The Arts Décoratifs Museum is presenting an exhibition on the work of Iris van Herpen, a Dutch designer I didn’t know at all.
First, I have to confess that styling and fashion aren’t really my thing, so when a friend suggested I go to the Musée des Arts Décoratifs to see this exhibition, I first looked it up on the website to get an idea. I was immediately hooked.
The clothes she creates are like sculptures in motion, with a lot of work on materials, textures and the use of modern materials.
Museography
The exhibition has 11 rooms. I found the clothes well displayed and well lit. There’s a dialogue between Iris van Herpen’s creations and the things that inspire her (contemporary art, nature, science etc.).
The museography is pleasant, with a soundtrack created by Salvador Breed. Immersion is total.
I’m not going to show you all the rooms, just the themes that struck me most.
Water and dreams
The first room immediately immerses us in the atmosphere. The creations are veritable sculptures, and it’s immediately clear that the designer likes to play with modern materials.
Sensory sea life
In 2020, Iris van Herpen takes inspiration from the deep sea ecosystem and marine animals to design her dresses. The dress in the following photo evokes the movements of corals and the ocean floor with its printed organza.
Forces behind the forms
The designer is fascinated by forms derived from nature and the infinitely small. It’s a theme that runs through the exhibition several times. This room features corals and illustrated plates by biologists.
Skeletal embodiment
This is probably my favorite room. Cabinets of curiosities and anatomy galleries inspire Iris van Herpen. She analyzes skeletons, muscles etc. to create garments that look like an X-ray of the human body, as if it were transparent.
The decor and works of art on display resonate with the clothes.
Warning for the sensitive: the soundscape evokes bones cracking or clattering.
Growth systems
For the dresses on display in this room, Iris van Herpen draws inspiration from all kinds of structures, whether architectural or plant-based. I fell in love with Wim Delfoye’s nautilus, inspired by shells and Gothic structures.
The staircase upstairs is covered with photographs of models, actresses and singers wearing Iris van Herpen dresses. These photos and a few videos reveal the true beauty of these dresses by showing them in motion and worn.
Alchemic atelier
On display are fabrics, materials, model dresses, a book of drawings and more. All this gives us a better understanding of the designer’s work.
Cabinet of curiosities
Iris van Herpen’s many sources of inspiration are on exhibit in this room.
The mythology of fear
The designer grew up near the town where Flemish painter Jerome Bosch was born. She therefore had many opportunities to observe his works. She combines this fantastic world with Ovid’s Metamorphoses and Japanese mythology to reinterpret the world’s mutations.
The end of the exhibition is immersed in a cosmic atmosphere and an upside-down world.
My opinion
This is a fascinating exhibition that sheds light on Iris van Herpen’s creative process. She is a very curious designer who explores many fields and universes, and the choice of pieces on show perfectly illustrates this curiosity. Her creations are linked to contemporary art, design and science.
The museography served the purpose well. The soundscape was perfect, though perhaps a little too present in the last room.
I hope you enjoyed your visit. The exhibition closes on April 28.
See you soon!
