If you love fashion, art, or just finding interesting things to do in New York City, add the Iris van Herpen exhibition at the Brooklyn Museum to your list.
I recently spent the day at the Brooklyn Museum visiting the exhibition, and honestly, I was blown away.
I already knew Iris van Herpen’s work, but I realized while planning this visit that I didn’t know much about the designer herself or the ideas and techniques behind her creations. The exhibition gave me the chance to learn more about her creative process while seeing some truly incredible pieces up close.
And while I’ve been to quite a few fashion exhibitions in New York City over the years, this one really stood out to me.
So, if you’re planning to visit the Iris van Herpen exhibition in New York City, here’s everything you should know, plus a few of my favorite parts of the experience.
Watch My Visit to the Iris van Herpen Exhibition
Before we get into the exhibition, you can also come with me to the Brooklyn Museum through my latest YouTube video.
I filmed my visit so you can get a feel for the exhibition, see some of the incredible designs, and experience a little bit of what it’s like to walk through the galleries.
Who Is Iris van Herpen?
Iris van Herpen is a Dutch fashion designer known for combining fashion, art, technology, science, and nature in her work.
Before visiting the exhibition, I knew her designs were incredibly sculptural and futuristic, but I didn’t realize just how much research and experimentation goes into creating them.
One of the things I loved most about the exhibition was getting a better understanding of where her ideas come from. Her work draws inspiration from things like nature, water, the human body and brain, movement, and elements of Japanese culture. Instead of simply creating beautiful dresses, she seems to approach fashion almost like a form of experimentation. And that becomes very obvious once you see the pieces in person.
Iris van Herpen at the Brooklyn Museum
The exhibition at the Brooklyn Museum is much more than a traditional fashion exhibition.
Yes, there are incredible gowns and couture pieces everywhere you look, but the way the exhibition is designed makes the experience feel much more immersive.
The galleries themselves change depending on the ideas behind the work. Some rooms feel bright, open, and almost airy, with light-colored walls and music that gives the space a cheerful feeling. Then you move into another gallery and everything changes. The walls become dark, the lighting changes, and the music feels much more mysterious and unsettling.
At first, I didn’t really understand why I felt so different walking through different parts of the same exhibition. Then I realized how intentional everything was. The exhibition isn’t only showing you the clothes. It is trying to make you feel something while you’re looking at them. And I really loved that.
The Atelier Was One of My Favorite Parts
One of my favorite sections of the entire exhibition was the atelier.
This was probably the part I found most fascinating because you get to see the process behind Iris van Herpen’s designs. Instead of only seeing the finished gowns, you get a glimpse into how they are created.
There are sketches, materials, small-scale pieces, fabric samples, and other details that help show how an idea eventually becomes a finished garment. There are even microscopes that allow you to look closely at some of the materials. I love this kind of behind-the-scenes look at how things are made.
Whether it’s a fashion designer explaining how they created a gown, an attraction designer explaining how they developed an experience, or a YouTuber talking about how they put together a video, I’m always fascinated by the creative process. There is something about getting to peek behind the curtain and see how an idea becomes reality. And the atelier section really gave me that feeling.
Fashion as Art
Another thing that really stood out to me was how much the exhibition felt like an art exhibition rather than simply a display of clothing. Some of the pieces are so sculptural that it’s almost difficult to think of them as dresses.
The combination of fashion, lighting, sound, architecture, and other artwork makes the whole experience feel much more immersive.
One of my favorite installations featured rounded mirrors and glass elements alongside the gowns. Some of the dresses were displayed sideways or upside down, which completely changed the way you looked at them. It made me stop and think about the relationship between the clothing and the space around it. Instead of simply walking into a gallery, looking at a dress, reading the description, and moving on to the next one, you actually feel like you’re experiencing the work.
Why I Loved the Iris van Herpen Exhibition
I think the biggest reason I enjoyed this exhibition so much is that I left knowing more than I did when I walked in. And for me, that’s one of the best things about visiting a museum.
I knew Iris van Herpen’s name. I had seen her designs before. But I didn’t really understand her creative process or the ideas that influence her work. After walking through the exhibition, I had a much better understanding of her approach to fashion.
I also loved that the exhibition appealed to more than just people who are obsessed with fashion. If you like art, design, technology, science, architecture, or simply beautiful and unusual things, I think there’s something here for you.
More New York City Museum Guides
If you enjoy museums and cultural experiences in New York City, you might also enjoy some of my other museum visits:
- the Museum at FIT
- Sargent & Paris exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum of Art
- Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion at the Metropolitan Museum of Art
- Superfine: Tailoring Black Style at the Metropolitan Museum of Art
- “Picasso in Fontainebleau” Opening Reception at The Museum of Modern Art
The Iris van Herpen exhibition at the Brooklyn Museum was one of those museum visits where I walked out already thinking about how much I enjoyed it.
I loved the fashion, obviously, but I also loved learning more about the designer, seeing the creative process behind the pieces, and experiencing how intentionally the exhibition itself was designed.
If you’re going to be in New York City while the exhibition is on, I would definitely put it on your list. And if you can’t make it to New York, I hope my video gives you at least a little taste of what it’s like to walk through the exhibition with me.
See you on the next one!
xx, Flor.
