IRIS VAN HARPEN’S INFINITY DRESS
“I wanted to created that balance where nature always needs to be in dialogue with the technology,”
In May 2020 Iris Van Harpen, a Dutch fashion designer known for fusing technology with traditional haute couture craftsmanship, created optical illusions in her Hypnosis collection through the use of kinetic fabric. This was in collaboration with Anthony Howe, an American kinetic sculptor who creates wind-driven sculptures resembling pulsing, alien creatures and vortices.
Anthony Howe usually creates movement through the use of outdoor environments. The challenge within the illusion dress and set design is how to create the same ephemeral movement of wind passing through a kinetic sculpture indoors and on a moving body. Harpen and Howe worked very closely to make the seams between mechanical movement and the fabric of the dress look seamless.
Even the way the fabric is cut within the other dresses is made to mimic the movement of the kinetic sculptures. The fine cuts in combination with the optical qualities of the fabric sway and move as the models walk down the runway, making kinetic fabric.
Her inspiration for the textile fabric to enhance the idea of movement was Suminagashi, which literally means “ink floating” is an ancient Japanese technique of painting on water. This technique uses the movement of the water to create the artwork.
An interesting take away that could evolve from the techniques explored by Iris van Harpen is in what other ways can fabric be cut to create movement?
Other fashion designers who have explored kinetic fabrics on the runway is Hussein Chalayan.
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