Iris van Herpen’s Brooklyn Museum Exhibition Is Pure Fashion Alchemy

Dresses seem to twist and flow in Iris van Herpen’s world, shaped in part by the Dutch designer’s background in dance. An inherent sense of kineticism underlies her work, whether inspired by the movement of the human body, coral reefs, or branching fungi.

Now, in her latest exhibition at the Brooklyn Museum, more than 140 haute couture pieces drawing on technology, architecture, and biology are on view, blurring the line between nature and couture creation.

A pioneer in sculpting dresses through 3D printing, Van Herpen often turns to the complexity of science and nature when designing works like the algae dress from the 2025 “Sympoesis” collection or the bubble dress worn by Olympian Eileen Gu at this year’s Met Gala. 

For Sculpting the Senses, the designer gathers works that merge fashion craftsmanship with technological innovation. Materials like brass wire, thermoplastic, silk satin, and resin appear suspended in mid-motion in pieces such as Phantom’s Coral Dress and the Loie Dress from the 2025 “Sympoesis” collection, carefully sculpted around the wearer’s body.

Elsewhere, new pieces—from the crimson plissé gown created for Anne Hathaway’s character in the film Mother Mary to archival client looks worn by Lady Gaga, Björk, and Beyoncé—will be on view alongside contemporary works by artists including Agostino Arrivabene, Philip Beesley, the Japanese art collective 目 [Mé], Kim Keever, Nick Knight, Ren Ri, and more. Throughout the year, van Herpen will also be designing a bespoke piece at the museum as part of the exhibition, welcoming guests to take part in the process of her one-of-a-kind creations.

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The exhibition marks van Herpen’s first major New York show and will remain on view through December 6. Learn more at the Brooklyn Museum.