Dutch designer Iris Van Herpen wowed her audience at Paris Fashion Week with her latest AW14 collection runway show. In addition to the traditional models walking on the catwalk, Van Herpen added an artistic and political element to the show that featured models vacuum-sealed in plastic.
The models inside the plastic lay motionless, some in fetal positions and all with tubes either resembling umbilical cords or an apparatus for the models to breathe through in addition to the vacuum wrap. The title of the show was “Biopiracy” and was themed around the concept of the commercial development of naturally occurring biological materials such as plant substances or genetic cell lines.
Van Herpen’s collection truly embraces her desire to push fashion forward. The garments also show her unique use of textiles such as the silicone dresses. The collection was mainly in solid black, white and cream type tones; and additional textiles used included silk, plastic, feathers and embroidery.
As would be expected, three dimensional printing is still a signature aspect to Van Herpen’s pieces. The finished product tends to have somewhat of an architectural quality about it, and this year’s 3-D garment was a dress made in collaboration with Canadian architect Philip Beesley.
by Cynthia Gregoire
all photos courtesy of Style.com