The article covers the exhibition "Iris van Herpen: Sculpting the Senses" at the Brooklyn Museum, the Dutch couturier's first major American show. It features 140 haute couture creations alongside works from the museum's collection, fossils from the American Museum of Natural History, and specimens from the Yale Peabody Museum and Staten Island Museum. The exhibition is organized into eleven themed chapters, from water to cosmos, and includes new works like the aerial sculpture "Weightlessness of the Unknown" (2024) and the living algae piece "Living Algae look" (2025). Van Herpen pushed for close proximity between viewers and garments, emphasizing an immersive experience.
The exhibition matters because it positions van Herpen's sculptural fashion as a bridge between haute couture, natural history, and contemporary art, challenging traditional museum boundaries. By integrating scientific specimens and interactive elements, it highlights the growing intersection of fashion, art, and biology, and underscores van Herpen's influence on both the fashion and art worlds. The show's evolution from its 2023 debut in Paris to this larger iteration at the Brooklyn Museum reflects a deepening dialogue between the designer's archive and broader cultural narratives.