Iris van Herpen showed her latest collection ‘Roots of Rebirth’ during Paris Haute Couture Week on January 25th, 2021. The designer’s collection referenced the intricacy of fungi and the entanglement of life that breathes beneath our feet. Through ‘Roots of Rebirth’, Van Herpen showcased the natural ‘wood wide web’, the underground fungal network which links the terrestrial and the underworld. The Dutch designer explored the rich interconnectedness of the unfamiliar world that is the fungal network and the life-bearing fine threads of mycelium. The collection detailed the existence of this ‘fabric of life,’ the marvelling world of undergrowth tapestry. In reference to the book by scientist 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.’ “Thinking about fungi makes the world look different. These astonishing organisms challenge our animal imaginations and make questions of many of our well-worn concepts, from individuality to intelligence.” Sheldrake, M. Penguin Random House, 2020 ‘Roots of Rebirth’ introduced the audience to a sequence of 21 looks inspired by roots and spores. During the show, the garments echoed fungal activity. Multiple translucent layers of duchess fabric were dyed in pastel hues, hand-embroidered roots surged and entwined the body in transformative tones, from liquid copper to deep shades of burnt umber.
(hautemacabre.com/2021/01/roots-of-rebirth-iris-van-herpen-spring-summer-2021-haute-couture-collection/)
Iris van Herpen’s homage to the Underground Fungal Network
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