Beyond the dress
IRIS VAN HERPEN – TEXT 1: Artist of the Future
Who is she?
Iris van Herpen is a Dutch fashion designer known for merging art, science, and fashion into something
entirely new. She studied at ArtEZ Institute of the Arts and interned at Alexander McQueen. Since
founding her label in 2007, she has become famous for her futuristic couture, which uses 3D printing,
laser-cutting, and digital technologies, while still making use of traditional handcraft.
What does she create?
Her designs are more like wearable sculptures than clothes. Her 2019 collection Hypnosis used techniques
inspired by kinetic artist Anthony Howe. Her 2012 Hybrid Holism explored the idea of transformation. She
used materials like transparent polymers, iron filings, and silicone to imitate natural patterns such as the
growth of coral or the movement of wind.
Ideas, ways of working, influences
Iris van Herpen works with scientists, architects, engineers, and choreographers to design her artworks. She
explores complex ideas: time, identity, the body, technology, and the natural world. For example, in
collaboration with MIT’s Neri Oxman, she studied how biology could shape design. Her work blurs
boundaries between fashion and science.
Context
Van Herpen is part of a growing group of designers who see fashion as more than just something to sell. She
wants people to see clothing as a way to tell stories, express ideas, and make us think differently. Her work
often explores change and transformation. Her background in ballet also influences her focus on movement
and the body.
IRIS VAN HERPEN – TEXT 2: Craftsmanship vs. Industrial /
Traditional vs. Innovative
Craftsmanship and Industrial
Van Herpen’s work redefines this dimension. Her designs are rooted in traditional haute couture techniques
like hand-stitching, embroidery, draping but also employ cutting-edge industrial technologies, like 3D
printing and CNC machining. Her craftsmanship is not lost but enhanced by the industry.
, Traditional and Innovative
She connects old-world couture with visionary innovation. Van Herpen references traditional techniques
but moves beyond them, creating shapes and textures previously impossible in fashion. She is deeply inspired
by natural forms and scientific systems, using innovation to reinterpret traditional beauty. She makes fashion
into art and philosophy, often shown in museums like the Met.
How does she connect to the theme?
Van Herpen turns fashion into something thoughtful, beautiful, and full of feeling. Her designs are not just
about covering the body but they also explore big ideas, like what the future of humans might look like, how
nature and technology can come together, and how fashion can be a powerful form of art that creates
change.
VICTOR&ROLF – TEXT 3: Theatrical Fashion Disruptors
Who are they?
Victor Horsting and Rolf Snoeren, both Dutch, form the label Victor&Rolf, founded in 1993. They are
known for their conceptual, ironic, and surreal fashion, often blurring the lines between fashion and
performance art. Their shows are unforgettable as sometimes models carry their own beds, wear
upside-down gowns, or walk with framed dresses as if in a painting.
What do they create?
They use fashion to challenge expectations. Their 2019 collection Fashion Statements featured gowns with
bold internet-meme-style slogans like “I’m not shy I just don’t like you.” In Wearable Art (2015), models
wore huge baroque gold frames with dresses inside them. Their work is about making you think, laugh,
question and always look again.
Ideas, ways of working, influences
Victor&Rolf approach fashion as an ongoing conceptual dialogue. Their inspirations come from art history,
pop culture, and even absurdity. They often critique fashion itself: the industry, mass consumerism, or fame.
Their ways of working include experimental forms, elaborate silhouettes, and irony.
Context
While they are accepted in the world of haute couture, they don’t obey its rules. They push it, parody it, and
use the fashion system to critique the fashion system, something few others dare to do. This makes them
incredibly unique as fashion artists and performers.
IRIS VAN HERPEN – TEXT 1: Artist of the Future
Who is she?
Iris van Herpen is a Dutch fashion designer known for merging art, science, and fashion into something
entirely new. She studied at ArtEZ Institute of the Arts and interned at Alexander McQueen. Since
founding her label in 2007, she has become famous for her futuristic couture, which uses 3D printing,
laser-cutting, and digital technologies, while still making use of traditional handcraft.
What does she create?
Her designs are more like wearable sculptures than clothes. Her 2019 collection Hypnosis used techniques
inspired by kinetic artist Anthony Howe. Her 2012 Hybrid Holism explored the idea of transformation. She
used materials like transparent polymers, iron filings, and silicone to imitate natural patterns such as the
growth of coral or the movement of wind.
Ideas, ways of working, influences
Iris van Herpen works with scientists, architects, engineers, and choreographers to design her artworks. She
explores complex ideas: time, identity, the body, technology, and the natural world. For example, in
collaboration with MIT’s Neri Oxman, she studied how biology could shape design. Her work blurs
boundaries between fashion and science.
Context
Van Herpen is part of a growing group of designers who see fashion as more than just something to sell. She
wants people to see clothing as a way to tell stories, express ideas, and make us think differently. Her work
often explores change and transformation. Her background in ballet also influences her focus on movement
and the body.
IRIS VAN HERPEN – TEXT 2: Craftsmanship vs. Industrial /
Traditional vs. Innovative
Craftsmanship and Industrial
Van Herpen’s work redefines this dimension. Her designs are rooted in traditional haute couture techniques
like hand-stitching, embroidery, draping but also employ cutting-edge industrial technologies, like 3D
printing and CNC machining. Her craftsmanship is not lost but enhanced by the industry.
, Traditional and Innovative
She connects old-world couture with visionary innovation. Van Herpen references traditional techniques
but moves beyond them, creating shapes and textures previously impossible in fashion. She is deeply inspired
by natural forms and scientific systems, using innovation to reinterpret traditional beauty. She makes fashion
into art and philosophy, often shown in museums like the Met.
How does she connect to the theme?
Van Herpen turns fashion into something thoughtful, beautiful, and full of feeling. Her designs are not just
about covering the body but they also explore big ideas, like what the future of humans might look like, how
nature and technology can come together, and how fashion can be a powerful form of art that creates
change.
VICTOR&ROLF – TEXT 3: Theatrical Fashion Disruptors
Who are they?
Victor Horsting and Rolf Snoeren, both Dutch, form the label Victor&Rolf, founded in 1993. They are
known for their conceptual, ironic, and surreal fashion, often blurring the lines between fashion and
performance art. Their shows are unforgettable as sometimes models carry their own beds, wear
upside-down gowns, or walk with framed dresses as if in a painting.
What do they create?
They use fashion to challenge expectations. Their 2019 collection Fashion Statements featured gowns with
bold internet-meme-style slogans like “I’m not shy I just don’t like you.” In Wearable Art (2015), models
wore huge baroque gold frames with dresses inside them. Their work is about making you think, laugh,
question and always look again.
Ideas, ways of working, influences
Victor&Rolf approach fashion as an ongoing conceptual dialogue. Their inspirations come from art history,
pop culture, and even absurdity. They often critique fashion itself: the industry, mass consumerism, or fame.
Their ways of working include experimental forms, elaborate silhouettes, and irony.
Context
While they are accepted in the world of haute couture, they don’t obey its rules. They push it, parody it, and
use the fashion system to critique the fashion system, something few others dare to do. This makes them
incredibly unique as fashion artists and performers.
