About
Normal rules don’t apply…..
Iris van Herpen stands for a reciprocity between craftsmanship and
innovation in technique and materials.
She creates a new direction of couture that combines fine handwork techniques with futuristic digital technology .
Van Herpen forces fashion to the extreme contradiction between beauty and regeneration. It is her unique way to reevaluate reality and to express and underline individuality.
The essence of van Herpen is expressing the character and emotions of an unique woman and to extend the shape of the feminine body in detail. She mixes craftsmanship- using old and forgotten techniques- with innovation and materials inspired on the world to come.
“For me fashion is an expression of art that is very close related to me and to my body. I see it as my expression of identity combined with desire, moods and cultural setting.
In all my work I try to make clear that fashion is an artistic expression, showing and wearing art, and not just a functional and devoid of content or commercial tool. With my work I intend to show that fashion can certainly have an added value to the world, that it is timeless and that its consumption can be less important then its beginning. Wearing clothing can create a very exciting and imperative form of self-expression. 'Form follows function' is not a slogan with which I concur. On the contrary, I find that forms complement and change the body and thus the emotion. Movement, so essential to and in the body, is just as important in my work. By bringing form, structure and materials together in a new manner, I try to suggest and realize optimal tension and movement.”
BIOGRAPHY
Iris van Herpen (born 1984 Wamel, The Netherlands) started her own label Iris van Herpen in 2007. She studied Fashion Design at ARTEZ (Arnhem) and did internships at Alexander McQueen in London and Claudy Jongstra in Amsterdam.
FASHION SHOWS
2011 // ' Capriole', Paris Haute Couture
2011 // 'Escapism2', Mercedes-Benz Berlin Fashion Week
2011 // 'Escapism', Paris Fashion Week- Couture
2010 // Dutch Fashion Awards Show, Den Hague (winner of 3 Awards)
2010 // ‘Crystallization’, Amsterdam International Fashion Week
2010 // ‘Synesthesia’, London Fashion Week
2009 // ‘Radiation Invasion’, London Fashion Week
2009 // ‘Mummification’, Amsterdam International Fashion Week
2009 // Dutch Fashion Awards show, Den Hague (winner of 1 Award)
2008 // ‘Refinery Smoke’, Amsterdam International Fashion Week
2008 // ‘Chemical Crows’, Amsterdam International Fashion Week
2008 // Createurope Awards Show, Berlin
2008 // Philips ‘Illuminesca’ Fashion show, Amsterdam
2008 // MID_E International Show, Spain
2007 // ‘Fragile Futurity’, Amsterdam International Fashion Week
AWARDS
2010 Mercedes-Benz Dutch Fashion Awards
2010 Dutch Fashion Incubator Awards
2010 Dutch Accessory Awards
2010 Dutch Design Awards, RADO
2009 Dutch Design Awards, best product of fashion and accessory
2009 Dutch Media Awards
EXHIBITIONS
2011// Exhibition Central museum Utrecht; ' The new Craft, Iris van Herpen and her Inspiration'
2011// Exhibition Swarovski 'Transformation', flagshipstore in Vienna, Austria,
2011// Exhibition Little Black Dress',Gallery the Civic, Barnsley, UK
2011// Exhibition Selfridges department store, Judith Clark exhibition, London
2011// Exhibition Groninger Museum, Material World; art, design and fashion , Groningen
2011// Exhibition Arnhem Mode Biennale, installation , Arnhem
2011// Exhibition 'Basic Instinct' Berlin, Germany
2011// Exhibition Harbour City Fashion&Chocolate, Hong Kong
2010 // Exhibition Paris Fashion Week, Gallery Odile Ouzeman, Paris
2010 // MOMU Exhibition 'BLACK. Masters of Black in Fashion & Costume ', Antwerp
2010 // Exhibiton Fashion & Architecture ARCAM Dress designed for Benthem Crouwel Architects, Amsterdam
2010 // Exhibition ´In your Face´ Central Museum, Utrecht
2010 // Exhibition Paris Fashion Week, Ilan Engel Gallery, Paris
2010 // Exhibition Dutch Design Awards, Eindhoven
2010 // Exhibition Best of Dutch Design ,Red Dot Museum, Germany
2010 // Exhibition London Fashion Week, DUTCH CULTURAL POP-UP SPACE, London
2010 // Exhibition ‘10xxx’ Gallery Helpuzelven, Winterswijk
2010 // Exhibition 'Haute Couture Voici Paris', Gemeentemuseum Den Hague
2009 // HARRODS launches, In-store exhibition and sales, London
2009 // Exhibition Arnhem Mode Biënnale- SHAPE, Arnhem
2009 // Exhibition Dutch Design Awards, Eindhoven
2009 // Exhibition Design Museum -Design Overtime Eureka Night, London
2009 // Exhibition Shanghai Creative Industries Week, Shanghai
2009 // Exhibition 'ROLLAN DIDIER MEETS IRIS VAN HERPEN ,Gallery FashionMania, Amsterdam
2008 // Exhibition 'Bridges to Fashion', Historical Museum, Rotterdam
2008 // Exhibition Galeries Lafayette, Paris
2008 // Exhibition V!P Gallery, Rotterdam
2008 // Exhibition Mememachine Gallery , Tokyo Japan
COLLABORATIONS
2011// Architect Isaie Bloch, Capriole 3D print and Central Museum Utrecht exhibition 3D top
2011// Film-maker Zach Gold, 'Basic Instinct' exhibition
2010-2011 // Hat designer Stephen Jones, Escapism Couture Collection, Paris
2010/2011// Designing Synesthesia-Dress for Björk her album cover 'Biophilia' and her sigle cover ' Crystalline'
2010// Designing Crystallization-concert piece for Joey Yung, Hong Kong
2010 // Architects Benthem Crouwel Architects, Waterdress ARCAM, Amterdam
2010 // Choreographer/dancer Nanine Linning Opera ‘Madama Butterfly’, Germany
2010/2011 // Architect Daniel Widrig, creation of 3D files, London
2009/2010/2011// Shoe brand United Nude (Rem Koolhaas) shoe creation, for the collections 'Synesthesia', ‘Crystallization’, ‘Escapism’ and 'Capriole'
2009/2010// Artist Bart Hess, material creation, ‘Radiation Invation’ collection London and ‘Escapism’ Couture collection, Paris
2009 // Choreographer/danser Nanine Linning Modern Dance ‘Synthetic Twin’, Germany
2009 // Choreographer/danser Nanine Linning Modern Dance ‘Endless song of silence, Amsterdam
2009 /2010// Hat designer Irene Bussemaker, ‘Radiation Invation’ collection London, ‘ Synesthesia ‘ collection, London and ‘Crystallization collection’ Amsterdam