iris van herpen's ethereal garments to exhibit in brooklyn this may

a traveling exhibition set for the brooklyn museum

Dreamlike and futuristic, the work of designer Iris van Herpen is set to show at the Brooklyn Museum in New York in May 2026. The opening will mark the North American debut of the traveling exhibition, dubbed Iris van Herpen: Sculpting the Senses, which brings more than 140 couture works into dialogue with design and scientific artifacts.

The museum has a long history of fashion exhibitions, and this one situates Iris van Herpen’s practice within a broader design conversation. Exhibits showcase how her garments operate as constructed environments for the body, shaped by material research, digital fabrication methods like laser-cutting and 3D printing, and a sustained engagement with natural systems.

Iris Van Herpen, Morphogenesis Dress, from the Sensory Seas collection, 2020. laser-cut and screenprinted mesh, duchesse satin, and laser-cut Plexiglas. collaborator: Philip Beesley. model: Yue Han. photo © David Uzochukwu

digital fabrication for dreamlike creations

Throughout the galleries of the Brooklyn Museum, Iris van Herpen’s garments appear as sculptural forms in motion and unaffected by gravity. Laser-cut meshes, layered polymers, and translucent synthetics register subtle shifts in posture and movement. This way, the designer gives each piece a sense of responsiveness as rippling designs often hover between rigidity and flexibility.

Many works foreground the mechanics of making. Three-dimensional printing, hand pleating, and experimental bonding techniques remain visible, so that the visual language is defined by its fabrication processes. This emphasis on construction aligns the exhibition closely with industrial design and architecture, where form is guided by material behavior rather than just decoration.

Iris van Herpen, Labyrinthine Kimono Dress, from the Sensory Seas collection, 2020. glass organza, crepe, tulle, and Mylar. model: Cynthia Arrebola. photo © David Uzochukwu

iris van herpen’s scientific references

Scientific reference points shape the exhibition design of Iris van Herpen: Sculpting the Senses, as marine biology, anatomy, physics, and astronomy inform the sequencing of the Brooklyn Museum galleries. As such, the progression of spaces moves from themes of aquatic environments toward cosmic scales. But these disciplines are more than just backdrops. They influence how garments occupy space and how viewers circulate among them.

Scientific artifacts and contemporary artworks appear alongside the couture pieces to reinforce this approach. Fossils, skeletal structures, and even optical experiments echo the garments’ geometries. The effect remains measured and deliberate, encouraging close observation rather than quick a walkthrough.

Iris van Herpen. Sensory Seas Dress, from the Sensory Seas collection, 2020. PETG and glass organza. collaborator: Shelee Carruthers. models: Cynthia Arrebola and Yue Han. photo © David Uzochukwu