“It has been a huge honor to design and create the custom ‘Heliosphere Gown’ for Beyoncé. In her epic Renaissance tour, Beyoncé embodies feminine empowerment. She symbolizes that confidence radiates from within and that beauty thrives in diversity. Her style is a kaleidoscope of elegance that inspired me and my team in every stitch, every bead, and every petal – along the 700-hour journey of creating her halo-shaped gown.”
In 2011, Iris became a guest-member of the Parisian Chambre Syndicale de la Haute Couture, part of the Fédération française de la couture. She has had her clothes displayed in the Paris Fashion Week celebrations since then. Currently, there are over a hundred pieces of Herpen’s works titled “Sculpting the Senses” being exhibited at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris.
“I knew I wanted this to be more than a fashion exhibition,” she told CNN via email. “I wanted this retrospective to represent all the layers of life that I’m influenced by; dance, art, science, architecture, nature, philosophy.”
Van Herpen describes her designs as “craftolution”, which is the fusion of technology and historical skills to create classic collections in the fashion world.
“Merging contemporary technology with historic skills and know-how brings the classic couture vision into today’s world,” explained Van Herpen. “I call this evolution of craftsmanship ‘craftolution,’ it’s moving haute couture into the future.”
