In the 1600s fossils weren't seen as the remains of organic beings from earlier times, but were considered "ludi naturae", that is "jokes of nature" or "games of nature". They represented indeed forms in transition between the mineral, vegetable and animal realms.
It was very apt for fashion designer Iris Van Herpen to use this definition to describe her Haute Couture Spring/Summer 18 collection.
Van Herpen is known for designs that evoke different realms and combine various disciplines together, so, by describing the new creations as "ludi naturae", she preserved the aura of wonder surrounding fossils in the 1600s, while literally playing with the shapes, textures and patterns of nature.
Showcased during Paris Haute Couture Week at the Galerie de Minérologie et de Géologie, the collection opened with a mini-dress covered in clusters of leaf-like elements.
The "Entropy" section of the show featured punctured nude leather designs: the tiny holes were maybe references to the stomata of a leaf, but the most interesting thing about these designs was the technique employed to replicate this microscopic structure of leaves.
The iridescent beige and black fabrics in the garments were bonded to Mylar, individually laser cut into perforated diminishing patterns and then interwoven to form interlocking gradients from leather to voluminously billowing gowns.
In the "Data Dust" designs impalpable silk tulle was employed as the base material for tattoo-like parametric patterns that were distorted, foam-lifted, laser-cut and then heat-bonded onto the fabric.
If you looked better you could spot among these laser-cut patterns further architectural and arty inspirations, derived from the intricate aerial photography of Thierry Bornier and Andy Yeung among others, and the weightless light paper sculptures of Peter Gentenaar (a site-specific installation by the Dutch artist was also suspended from the ceiling of the venue).
In some of the designs the technique assumed an almost retro-futuristic Art Deco style, especially in a long diaphanous gown that wouldn't have looked out of place on a femme fatale on the set of a 1920s film.
The most innovative and complicated technique devised for this collection was introduced at the very end of the show with the "Foliage" section: with the help of Delft University of Technology, Van Herpen came up with extremely thin (around 0.8 mm) 3D printed leaf-like patterns and layers. The base material - nude tulle - was inserted into the 3D printer to print directly onto the fabric.
The impalpable tulle sprouting 3D printed leaves transformed the models into mysterious plant-like creatures walking on perilously high platform shoes. The effect was completed by the final gown, a cloud-like explosion of undulating silk organza and Mylar.
The palette of the collection with its iridescent sparkles, soft greens and deep inky tones evoked at times the colours in Guillermo del Toro's "The Shape of Water", recently nominated to 13 Oscars (Van Herpen already explored the power of air and water in her "Aeriform" collection).
There was actually something else that evoked the film: two necklaces with leaves sprouting from the tulle base seemed to grow out of the models wearing them, as if they were gills and you seriously wondered if this was a hint at the final scene of the movie (or maybe a suggestion for "The Shape of Water" actresses looking for original red carpet gowns for the Academy Awards...).
Fashion-wise Van Herpen is certainly doing a great research in the potential of extremely modern technologies to manufacture innovative fabric and textile effects. Her experiments remain technically fascinating, especially when you examine them close-up. Working a bit more on her silhouettes wouldn't hurt, though: some of the shapes in this collection looked indeed as if they were improved and updated versions of previous ones.
Yet the hidden themes of "Ludi Naturae" - think about plant biology or the "root-brain" hypothesis, the effortlessly mathematical and geometrical structures existing in nature, the dichotomy between the artificial and the organic, the digital and the natural, and, in Van Herpen's words, "the patterns of chaos and order, nature and civilization blending into infinite hybrids" - you get the confirmation the Dutch designer remains a rare gem in the fashion industry thanks to her otherworldly creations and her modus operandi blending fashion, architecture, science and technology together.
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