Iris van Herpen exhibition heads to the Royal Ontario Museum

By

Jennifer Braun

Published
Apr 5, 2018

Canadians will soon be able to catch the designs of Dutch fashion designer Iris van Herpen in a new exhibition opening at the Royal Ontario Museum (ROM) on June 2.

Baptized "Iris van Herpen: Transforming Fashion", the exhibition will showcase the evolution of van Herpen’s work with one-of-a-kind pieces from 15 of her collections spanning 2008 to 2015.

“Over the past decade, Iris van Herpen has pushed the boundaries of fashion and craftsmanship with futuristic designs that combine tradition with radical innovation,” said Josh Basseches, the ROM’s Director and CEO, in a news statement. “Heralded as one of the pioneering new voices in fashion, we’re delighted to bring Iris van Herpen’s work to the Museum as we continue to expand our focus on fashion with relevant and contemporary subjects that capture the imagination of our visitors.”

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“Iris van Herpen: Transforming Fashion is not only a fascinating and beautiful exhibition, it’s also an important presentation for visitors to see, understand, and negotiate the roles of skilled craftwork and thinking in our confusing age of technology,” added Dr. Alexandra Palmer, curator and ROM’s Nora E. Vaughan Senior Curator.

Her haute couture pieces, which blend various materials and technologies, from metal work to 3-D printing, have been acclaimed by style icons such as Beyoncé, Björk, Lady Gaga, and Cara Delevingne, as well as by media like Time Magazine.

The Canadian showcase is the final stop on the exhibition’s two-year North American tour. It was co-organized by the High Museum of Art, Atlanta, and the Groninger Museum, the Netherlands. 

Iris van Herpen: Transforming Fashion will be on display from June 2, 2018 to October 8, 2018 at the ROM.