Iris Van Herpen Gets a Solo Show
Photos by Bart Oomes, No. 6 Studios
Two of Van Herpen's designs on display at the Groninger Museum.
Headed to the Netherlands anytime soon? If so, be sure to make time for designer Iris van Herpen's new solo show at the Groninger Museum in the small hamlet of Groningen. The museum played host to an Azzedine Alaïa retrospective this past winter, and now it's hosting a lesser-known but equally exciting fashion name.
A former Alexander McQueen intern, van Herpen is known for her intricate, corseted pieces, most notably her "skeleton dress" and her "3-D dress." Time magazine named the latter one of the top inventions of 2011. At only 27, she has already been inducted into the prestigious Chambre Syndicale de la Haute Couture, and Björk and Lady Gaga have worn her designs. Though we loathe the term "wearable art," van Herpen's over-the-top creations really are just that: inspired by everything from termites to cathedrals, they are unlike anything we've ever seen.
Left: Bart Oomes, No. 6 studios; right: Ingrid Baars
Left, a look from the "Mummification" collection; right, the "skeleton dress."
The show runs through September 23. If you can't make it to see van Herpen's designs in person, take heart: a coffee-table book based on the exhibit is forthcoming.
