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Iris Van Herpen's New Collection Ushers In The Next Era Of Fashion

The Dutch designer furthers her exploration of technological design.

Is the street ready for the visions of Iris Van Herpen? While her work might be a good fit for Björk, we will probably have to wait for a while before we see people wearing her designs in an everyday context. Her work is, in a phrase, ahead of its time.

Last week in Paris, she opened our eyes to a new way of looking at silhouettes and the human body in a fashion show presenting her A/W 2012-2013 collection, Hybrid Holism. The designs in this new collection showcase Van Herpen’s refreshing take on haute couture, with visually powerful yet delicate clothing. Her unusual choice of materials, like polyamides, synthetic snakeskin, and boat ropes come together to give us a glimpse into the future of fashion design.

Her interest in technology and hybrid forms of design led her to design the 3D printed Escapism Dress, which was nominated as one of the 50 best inventions of 2011 by TIME magazine. That’s right: inventions. This goes beyond the ordinary definition of fashion and broaches wearable innovation.

Below are a few of our favorite looks: