From November 29, 2023 to April 28, 2024, the musée des Arts décoratifs
pays tribute to Dutch fashion designer Iris van Herpen, now recognized
as one of the most avant-garde figures of her generation. Organized
as an immersive and sensory exploration into the designer’s universe, this
retrospective merging fashion, contemporary art, design and science,
revolves around eight themes that identify the very essence of van Herpen’s
body of work.
Founded in 2007, and now a member of the Fédération de la Haute
Couture, the Maison of Iris van Herpen is known for fusing technology
and traditional Couture craftsmanship, as well as contemplating fashion
as an interdisciplinary language and dynamic entity, which is frequently
resonating in various collaborations with other creatives and thinkers, such
as sculptor Anthony Howe, architect Philip Beesley or even more recently
with the artist Casey Curran.
From micro to macro, the exhibition questions the place of the body
in space, its relationship to clothing and its environment as well as its
future in a rapidly changing world. Set in direct dialogue with a selection
of contemporary works of art, installations, videos, photographs and works
from natural history, the exhibition brings together a hundred dresses
of Iris van Herpen, seeking new forms for feminity and challenging our
notions of Haute Couture. An evocation of her Amsterdam studio and
a space dedicated to her fashion shows complete the exhibition which,
to be even more immersive, is fully accompanied by a sound work produced
by the artist Salvador Breed.