It’s not the first time that Iris van Herpen’s haute couture creations have taken to the water. The Dutch designer presented her Spring-Summer 2011 ready-to-wear collection with splashes of ice water around dresses, her Fall-Winter 2014-2015 ready-to-wear collection with living models inserted into vacuum-sealed pockets, or his autumn-winter 2017 -2018 haute couture collection featuring musicians playing in individual aquariums. While one might have thought she couldn’t raise the bar, Iris van Herpen definitely blew a skydiver in a haute couture gown for Fall-Winter 2021-2022. This time it takes twenty thousand leagues under the sea, or so.
The Underwater Film by Iris van Herpen Spring/Summer 2023 Haute Couture
Going against the trend of classic fashion shows, Iris van Herpen has chosen to present her Spring-Summer 2023 haute couture collection in the form of an aquatic short film. For this underwater performance, the great seamstress worked with the French dancer, choreographer, director and freediver Julie Gautier. She also choreographed the movements of the other two models (Gilone and Maya Sieron) who accompany her in the water. The target. the goal? “ to create a film that explores the idea of femininity and feminine beauty as a form of control », explains the memorandum of intent:
“In the beginning, three women merge into a painting of skin, textures of growth and decomposition. The red heart of this feminine ocean drifts lonely into the depths of one’s consciousness where it dances a journey of isolation and oppression towards resilience and invincibility. »
An aquatic haute couture collection dedicated to Iranian women in struggle
Emancipating oneself from an inevitable form of control (here symbolized by water) therefore seems to be the message of this presentation. It is also to Iranian women in struggle that Iris van Herpen dedicates this film, understood as ” hymn to resilience and strength » :
“The film depicts female courage and is a testament to how women can use their physiques and strength to resist oppression, fight for their rights, and encourage others to persevere in their individual journeys. »
It is therefore a breathtaking four-minute short film that fashion designer Iris van Herpen presents with the artist Julia Gautier. It is the latter that we see screaming without being able to hear it, since shooting underwater implies being deprived of one’s voice: all the symbolic interest of this video. The footage was shot at the Y-40 swimming pool in Italy, which was the deepest in the world when it was built (it drops to 138 feet, or 42 meters).
The suits have been specially designed and tested to move through both air and water. They consist of mylar (polyester yarn especially used to make plastic films for fruit trays, for example), organic silk or even recycled polyester, to create the look of ethereal jellyfish and mermaids.
Whilea retrospective exhibition of Iris van Herpen’s work is being prepared at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris for November 2023the designer never ceases to remind us that if fashion is not an art, some artists indulge themselves in it mastery.
Front page photo credit: YouTube screenshot.
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Mary Crossley is an author at “The Fashion Vibes”. She is a seasoned journalist who is dedicated to delivering the latest news to her readers. With a keen sense of what’s important, Mary covers a wide range of topics, from politics to lifestyle and everything in between.
