This past week, I had the privilege of attending Iris Van Herpen’s temporary fashion exhibit at the Dallas Museum of Art. For a small fee, I was able to embark on the journey through Herpen’s creative mind shown through her garments.
The inspiration for the designs came from several aspects of life such as the human body, nature and electricity. This particular exhibit was unique as her inspirations came from forms of life that humans are not able to control, but she displayed them by hand-making each garment with the help of architects, artists, photographers and technology.
I would encourage anyone that lives or is traveling in the Dallas-Fort Worth area to walk through Iris Van Herpen’s Transforming Fashion Exhibit which will be open until August 20; you will not want to miss it!
As a current fashion merchandising major, I make sure to never miss any fashion related exhibit or event. With Dallas being the hub of interior decorating, apparel exhibitions are not as plentiful.
I have always been a lover of the arts, but fashion has always spoken to me. Artists tell stories through paintings, sculptures and even through clothes, and I love to hear all of them!
As I entered the exhibit, I was blown away by Herpen’s opening piece, titled "Refinery Smoke." A wide dress of brown tulle that was perfectly crafted to represent the beautiful but deadly industrial smoke. This piece is unique, as Herpen designed it from metal into a wearable fabric that changed color from silver to a reddish-brown, which portrays the mystery and versatility of industrial smoke.
The next outfit that caught my eye was a piece from her very first line, "Chemical Crows", which Herpen made entirely by hand. The focal point, being the collar, is made from the wires of umbrellas. She got her inspiration from crows, black magic and alchemy. The wires are crafted together to represent the motion of a crow in flight, and the gold color represents the “magic” behind the concept of alchemy.
My favorite piece of Iris Van Herpen's Transforming Fashion Collection had futuristic architecture and showed off Herpen's innovative use of a 3D printer. Her inspiration for the Crystallization collection was water and the way it turns into a solid during crystallization. Its transparency was considered impossible to create on a 3D printer, but Herpen had a vision that she would not give up without at least trying. Herpen successfully displayed a splash of water as it solidifies in the crystallization process.
These are just a few pieces from Iris Van Herpen’s Transforming Fashion Exhibit which is open through August 20 at the Dallas Museum of Art; check it out because you will not want to miss it!
