While red carpets and haute couture shows in Paris get her a lot of eyeballs and fanfare, Van Herpen has a soft spot for exhibitions, because they offer a different and perhaps even more intimate way to experience the intricate complexities of her haute couture pieces.
For reference it can take 600 hours or around four to five months to work on just one of her designs. You can see why it certainly deserves more than a red-carpet moment to fully appreciate the craftsmanship and process that goes into one of her garments.
“An exhibition has a very deep connection with the audience,” she shared, because they have more time to see the piece, they can walk around it, study it from various angles and have a deeper understanding of its evolution, from concept to fruition.
It’s never just about the clothes (as exquisitely beautiful as they are). Here, every element from mood lighting to the haunting soundscapes in the background by Dutch composer and music producer, Salvador Breed, to the other artefacts of inspiration whether it’s fossil or mineral, come together to tell the story of how intricately connected and woven her works are in relation to the world at large.
SCIENCE IS A TOOL
While people might easily think of her as an innovator or a provocateur because she constantly challenges the traditional rigid dichotomies between art and science, Van Herpen sees herself as an artist and designer.
“I can be both,” she told us with quiet confidence, smilingly. “I don’t have to choose.”
There is a common misconception that she’s a scientist. She’s not. She said that “innovation is just part of my process.” For instance, it allows her to produce shapes that are impossible to achieve using conventional production methods.
