I think it is fair to say that when it comes to Iris van Herpen nothing is as it seems. She may also be one of the very few designers whose show notes are more concerned with highlighting the incredible work her many collaborators produce than her own. It takes a village to engineer the future. For this collection, van Herpen explored the idea of terraforming: ‘modifying the biosphere of another planet to resemble that of Earth.’ And just like otherworldly organisms that may initially seem familiar, her clothes pulsated with an energy of their own.
Take the opening look, for example. The sheer little crinkled top was made out of a light performative material that interacts with the body's movement. The quilted skirt had a fluidity about it that made it seem like it could reform into something different upon touch. As for those shoes, they were heel-less, of course, and appeared to be made out of barbed wire and shattered glass. In fact, they were made by Japanese shoe designer Noritaka Tatehana from 3D printed crystal clusters. For this collection, van Herpen also developed a light, translucent stainless steel weave whose infinite colour variations make each piece utterly unique, and she has continued her development of 3D textiles with designer Aleksandra Gaca. All of the above appeared on tight body-con dresses that at once embraced the body but also altered its natural lines, as well as crop tops and shimmering black high-waisted trousers. A circular plissé layer that appeared on the bust of a top grew to overtake an entire dress by the end of the show. For van Herpen it represents a boundless ‘hackable’ infinity. For us, it's her boundless imagination.
