Among couture's last independents, Iris Van Herpen unveils ‘living' algae dress in Paris

PARIS — For years, Dutch wunderkind and celebrity favorite Iris Van Herpen has occupied fashion's edge — not just with boundary-pushing designs conjured from banana leaves, cocoa beans and 3D-printed polymers, but also by standing apart as one of couture's rare independents.

Blurring the lines between biology, art and design, Van Herpen has built a legacy outside the powerful luxury groups that dominate Paris.

Monday's collection at Paris Couture Week, ''Sympoiesis,'' felt like the culmination of her restless experimentation: A show that dared to imagine clothing as both organism and artifact.

In a shadowy Paris venue, Van Herpen sent out a series of gossamer gowns spun from alternative fibers so fine and insubstantial that they seemed conjured from air itself.

At the collection's heart, a luminous ''living dress,'' animated by millions of bioluminescent algae, quietly stole the scene.

The algae, thriving within a custom-molded nutrient matrix, glimmered in electric blue as if stitched from the deep sea — offering an eerie, captivating spectacle that went beyond mere artifice.

Elsewhere, Van Herpen introduced wedding gowns crafted from lab-grown bio-protein, a futuristic Japanese fiber that's biodegradable and endlessly recyclable — a glimpse of a fashion industry reimagined for a new era.

Independent woman and star power

If the show dazzled, it also underscored a rare feat in modern couture: independence.

In a world where most designers rely on billion-dollar groups to bankroll their dreams, Van Herpen stands nearly alone, thriving outside the grip of giants like LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton and Kering.

Her creations have become magnets for pop royalty and rule-breakers: Lady Gaga, Beyoncé, Björk, Scarlett Johansson and Natalie Portman have all worn her sculptural gowns on the world's biggest stages.

At the Met Gala, Hailee Steinfeld stunned in a Van Herpen dress made from ocean plastic. Dove Cameron shimmered in her work in 2022.

Star power helps sustain the atelier, but it's invention that defines her legacy. While many independents have vanished from the couture calendar, Van Herpen survives by never playing it safe.

Every season, she proves that true originality is not only possible — but essential — in Paris.

By harnessing living organisms and boundary-pushing textiles, Van Herpen's latest collection doubled down on her signature ethos: couture not just as spectacle or skill, but as an open question — what might fashion, and nature, become next?

In a world obsessed with spectacle, Van Herpen continues to ask not only what we wear, but how we care for the world that makes it possible.