The Brooklyn Museum is opening a mid-career retrospective titled “Iris van Herpen: Sculpting the Senses,” showcasing the Dutch designer’s high-tech garments. The exhibition features over a decade of van Herpen’s work, including the first 3D-printed garment sent down a runway in 2010, pieces worn by celebrities like Lady Gaga, Björk, and Beyoncé, and new collaborations such as an algae dress grown from living microorganisms. Organized by senior curator Matthew Yokobosky, the show originated at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris and has traveled internationally before arriving in Brooklyn, where it is augmented with objects from the museum’s collections in art, science, and natural history.
This exhibition matters because it positions fashion as a serious medium for artistic and scientific innovation, bridging traditional craftsmanship with cutting-edge technology. Van Herpen’s work challenges the boundaries between fashion, art, and science, exploring themes from neuroscience to marine biology. By presenting her creations in a major museum context, the show elevates fashion design to the level of contemporary art and underscores the growing institutional recognition of fashion as a form of visual culture. It also highlights how artists can collaborate with architects, bioengineers, and physicists to create wearable art that comments on nature, technology, and the human condition.