As people were quarantined indoors, the world turned to nature as a source of comfort and escapism from the pandemic. Nature has become a source of inspiration for Iris Van Herpen and her SS21 collection, titled ‘Roots of Rebirth.’ On Instagram, the brand said, “‘Roots of Rebirth’ explores the deeply fragile interconnectedness of an unfamiliar world, the enigmatic fungi empire and the life-bearing fine threads of mycelium. The collection details the extraordinary existence of this winding ‘fabric of life,’ the marveling world of undergrowth tapestry. Inspired by the book penned by biologist @merlin.sheldrake , Entangled Life notes that ‘fungi is the ecological connective tissue, the living seam by which much of the world is stitched into relation.’”
The collection featured a color palette grounded in earth tones with very intricate and structural designs. ‘Roots of Rebirth’ draws on inspiration from and creates illustrious design patterns from trees, flowers and fungi. The garments largely utilize organza, silk, tulle and 3-D printing that form imaginative couture designs in a very cohesive format that can only be described as avant-garde. The designs in this collection have a very obvious connection to and transition from the last presentation.
Standouts from the collection include the white and gold chiffon Moon Moth dress, a white translucent lace Henosis dress adorned with laser-cut feathers and a matching headpiece, and another henosis-inspired mahogany-colored dress with pleated sprouts. The collection as a whole is ethereal and otherworldly, each befitting of a royal nymph frolicking through the woods.
Iris Van Herpen’s collection is impractical, not durable, and so utterly, artistically couture. The brand continues to push the boundaries of creating works of art made for the runway. It would be wise for other couture brands to take a note from Iris’s unique sources of inspiration when creating a couture collection so as to make new creations rather than recreating looks by revisiting older themes.