Iris Van Herpen Haute Couture Spring/Summer 2023 Collection

Revolutionary designer Iris van Herpen continues to push fashion boundaries, and is known to  incorporate elements of science and technology into her work. Her latest haute couture collection, which was unveiled in a film format, is a stellar example of her unique approach to fashion and couture. The Dutch designer partnered with French free diver and choreographer Julie Gautier to showcase her Spring/Summer 2023 Haute Couture collection, and made a powerful and symbolic statement though it. The footage, shot in the Y-40 pool in Italy, which is one of the deepest man-made pools in the world, featured garments that were meant to be worn underwater as a tribute to the female protestors in Iran.

Iris van Herpen made a political statement with her new collection, and the film showcased the designer’s signature designs of fluid forms, corseted looks, and diaphanous gowns made of organic silk and recycled polyester that undulate in the water like exotic jellyfish in mesmerizing shades of bruised purple and red. The most moving part of the film was when Gautier, dressed in a corset decorated with streams of bright-red human and synthetic hair, began to scream, only to be met with a silent stream of bubbles. The scene from the film is a powerful symbol of the struggle for freedom and the futility of protest in the face of oppression. The designer hopes and believes that her latest collection will serve as a reminder to people of the brave female protestors fighting for their lives across the world, and the importance of using fashion as a platform to voice political and social issues.