Escapism

Dutch fashion designer Iris van Herpen's "Escapism" collection pushes the boundaries of fashion and technology with 3D-printed design.

In a time where escaping reality by finding solace in the world of digital entertainment has become something of an obsession, Dutch fashion designer Iris van Herpen presents her latest “Escapism” collection.

The pieces in the collection express Van Herpen’s own idea of “escapism” by pointing to ways that people reject reality by feeding their addiction to entertainment. "Escapism" looks to the future by blending nature with technology, imagining a new kind of space age.

Inspired by the Fantastic Realism sculptors of Kris Kuksi, Van Herpen’s work simultaneously incorporates the grotesque and the bizarre, the serene and the spiritual.

One of the key features of Van Herpen’s designs is that they mix traditional craftsmanship with rapid prototyping, a variation on the theme that combines past and present.

A part of the "Escapism" collection is completed 3D printed and without  seams, which eliminates the need for a sewing machine or any handwork. All these rapid prototypes are 3D lasered from polyamide.

Using dark transparent geometrically structured layered sheets, coral looking metal silk, burned metal weave and shiny hair yarns, Van Herpen pushes the limits of both fashion and technology.