of forms, materials and techniques on display in this exhibition produce a veritable visual vertigo, in other words a rare experience that unleashes the possibilities of fashion.

————————————————————-

Further information: Iris Van Herpen exhibition catalog. Sculpter les sens, Chloé Pitiot and Louise Curtis [dir], ed. Lannoo, 2023. / Exhibition website: https://madparis.fr/Expo_IrisvanHerpen / Designer’s website: https://www.irisvanherpen.com/