The performances of Iris Van Herpen and Thom Browne open couture week

By

Dominique Muret

Translated by
Roberta HERRERA

Published
Jun 26, 2024

Paris Haute Couture Week dedicated to Fall/Winter 2024-25 collections kicked off with a burst of unbridled creativity on Monday, featuring unconventional presentations. Some designers stepped beyond the fashion realm to explore new territories, exemplified by Iris Van Herpen and Thom Browne.
 

Following the incredible success of her exhibition 'Sculpting the Senses', which drew over 370,000 visitors in five months at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs (MAD) in Paris, Iris Van Herpen took a significant step this season, transitioning from fashion to art. She chose to present her new creations through an exhibition featuring artworks and living tableaux rather than a traditional runway show.

A favorite among celebrities, the Dutch designer is known for her futuristic creations, utilizing 3D printing and innovative materials and techniques. This season, she created four pieces she describes as "aerial sculptures," employing a series of innovative techniques on vast tulle surfaces.

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"This is a first for me. I think this move towards art is connected to a transition I experienced two years ago. I moved out of the city to a beautiful natural area in the countryside. It gave me new energy and inspiration to work on these aerial sculptures," she explained.
 
Five couture creations were interspersed among these floating relief artworks, composed of organic materials and layers of ethereal fabrics resembling fossils and coral. The models, appearing like pinned butterflies, were literally suspended on white canvases. Far from being immobilized, they animated gracefully, moving their arms and heads while their stilettos anchored them to the canvases.

Among them, top model Coco Rocha stood out with her expressive face, draped in a golden Japanese silk dress embroidered like an Obi, the traditional kimono sash. To interpret her "tableaux," Van Herpen cast iconic top models, including Coco Rocha, Gia Bab, Lily Cole, Isshe Hungry, and Iekeline Stange.

 
In some creations, the sculptural tulle basques and volutes of their dresses were also pinned to the canvas. Two pieces featured a new decorative technique, using variously sized metallic beads sewn onto the fabric to create patterns. Elsewhere, a 3D silicone corset was molded directly onto the model's body.

"I began thinking about couture pieces and how I wanted to present them, and I really wanted to elevate the mannequins in the same way sculptures are elevated. This brings the art world even closer to the fashion world," noted Van Herpen, who is selling her "aerial sculptures" for the occasion. These delicate works, surprisingly, seem less impressive compared to the incredible sculptural dresses from her MAD exhibition.

Thom Browne's 'Olympic Couture'

At the Musée des Arts Décoratifs, Thom Browne invited his audience not for an exhibition, but for a demonstration of 'Olympic Couture'.

The New York designer, always passionate about traditional couture techniques, unveiled a collection entirely crafted from typical unbleached pattern muslin. This foundational canvas allowed him to showcase his expertise as if competing in the most prestigious fashion event.
 
"Couture is the Olympics of fashion," he stated in his notes. His show began with a tug-of-war, featuring two teams of athletes in glasses, pleated skirts, jackets, and white tennis shoes pulling a long white rope, mimicking the event beneath five enormous white balloons suspended from the ceiling. They were followed by the mistress of ceremonies, crowned with a grand gold laurel wreath.
 

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The procession began. Models, appearing weightless, strutted in aerodynamic lace-up boots, with only their toes touching gold-studded soles. The runway resembled Versailles and the court of the Sun King rather than an athletic track. Men and women advanced ceremoniously, hiding behind tambourine-like rackets waved like fans, donning long trains, corseted dresses, and intricate jackets.

Armed with just scissors, a needle, and thread, Browne created stunning garments, revealing the inner workings of couture. Dresses and coat-dresses were vertically split to expose internal structures with layers of fabric, petticoats, and corsets. Jackets, stripped of fabric, displayed the sophisticated architecture of interlinings, shoulder constructions, and seam markings.

Elsewhere, fabric swatches served as patches or composed cubist jackets. Basting thread traced embroidery swirls. Most looks were in shades of white, but exceptions added vibrancy, like red or blue embroidered lingerie directly on textured sheaths. Bright red embroidery on the left side of a long white dress depicted the body's interior, complete with muscles and blood vessels.

The show concluded with three looks centered on three lavishly decorated jackets with sequins and embroidery in bronze, silver, and gold.