27 June 2024 |
This couture season, Iris Van Herpen addressed that age-old question of whether fashion can be considered art with her collection Sculpting The Senses. By pasting models draped in a series of ethereal gowns onto large, white canvases that hung on the walls of the Musée des Arts Décoratifs, Van Herpen nodded to the idea of them being masterpieces in a modern art gallery. Utilising a moulage technique similar to that used in sculpting, the collection circled around the concept of haute couture and art as a unified concept. Consisting of two pairs of looks, the offering was concise yet considered.
Fit with winding embroidery, detailed beading and floating drapes of fabric, it was an offering so intricate and detailed in nature that Van Herpen flirted with the boundaries of reality and fantasy. Using tulle as a base for a large portion of the garments, the pieces nodded to the relationship of the ballet to Van Herpen’s designs. The awe-inspiring presentation provoked viewers to do a double-take in order to establish whether the garments were the enigmatic work of the most stylish AI bot on the market, or the product of Van Herpen’s limitless imagination. Incorporating the use of 3D printing, the collection had a futuristic twang from conception to presentation. Drawing from an iridescent palette of blush pink, icy blue and shimmering gold, Van Herpen’s SS24 couture offering was a divine dreamscape worth diving into.
Photography courtesy of Iris Van Herpen.
