I know, I know!  I told you that you would see a muslin this week.  But why look at a muslin when you can see this instead?!!  I recently had the amazing good fortune to find myself in the High Museum taking in the Iris Van Herpen exhibit.  My mind was so blown that I still have smoke coming from my ears!  I consider myself a fashion junkie, especially obsessed with all things couture and although I had heard of Iris Van Herpen, she wasn’t really on my radar.  Now she is, in a huge way!  I can’t stop thinking about what I saw.

The title of the exhibit is Iris Van Herpen, Transforming Fashion.  Honestly, it’s way more than fashion.  Each piece is a work of art.  It takes incredible creativity and ingenuity to mold such unconventional materials into a garment.  For the Mummification Collection, she used motorcycle chain, bicycle chain, and grommets.  For the Chemical Crows Collection, she used umbrella spokes.

Iris Van Herpen takes her inspiration mostly from nature, but not in expected ways.  Her collections have been about radiation, smoke, magnetic force, and crystallization to name a few.  Then with amazing artistry, she solidifies those concepts into something tangible.

Collaboration is a huge part of her process, as technology must come into play to realize her vision.  She seeks out partnerships with people in many different mediums to pull off these garments.  Many of her pieces use 3-D printing.  Some are made by hand.  It can be difficult to tell which process she used as some of the more organic looking pieces were 3-D printed while some that look more technological advanced were actually made conventionally.

If this work excites you as much as it does me, then make a point to visit the High Museum before May 15.  I’ve shown the tip of the iceberg here.  The exhibit covers 3 floors and being able to see the back of the garment is just as valuable as seeing the front.  And if you can’t make it to Atlanta, then consider buying the book, Iris Van Herpen, Transforming Fashion.  It’s absolutely gorgeous. I’ve included a few pictures below.

See you soon!