Iris van Herpen shows her latest collection ‘Roots of Rebirth’ during Paris Haute Couture Week on January 25th 2021.
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During such rarefied times, the designer explores a symbiosis of high technology and the artisanal craftsmanship of couture, through a collection that references the intricacy of fungi and the entanglement of life that breathes beneath our feet. Through ‘Roots of Rebirth’, Van Herpen notions towards the miraculous lacery of interconnectedness from the natural ‘wood wide web,’ weaving a dialogue between the terrestrial and the underworld. The work of Iris van Herpen is often described as ethereal and transcendental; a chimeric exposition, radiating shapes that reference the relationship between the human body and the natural world. This season, the Dutch designer explores the rich, yet deeply fragile interconnectedness of an unfamiliar world, the enigmatic fungi empire and the lifebearing fine threads of mycelium. The collection details the extraordinary existence of this winding ‘fabric of life,’ the marvelling world of undergrowth tapestry. In reference
to the book penned by scientist Merlin Sheldrake, ‘Entangled Life’ notes that ‘fungi is the ecological connective tissue, the living seam by which much of the world is stitched into relation.

’ “Thinking about fungi makes the world look different. These astonishing organisms challenge our animal imaginations and make questions of many of our wellworn concepts, from individuality to intelligence.”
Merlin Sheldrake

‘Roots of Rebirth’ extends its own branch, an invitation to a sequence of 21 looks inspired by roots and spores. During the show, the models seem to magnetise a living lace of spores with each stride, the entanglement of each garment resembles roots of regeneration. Two looks embody the 'henosis' technique, in which multiple translucent layers of duchess fabric were dyed in pastel hues, forming a 'mantodea' motif. An offwhite lasercut venation formed by a myriad of hovering fins sprout outwards, radiating each motion into a delicate lacy array of invisible interconnectedness.
In other creations, handembroidered roots surge and symmetrically entwine the body in transformative tones, from liquid copper to deep shades of burnt umber. Handpleated mahogany silk were draped to fan out into hemispheric blooms.

The unseen splendour of each garment echoes fungi activity, in which glassorganza were intricately pleated in an ombré of white to vivid amber, branching out from a handembroidered bodice to form fractal networks. A mosaic of fineedged liquescent gills were 3D embroidered onto expandable lace, lasercut to parametrically reveal fine details of skin between amethyst hued fibre. As fungi maps the skin of the earth, such is also the composition of Van Herpen’s Haute Couture.
In another look, Ocean Plastic® fabric made from upcycled marine debris by Parley for the Oceans was printed and incised into thousands of fine trilateral tessellations, initiating a fragile symbiosis with the skin through seamless gradients in translucency.

Runway video by 4eyes

CREDITS

Literature: Entangled Life | Merlin Sheldrake

Natalia Vodianova & Axelle de Ponsay | Viva Model Management
Sevdaliza & Lijne Kreupeling, Nigel van Ommeren | For Artistic Reasons, Headfirst Music

Fédération de la Haute Couture et de la Mode
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Director: Eugene Yeap
Original Soundtrack by Maarten Vos & Salvador Breed
available at salvadorbreed.bandcamp.com
Vocals by Sevdaliza
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Styling: Patti Wilson
Casting: Maxime Valentini
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Models: Natalia Vodianova, Sevdaliza, Awa Diallo, Adama Jobe, Alyssa Traore, Britt van den Herik, Damaris Goddrie, Nikki Vonsee, Nina Gulien, Nyarach Ayuel & Rosie Ehimwenma
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Kinetic Headpieces: Casey Curran
Footwear Collaboration: Kira Goodey
EcoInnovation Partner: Parley for the Oceans
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Director of Photography & Colour Grading: 4eyes
Show Videography: Jesse Jay Kroon, Thom Schrama, Rollo van Wijk, Diès Kroon & Jip Mus
Show Editing: Arnaud Batog
Digital Scenography: Misha Shyukin & Hannes Hummel | Shy Studio
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Makeup: Chiao Li Hsu, Emma de Boer & the MAC PRO Team
Hair: Olivier Schawalder, Sadek Lardjane & Team | Bryant Artists
Nail Art: Eichi Matsunaga
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Site Production: Jonas Kraft, Eddy Dijkstra, Oskar Glasbergen, Tom Lavrenenko, Aziez Kassim | POPKRAFT
Light Design: Stefan Prokop