Fashion or science fiction?

Art and the future are seamlessly intertwined in the work of Dutch couturier Iris van Herpen. She masterfully blends cutting-edge technologies with silhouettes inspired by the familiar worlds of flora and fauna.

Born in 1985 in the small Dutch village of Wamel, Iris van Herpen grew up far from television screens. Instead, her childhood was filled with violin lessons, ballet, drawing, and a deep admiration for the beauty of European landscapes. 

Her mother taught modern dance, while her father worked for the water utility. An incredible coincidence – the world of art from her mother and the bond with nature from her father came together in the designer’s creations. Ballet, in particular, left a lasting impact on Iris. As she admits: “If I were to use one word to describe my work, it would be movement as one of the most influential things in my life has been my classical ballet practice. Through dance I learned about the seduction of movement, the transformation of the body and the evolution of shape.” That early creative upbringing gave her the heightened sensitivity to motion and shape that now defines her work. 

Photo: Spotlight

The birth of the Iris van Herpen brand 

The year 2007 became a turning point in her career. After rigorous studies at the ArtEZ University of the Arts and apprenticeships with Claudy Jongstra and Alexander McQueen, Iris founded her own label. The couturier notes that this decision was an intuitive impulse to express her creative potential. At the core of her vision lay a desire to create playfully and freely, rather than follow a rigid business strategy. Iris does not merely popularize fashion – she seeks to push the industry beyond its familiar boundaries. 

Photo: Spotlight / Van Herpen

Crystallization (2010), a revolutionary debut

Iris van Herpen caused a true sensation. She became the first designer to use 3D printing in her creations. In 2010, she unveiled the collection Crystallization in collaboration with architect Daniel Widrig, who had founded his own studio in 2009 after working with several renowned firms, including Zaha Hadid’s. The project also involved the Belgian company Materialise, a global leader in 3D printing. Iris describes the collection as follows: “Imagine the transformation of water to crystal, soft and fluid as water, opposed to hard, mathematical structures as ice crystals.” The pristine white 3D-printed polyamide top became a revolutionary symbol of technological progress in haute couture. Its futuristic design was paired with a sleek goatskin skirt, edged with flowing acrylic plates.

Photo: Instagram / irisvanherpen

Another unforgettable look from Iris van Herpen’s Crystallization collection was an architectural jacket with a textured surface, reminiscent of a seashell’s armor. The most striking feature of this piece was the halo encircling it – like frozen splashes of water, crafted from transparent acrylic sheets.

Photo: Instagram / irisvanherpen

The garments of her debut collection shimmered like scales, a mesmerizing play between flexibility and rigidity. This duality reflects the very nature of our world, comprising both the material and the spiritual. Such a multifaceted language of form instantly drew attention, captivating not only fashion insiders but also celebrities and private collectors alike.

Photo: Instagram / irisvanherpen

Stars in Iris van Herpen

Thanks to her triumphant runway debut, Iris van Herpen’s name quickly became known among the world’s most celebrated figures in film, music, and modeling. One of the most striking examples of a star-studded collaboration with the brand was singer Grimes’s appearance in the iconic “Bene Gesserit” gown. The dress was custom-made for her debut at the Met Gala in 2021, and its creation required nearly 900 hours of meticulous work and 26 meters of silk – a testament to its extraordinary uniqueness. Grimes herself remarked that, throughout its creation, she felt like a heroine from a science fiction novel, the dress blurring the line between couture and fantasy.

Photo: Instagram / irisvanherpen

Natalie Portman was also fortunate enough to become the muse for one of Iris van Herpen’s bespoke projects. The Hollywood star appeared in the “Aerology Jumpsuit”, a one-of-a-kind creation designed for her Vanity Fair cover ahead of the release of “Thor: Love and Thunder” (2022). The jumpsuit embodied a high-tech silhouette, reminiscent of a knight’s armor. More than just a garment, it symbolized the warrior spirit of the heroine Portman brought to life on screen.

Photo: Instagram / irisvanherpen

One of the most striking looks worn by Beyoncé during her “Renaissance Tour” (2023) was also the work of Iris van Herpen. The “Heliosphere Dress” was created exclusively for the pop diva’s stage performance. Woven from recycled silicone, countless crystals, feathers, and metallic elements, the gown glowed brilliantly under the stage lights. Beyoncé seemed to glide effortlessly across the stage, aided by the airy, floating train of the dress. The look was even compared to an “explosion of light and energy” and was later included in the “Sculpting the Senses” exhibition in Paris. It became a vivid symbol of the union between stage art and haute couture.

Photo: Instagram / irisvanherpen

The “Living Dress” at the Sympoiesis show (2025)

Iris van Herpen’s creative approach once again led her to pioneer technologies never before seen in haute couture. The “Living Dress,” woven from 125 million bioluminescent algae, debuted during the Sympoiesis collection presented in July 2025 at Paris Haute Couture Week. The algae were cultivated in a specially designed aerated nutrient medium, allowing the dress itself to glow in rhythm with the model’s movements, as if she were floating across the runway like over the surface of the sea.

Photo: Spotlight

The Sympoiesis show featured a wide range of extraordinary designs – from intricate corsets to mantles resembling airy whirlwinds. Kinetic feathers, shimmering exoskeletons, and other unconventional elements became integral to the July 2025 collection.

Photo: Spotlight

Photo: Spotlight

Iris van Herpen has traveled a long path – from a young graduate of ArtEZ Academy to a revolutionary in the world of haute couture. She delights in transforming the runway into a scientific laboratory. Her couture creations are celebrated not only by global stars but are also passionately discussed within scientific circles. For Iris, fashion is a place where reality and imagination intersect. As the couturier herself has said: “When I’m designing clothing, I try to stretch the boundaries or the perception of boundaries that we give ourselves. Reality is everything and dreaming is the same.” Her works interweave the poetry of form with a unique language of the future. Iris van Herpen does not simply create garments – she skillfully plays with states of matter and nanotechnologies. This daring spirit and her ability to think beyond the limits of the possible leave an indelible impression on everyone who experiences her creations.