Iris van Herpen, Refinery smoke, July 2008

Renowned for her remarkable outfits in which she combines traditional craftsmanship and zealous handwork with innovative techniques such as rapid prototyping and radical material choices such as processed leather sorts, synthetic boat rigging and the whalebones of children's umbrellas, Iris van Herpen stands out. With these she creates sculptural effects with and astonishing visual impact, which appear both organic and futuristic. Creating a new silhouette is important in her work. It's collection has its own narrative, and wearability is not the ultimate criterion.

Iris van Herpen, Escapism, January 2011

Van Herpen graduated from the ArtEZ Hogeschool voor Kunsten (ArtEZ Institute of the Arts) in 2006, did an internship with Alexander McQueen, among others, and started a label under her own name in 2007. A year later, she was nominated for the prestigious Createurope: The Fashion Academy Award. Her outfits appeared in Vogue, Numero, Herper's Bazaar and Dazed and Confused. In conjunction with United Nude, she launched a limited-edition shoe line in 2010. In 2011, the 3D dress that she designed was acclaimed by TIME Magazine as one of the 50 Best Inventions of the year. Last year she was winner of the Dutch Fashion Awards and the RADO Young Designer Awards. In 2011 she became a member of the prestigious Chambre Syndicale de la Haute Couture...

Iris van Herpen, Capriole, July 2011

"In all my work I try to make clear that fashion is an artistic expression, showing and wearing art, and not just a functional and devoid of contenet or commercial tool. With my work I intend to show that fashion can certainly have an added value to the world, that is timeless and that its consumption can be less important then its beginning. Wearing clothing can create a very exciting and imperative form of self-expression. 'Form follows function' is not a slogan with which I concur. On the contrary, I find that forms complement and change the body and thus the emotion. Movement, so essential to and in the body, is just as important in my work. By bringing form, structure and materials together in a new manner, I try to suggest and realize optimal tension and movement.."

Iris van Herpen, Chemical Crows, January 2008

To accompany the exhibition, the first book of Iris van Herpen will be published and issued in conjunction with BAi Publishers. This volume contains an overview of all her collections up to the present, as well as an essay by fashion journalist Jean Paul Cauvin.

Iris van Herpen, Micro, January 2012

Photography BART OOMES, No 6 Studios  © Iris van Herpen

Iris van Herpen, The Groninger Museum, till the 23th September 2012

www.irisvanherpen.com