Since setting up her eponymous label in 2007, Iris van Herpen has challenged conventional approaches to clothing design by melding couture craftsmanship with new technologies, art and science. This exhibition at the Musée des Arts Decoratifs in Paris brings together more than 100 garments alongside works by historical and contemporary artists (29 November–28 April 2024). The show explores some of Van Herpen’s key inspirations, organised around nine themes. These include a section on the body, which sees the designer’s skeleton dresses paired with photographs by Tim Walker and sculpture by Matthew Harrison. Elsewhere, in a section on water, the influence of the element can be seen in the liquid look of pieces from her SS23 collection; these are placed in dialogue with works by installation artist David Spriggs and 19th-century aquatic illustrations by Ernst Haeckel. Find out more on MAD’s website.
Preview below | View Apollo’s Art Diary
Skeleton Dress (2020), Luigi and Iango for Iris van Herpen. Private collection
Nautilus (2017), Wim Delvoye. Photo: © ADAGP, Paris
Fallen Angel Wings (2014), Rogan Brown. Photo: © Rogan Brown
Carla van de Puttelaar for Iris van Herpen (2020), Iris van Herpen. Private collection
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