Brooklyn Museum's new fashion show is absolutely wild

"Opening on Sunday, May 16, "Iris van Herpen: Sculpting the Senses" marks the North American debut of the Dutch designer's sprawling retrospective, bringing more than 140 of her couture creations to Brooklyn along with contemporary art, scientific specimens, fossils, sound installations and immersive video works."

"Van Herpen has spent the past two decades becoming fashion's reigning architect of the impossible, building garments that resemble frozen waterfalls, coral reefs, jellyfish and microscopic organisms more than anything you would traditionally see in . Her work mixes old-school couture craftsmanship with technologies like 3D printing, laser cutting and experimental biomaterials, often in partnership with scientists, architects and engineers."

"The exhibition itself is organized almost like a sci-fi nature documentary for fashion obsessives. Visitors move through thematic sections inspired by water, marine biology, morphogenesis, outer space and human perception. One of the biggest conversation starters will almost certainly be the designer's 2025 "living look," created with biodesigner Chris Bellamy using 125 million living bioluminescent algae embedded directly into the garment."

"The algae emit light in response to movement and require carefully controlled humidity, temperature and light cycles to survive during the exhibition. Elsewhere, there are dresses inspired by jellyfish, coral systems and flowing water, including the hypnotic Hydromedus"

A Brooklyn Museum retrospective titled “Iris van Herpen: Sculpting the Senses” brings more than 140 couture creations to Brooklyn, marking a North American debut. The works combine traditional couture craftsmanship with technologies such as 3D printing, laser cutting, and experimental biomaterials, often developed with scientists, architects, and engineers. The exhibition is organized through thematic environments inspired by water, marine biology, morphogenesis, outer space, and human perception, supported by contemporary art, scientific specimens, fossils, sound installations, and immersive video works. A major highlight is a 2025 “living look” made with 125 million living bioluminescent algae embedded in the garment, emitting light in response to movement and requiring controlled humidity, temperature, and light cycles. Other creations draw on jellyfish, coral systems, and flowing water.

Read at Time Out New York