‘Iris van Herpen: Sculpting the Senses,’ on show at the gallery until October, features 130 of the designer’s forward-thinking creations and accessories, fashioned innovative materials and new technologies.
The exhibition was originally developed by the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris and explores the Dutch designer’s multidisciplinary practice with an immersive experience.
The show at Queensland Art Gallery | Gallery of Modern Art (QAGOMA) includes an evocation of the designer’s Amsterdam studio, revealing the stages of a dress in development, and a space dedicated to her fashion shows. The entire exhibition is accompanied by a soundscape by artist Salvador Breed.
Vogue called the exhibit, when held in Paris in November 2023, one that “induces awe on every level,” saying the highlights were “the technical achievement of the 100 or so dresses on display; the rare glimpses into Van Herpen’s process; the selection of art and objects that further enrich her conceptual approach; and the sheer breadth of her imagination”.
Rather than simply fashioning a garment, Van Herpen’s unique approach merges fashion, contemporary art, design, technology and science.
“Van Herpen’s extraordinary garments have been worn by the likes of Lady Gaga, Cate Blanchett, Tilda Swinton, Björk, Rihanna and, most recently, Beyoncé, for whom van Herpen created the custom Heliosphere dress for the singer’s Renaissance World Tour,” QAGOMA Director Chris Saines says.
“This extensive survey highlights van Herpen’s unique approach to transgressing conventional clothing norms while embracing both traditional couture craftmanship and innovative techniques,” say Saines.
Born in 1984, Iris van Herpen grew up in the village of Wamel, The Netherlands, in harmony with nature and the living world. Nature, along with classical dance which she practiced intensively from an early age, are among the most creative wellsprings from which she draws inspiration in her work.
After a formative period working with Alexander McQueen and Claudy Jongstra, van Herpen founded the Maison Iris van Herpen in Amsterdam in 2007. She has built an international reputation for combining the subtleties of craftsmanship with the pioneering spirit of innovation and technology, opening up her practice to a host of other disciplines in sensorial designs that capture the intricacy and diversity of the natural world.
In 2010, van Herpen joined the Chambre Syndicale de la Haute Couture in Paris and that same year she presented her first 3D-printed garment, the Crystallization top. Only one year later, van Herpen created the Escapism dress, which was named by Time magazine as one of the fifty most exciting inventions of the year.
‘Iris van Herpen: Sculpting the Senses’
Queensland Art Gallery | Gallery of Modern Art (QAGOMA)
Brisbane
Until October 7, 2024
