Iris van Herpen : Craft in Couture.

In a studio overlooking the main harbour of Amsterdam, haute couture fashion designer Iris van Herpen and her team create garments that can also be hailed as works of art. Most of the studio work is by hand, with the team sewing delicately with invisible thread. Garments are constructed and tailored here, in keeping with the haute couture tradition of making one off pieces.

In the process of making a collection Iris van Herpen combines traditional and innovative techniques. She calls her work ‘new couture’, where technology and traditional craftsmanship can work together symbiotically. In the studio, these are in constant dialogue. What is limiting in handwork can be made by machine, and vice versa. Sampling for a new collection can include laser cutting, 3D printing, hand weaving, beading and sewing. Iris van Herpen aims to give haute couture a voice in the rapidly changing digital age. 

On July 1st, Iris van Herpen showed her autumn-winter 2019 collection Hypnosis  in the Élysée Montmarte in Paris. In the centre of the catwalk was the kinetic sculpture Omniverse by the American artist Anthony Howe. The sculpture spun as the models passed through. The final dress replicated these movements, with rotating wings made from aluminium, stainless steel and feathers. The nineteen silhouettes show techniques such as ancient silk moiré weaving along with laser cutting, heat bonding and hand stitching. This collection explores the interweaving of nature's forces and the rhythms of life. 

Iris van Herpen 's relationship with nature is for inspiration, with traditional crafts for techniques, and technology for production. This results in a unique dialogue, showing a fusion of boundaries where new materials are made possible.