In an exclusive interview with the dutch designer,  we speak to Iris Van Herpen on man’s relationship with nature and how everything is interconnected

Every season, it seems like there&rsquo;s hardly much required to make a splash with Iris Van Herpen&rsquo;s collections on social media, apart from her otherworldly fashion creations, of course, and this season was no less the same.&nbsp;

For the Dutch designer&rsquo;s most recent collection, they took to actress Carice van Houten, who played Melisandre in Game of Thrones, to model their &lsquo;Transmotion&rsquo; collaboration, which was certainly a real treat for the eyes.

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Rather than create an entire collection, Herpen designed this one look as centrepiece of her fashion film.&nbsp;

&ldquo;The dress has little black seeds that connect to stems that connect to branches that grow into very fragile translucent leaves, and it all sprouts from the center of the body,&rdquo; she&nbsp;told the New York Times. &ldquo;It is about birth and growth and formation. I wanted to express the experience of these last months without being literal, and symbolize the new beginning of things.&rdquo;

These deep philosophical underpinnings, combined with the use of fashion and science, is a mainstay in her work. Herpen frequently draws ideas from anthropology, genetics, biology, and was one of the first to apply 3D printing technology in fashion. At the same time, Herpen always relies on traditional haute couture craftsmanship -- her sci-fi fashion world would certainly be impossible without it.

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In an interview with L&#39;OFFICIEL RUSSIA, we speak to the designer on man&rsquo;s relationship with nature and how everything is interconnected, certainly something we have experienced with the onset of this year&rsquo;s global pandemic.

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Iris, how did you find your calling in science in fashion and your&nbsp;interest in computer technology through art?

I am fascinated by all the invisible forces that shape our world, and in my projects I try to visualize them. I look at all the dualities of our life - light and darkness, nature and machine, art and science, organic and inorganic.

These dualities reveal the symbiotic relationship that actually exists between these realms. I am fascinated by all the layers of life around me - from microscopic to macroscopic. Our senses are usually just attuned to this first layer around us, although many other realities are happening at the same time - and they are not all visible.

We feel them differently. For me, fashion is, above all, the relationship between our inner and outer worlds. I think of it as a personal expression of our dreams, our hopes, our moods. The only way I can reflect these complex topics in my work is to combine the best disciplines: art, fashion, science, architecture, biology.

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What recent scientific discovery do you consider very important and influential to the fashion world?&nbsp;

This discovery is still in the works, but companies like Modern Meadow, which grow leather in the laboratory, the so-called &#39;bioprinting&#39;, have huge potential for the future of fashion. When it can be launched on a larger scale, fashion can create luxurious materials such as leather without harming nature or even raising animals.

Is there anything from&nbsp;history that you would like to bring back to modern culture and fashion?

Fashion is both an&nbsp;art and vessel for identity. Therefore, I would like to bring back variety in clothes.

Unfortunately, many national and minority styles have been lost as a result of globalization. I would like for more small studios to appear in different countries and to produce things in those styles and traditions that only they would know.

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

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What achievement or phenomenon of modern life would you like to improve upon?

 
Inspiration comes from so many fields: from science to dance, from sculpture to mathematics, from issues in&nbsp;poverty on earth to astronomy, from anatomy to innovation, from nature to philosophy.

 
We should never limit ourselves, or define ourselves on the framework of any one area of our life. In the world, everything is interconnected. Thus, specialists from different disciplines should cooperate more with each other. We will achieve stability and progress in fashion much faster if fashion companies cooperate with scientists, universities, and engineers. This will help us develop a healthy fashion system for our future.

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The full interview with Iris van Herpen originally appeared in the summer issue of <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1YI5S6Y_UKBtS-muqmQKzQHFCFzluvT_M/view">L&#39;OFFICIEL 181</a>

Delve Into Iris Van Herpen’s Sci-Fi Fashion World

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