Iris Van Herpen is an unusual fashion designer whose work is characterized by the equilibrium of innovation and craftsmanship and whose latest collection has been featured at this year's Paris Haute Couture Week

Iris Van Herpen is an unusual fashion designer whose work is characterized by the equilibrium of innovation and craftsmanship

Born in Amsterdam, Holland, in 1984, Van Herpen studied at the Arnhem Institute of Arts before she got a scholarship to work in Alexander McQueen's studio. From this time of her life, she acquired some of her work inspirations like organic forms and scenography. From then on, she continued working and in 2007 she established her own fashion label. 

Born in Amsterdam, Holland, in 1984, Van Herpen studied at the Arnhem Institute of Arts before she got a scholarship to work in Alexander McQueen's studio

Her designs stray from fashion trends that rule the market and have defined her work as “artistic”. This has enabled her to create innovative and dreamlike designs born from her talent and artistic freedom. Because of this, her work is renowned in the fashion world and has been the subject of numerous exhibitions, like the one held at Tokyo Palais of Paris in 2015.

Her designs stray from fashion trends that rule the market and have defined her work as “artistic”. This has enabled her to create innovative and dreamlike designs born from her talent and artistic freedom

In an interview with Vogue Spain, Van Herpen stated: “For me, fashion is a form of art very close to me and my body. I experience it as my identity expression combined with my desire, my mood, and cultural references”.

“For me, fashion is a form of art very close to me and my body. I experience it as my identity expression combined with my desire, my mood, and cultural references” —Iris Van Herpen

The fashion designer uses new techniques and materials for her designs and collaborates with a variety of professionals like Scientifics and artists from other disciplines.

“In the future of Iris van Herpen, I hope we help to shape fashion more intelligently, to empower women and to deepen the reasoning of creating fashion, to shape fashion into the fields of science, art, architecture, engineering, biology and to focus on sustainable collaboration with nature at the core of each design. To ultimately celebrate new beauty through ‘the art to dress’.”  —Iris van Herpen