Fiona Xie Instagram – The Alchemy of @irisvanherpen @voguesingapore
“I find beauty in the continual shaping of chaos which embodies the primordial power of nature’s performance,” Iris van Herpen once said—words that illuminated my understanding of her work at the nexus of ancient alchemy and @cern physics.
Her liminality is her genius. “I see technology as a tool to express the handwork better,” she explains, dissolving false binaries. When her kinetic structures breathe with the wearer, we witness her core philosophy: “Movement is my constant inspiration. Our human body is in continuous motion, as is everything around us.”
These undulating architectures manifest what philosopher Merleau-Ponty called “the flesh of the world”—the profound interconnectedness between perceiver and perceived. Her approach transforms rigid materials into liquid motion, embodying Bachelard’s insight that “matter is the unconsciousness of form.”
I remember showing my friend @grimes in that “Dune of Souls” creation at the met gala whispering “It would be a dream to wear these.” Then @voguesingapore @nat_tasha ‘s call came—Iris would dress me for the @artsciencemuseumsg retrospective. I swooned like a teenager locked lips in her first kiss. Manifestation is real.
“Fashion is an expression of the zeitgeist, while couture is an expression of eternal beauty.” These words resonated as I stood transfixed clad in her “Architectonics” collection—embodying what Rilke meant by “living the questions” about our relationship with technology, philosophy, architecture, music, nature, and our bodies.
Draped in her vision, I understood: Iris van Herpen doesn’t design clothing. She designs portals to possibility itself.
Be transcended at @artsciencemuseumsg
#IrisVanHerpen #ArtAndFashion #Metamorphosis #Vogue | Posted on 21/Mar/2025 16:04:56
