Experience the Fusion: Iris Van Herpen's Vision Unveiled
A Pioneering Exhibition's Debut in Brooklyn
On May 16, the Brooklyn Museum will launch "Iris Van Herpen: Sculpting the Senses," marking the first significant presentation of the Dutch designer's work in the United States. This exhibition, an evolution of a show previously held at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris during 2023, promises to be a transformative experience. Curated by Cloé Pitiot and Louise Curtis in its original iteration, the Brooklyn version has been meticulously organized by Matthew Yokobosky, the senior curator of fashion and material culture at the Brooklyn Museum, with support from Imani Williford and the Simons Foundation. The display will feature around 140 garments, intricately woven with artistic objects and scientific exhibits, reflecting the designer's distinctive interdisciplinary methodology.
Redefining Couture: Innovation at its Core
Matthew Yokobosky asserts that Iris van Herpen epitomizes a new paradigm of fashion intellect, seamlessly merging haute couture, scientific principles, and cutting-edge technology to envision the future possibilities of apparel. He emphasizes that this exhibition is not a historical retrospective but rather an active engagement with fashion as a dynamic and evolving field. Van Herpen's distinctive approach has prompted a reevaluation of established notions regarding couture, a realm traditionally defined by precious materials, meticulous handcraftsmanship, and limited production. Through her pioneering use of technologies like 3D printing for bespoke creations and intricate laser cutting and bonding techniques, she has introduced profound shifts into the conservative world of traditional couture.
Sustainable Visions: Materials Beyond Expectation
For Van Herpen, the essence of rare materials extends far beyond conventional expectations of metallic threads, elaborate weaving, or luxurious silks. Her innovative designs are exemplified by creations such as a "living look" dress from her fall 2025 collection, which derived its ethereal glow from 25 million bioluminescent algae, a stark contrast to traditional cloth of gold. Furthermore, she collaborated with an artist to fashion lace patterns inspired by natural wood growths for her spring 2021 collection. A signature characteristic of Van Herpen's work is her adept integration of technology to mirror and complement the organic world. Her deep commitment to environmental stewardship is evident in her partnerships, including one with Parley for the Oceans, and her use of groundbreaking biomaterials like Spiber Brewed Protein—a biodegradable blend derived from fermented sugarcane, raw silk, and banana leaf—featured in her fall 2025 designs.
Collaborative Spirit: Expanding Artistic Horizons
A fundamental tenet of Van Herpen's creative process is collaboration, extending her artistic reach by working with a diverse array of experts, including scientists, artists, engineers, and even extreme sports figures. Notably, she partnered with Domitille Kiger, a French world-champion skydiver, who showcased an IvH creation during a descent from the sky, with the garments undergoing rigorous wind tunnel testing to ensure their performance. A former ballerina, Van Herpen consistently highlights the dynamic movement and interaction between clothing and the human body in her designs, infusing a sense of kinetic artistry into her collections.
Evolving Exhibitions: A New Era for Fashion in Museums
As cultural institutions increasingly recognize fashion's appeal in attracting visitors, the curation of fashion exhibitions is undergoing a significant transformation. Historically, fashion, often relegated to a subordinate position as a decorative and "feminine" art form, is now experiencing a resurgence. This May marks a pivotal moment with the opening of the Condé M. Nast galleries on the first floor of the Met and the debut of "Iris Van Herpen: Sculpting the Senses" in Brooklyn. What distinguishes this iteration of the traveling exhibition is its integration of objects from the museum's own collections, such as a 1732 edition of Ovid's Metamorphosis, a literary work that deeply inspired the designer's fall 2022 couture collection.
Iris Van Herpen's Distinctive Curatorial Approach
Despite the Brooklyn Museum's transfer of its costume collection to the Costume Institute in 2009, the institution has successfully staged numerous acclaimed exhibitions, ranging from monographs on influential designers like Virgil Abloh, Thierry Mugler, Christian Dior, Pierre Cardin, and Jean Paul Gaultier, to broader thematic shows such as “Solid Gold,” “Africa Fashion,” and “Studio 54: Night Magic.” Matthew Yokobosky elaborates on how "Sculpting the Senses" stands out within this impressive lineage, drawing parallels to his curation for the Dior exhibition. He explains that while the Dior show incorporated over 20 significant works from the museum's permanent collection to foster dialogues between Dior's interests and those of other artists, Van Herpen's inspirations are markedly different. Her mood boards, instead of historical fashion, are filled with imagery from the aquatic world, intricate drawings of the nervous system, and ancient paleontological specimens. This unique wellspring of inspiration gives her creations an otherworldly and fresh quality, prompting the inclusion of items like coral and a work by Collectif Me, which evokes a "slice of ocean," in the exhibition.
An Ongoing Narrative: Beyond a Retrospective
The Iris van Herpen exhibition is presented not as a traditional retrospective, unlike, for instance, the Mugler show. Given that Van Herpen is actively designing and her career continues to evolve, as Yokobosky notes, her work profoundly resonates with the present moment. Consequently, visitors will not experience a historical contextualization of fashion from past eras, but rather an unfolding narrative that is likely to shape their engagement with the exhibition. Instead of predetermining the visitor's takeaways, the curator aims for an immersive experience, combining visual spectacle with engaging information. He believes that each individual can connect with what they find compelling, departing with unique feelings, knowledge, and personal associations, thus ensuring a multitude of diverse outcomes rather than a singular interpretation.