Original runway ‘Alchemy of Light’ dress from the Between the Lines couture collection

Iris van Herpen is a bold and revolutionary figure in the world of contemporary couture. A pioneer of the use of 3D printing in fashion, she combines traditional and state-of-the-art materials to create designs that reflect the glamour of historic couture, as well as the spectacle of contemporary fashion.

Titled Alchemy of Light, this dress was shown as part of van Herpen’s Spring/Summer 2017 couture collection, Between the Lines. It features transparent fabric comprised of a multitude of small bubbles, suggestive of suspended water droplets, which envelop the body. The dress trembles with the slightest movement, giving the impression that the droplets are falling along its edges. The liquid-like quality of the plastic creates a mesmerising optical effect.

Technology and handcraft have united to make this gown. The product of 1400 hours of work, it uses the six-step technical process of laser-cutting, vacuum-forming, liquid-moulding, hand-moulding via heat, and hand- and machine-stitching.

Rebecca Evans, Curator of Decorative Arts & Design