SYNONYMOUS for seamlessly fusing delicate artistry with ultra-modern technology, Iris van Herpen has spent close to two decades in a lane of entirely her own. Now, bringing her unique experimental approach to makeup, the Dutch designer has teamed up with NARS for a limited-edition holiday collection built to explore the transformative power of beauty.
Designed with founder and creative director François Nars, the two pioneers have come together to create an iridescent capsule that elevates staples into new, otherworldly aesthetics for the festive season.
Speaking exclusively to GLASS, Iris van Herpen talks about the process of creating the NARS collection.
Pom Klementieff for NARS x Iris van Herpen
WHAT WAS THE INITIAL SPARK OR IDEA THAT LED TO THIS COLLABORATION?
I believe that pure beauty hypnotises us, and one of my favourite past collections is based on this idea of hypnosis. That was the inspiration for this NARS collaboration— to play with illusion, reflections, and the movements of glow.
In my design process, I’m always searching for transformation through the textures, silhouettes, and movements of couture designs. For NARS, I wanted to bring the beautiful transformation to life through hypnotic shimmers, ethereal shades, and dynamic designs to ultimately create an emotional transformation.
HOW DID YOU APPROACH THE CREATIVE PROCESS DIFFERENTLY WHEN DESIGNING FOR A BEAUTY PRODUCT VERSUS YOUR USUAL MEDIUM?
In Haute Couture, my process deeply involves material engineering and innovative craftsmanship. This beauty collaboration asked for a more intimate approach, so I focused on how the interaction of light and texture can move us. Instead of engineering physical motion, I focused on the movement of light and luminosity across the face.
Left: Gleam Afterglow Lip Shine £30 | Middle: Aura Illuminating Face & Body Powder £44 | Right: Explicit Lipstick £34
WHAT GUIDED YOUR DESIGN VISION FOR THE COLLECTION?
The vision remained true to the concept of how beauty hypnotises us, and how it can play with our senses. In the collaboration with NARS, the fluidity and liveliness of the designs creates sensorial immersion. Like the Hypnosis gowns that reveal skin through undulating patterns, the makeup reveals skin and lips with luminous depth.
WHAT ROLE DID TEXTURE, LIGHT, AND MOVEMENT PLAY IN THE FORMULATIONS OR PACKAGING DESIGN?
Light and movement were paramount: this collaboration reveals a prismatic powder formula that catches the light on skin in a multidimensional way. It also gives the packaging designs for both the lipstick and powder an ethereal glow. The sculptural layers of the runway are reflected in these iridescent and subtle undulations.
WERE THERE ANY SPECIFIC MATERIALS OR RUNWAY LOOKS THAT DIRECTLY INSPIRED CERTAIN PRODUCTS?
Absolutely. The main inspiration came from my Hypnosis collection. For this collection, we created a very special multidimensional material that was created through the ancient suminagashi technique, which includes dripping ink on water to find the natural rhythms of the reflective water textures. These liquescent patterns are beautifully embedded in the packaging design of this collaboration.
Pom Klementieff for NARS x Iris van Herpen
HOW DID YOU TRANSLATE YOUR DESIGN LANGUAGE INTO SOMETHING WEARABLE ON THE FACE, LIKE LIPSTICK OR BLUSH?
As I was drawing upon the concept of hypnosis and the mesmerising power that beauty holds to entrance and shift our perception, I approached the face as a living canvas for light and reflection. The undulated translucencies and fluid volumes of my Haute Couture designs are reflected in Explicit Lipstick and Light ReflectingTM Prismatic Powder. The iridescent surface designs mimic the shimmer and liveliness of the Haute Couture gowns.
WHAT MESSAGE OR EMOTION DO YOU HOPE USERS FEEL WHEN WEARING THIS MAKEUP?
Through the lens of hypnosis, makeup becomes a vessel to enchant and transform ourselves. That is what I hope users feel when wearing this makeup. It’s this sense of being hypnotized by the moment—entranced, to make yourself feel empowered.
When I interact with my couture clients, I often remind them that we all are living works of art and the creators of our own identity. This sense of unique expressiveness and the freedom of creation is what I hope everyone that wears this makeup will feel.
Left: Dolce Vita Cheek Set £43 | Right: Ethereal Aura Blush Palette £60
HOW DO YOU SEE BEAUTY AND FASHION CONTINUING TO MERGE IN TODAY’S CULTURAL LANDSCAPE?
Beauty and fashion are expressions of identity and are forms of art – I don’t see any boundaries between them; they are so entwined. Collaborations like this show that beauty products can also be extensions of tactile explorations. Both fashion and beauty explore sensory storytelling, which is very personal for everyone.
HAS THIS EXPERIENCE CHANGED THE WAY YOU VIEW MAKEUP OR THE ACT OF GETTING READY?
It has deepened my appreciation for the joy and expressiveness of beauty rituals. Getting ready is a form of self-love and creativity. It very much echoes my couture practice: a creative and intuitive form of self-expression.
by Imogen Clark
Available to purchase here.