Iris Van Herpen: Transforming Fashion

March has me traveling in Atlanta and Savannah with one of the highlights being a trip to the Museum of High Art in Atlanta. Their exhibit this month features none other than the ingenue of future fashion, Iris van Herpen.

The show is a well curated overview of her short but influential career accompanied by a brief film of the young Dutch designer guiding us through her thought process. Inspired by the human body and the machinations of biology, her works are surreal and other-worldly evoking the science fiction fantasies of H.R. Geiger. One of the most thoughtful aspects of the presentation is the selection of materials provided for viewers to touch thus creating a tactile connection with the garments. Leather, mirror, printed plastics and flexible polymers are but a few of the unorthodox textiles making up the collection.

Having seen van Herpen’s work on runway and in print, this was a not to be missed opportunity to view her creations up close and personal. The following is a small sampling of her works on display and the overall exhibit is the cherry on top of a weekend in Atlanta. On exhibit now through May 15th.

All photos ©Janene Dunbar.