Wearable Art

Van Herpen first became interested in fashion as a child, when she discovered old clothing in her grandmother’s attic. Early impressions of these relics of another era stayed with her.

The designer also studied ballet for many years, which led to an interest in movement and anatomy. “Those years of dance taught me so much about my body,” Van Herpen explains.

Kinesthetics—the study of how the body moves—helps Van Herpen think about form. “I’m not only looking at the body,” she says. “I also look at the space around the body.” How does the negative space around the designs shown above and below transform each garment?

Van Herpen became interested in fashion when she was a child. She discovered old clothing in her grandmother’s attic and wanted to know more about the designs.

Van Herpen studied ballet for years. This made her curious about movement, the human body, and space. Learning about how the body moves helps Van Herpen think about form. “I’m not only looking at the body,” she says. “I also look at the space around the body.” Notice the negative space around the designs shown above and below. How does it transform each garment?

Van Herpen combines her explorations of movement with an interest in the natural world. For example, the designs above and below are from a collection called Sensory Seas. Van Herpen developed these works while thinking about the human body’s central nervous system and marine ecology.

Notice how both designs are symmetrical—if you were to divide them in half vertically, the left and right sides are mirror images of each other. Do the layers of flowing material remind you of undersea organisms? Or scientific drawings of the central nervous system?

Van Herpen is also interested in the natural world. The white and blue designs pictured above and below are from her collection called Sensory Seas. Van Herpen made these garments while thinking about sea creatures and the human body’s central nervous system.

Both designs are symmetrical. If you divide them in half vertically, the left and right sides are mirror images. What do the layers of flowing material remind you of? Do you see connections to sea life or the human body?

Van Herpen doesn’t hesitate to reach back in time for traditional techniques, such as weaving and hand-dyeing fabric. And she’s not shy about looking to the future for cuttingedge technologies, experimenting with 3-D printing and laser-cut materials.

The designer also represents her ideas about technology in her designs. In her work shown below, Van Herpen plays with the idea that all matter could contain life, including garments. She invites viewers “to imagine a future in which garments have the potential to emulate nature and evolve in responsive ways.” Can you imagine how this biomorphic design, made of plastic, silk, and metal, might relate to nature and even evolve?

“Fashion is an instrument for change, to shift us emotionally,” Van Herpen says. What do you feel when you see her designs?

Van Herpen often uses traditional methods, like weaving and hand-dyeing fabric. She also experiments with new technology, such as 3-D printing and laser cutting.

The designer explores her ideas about technology in her garments. To make the work shown below, Van Herpen was inspired by the idea that anything could be alive. She wants viewers to imagine a future in which clothes can change and respond to the world, like living creatures. Can you imagine how this plastic, silk, and metal garment might evolve over time?

“Fashion is an instrument for change, to shift us emotionally,” says Van Herpen. What do you feel when you see her designs?