Iris Van Herpen S/S 2011 courtesy of Pleatfarm.comI wanted to add this image because I feel that it's very evocative of the route that many young designers are currently taking. It shows a clear mastery of technical skill and an almost slavish devotion to technique itself. The piece is awe-inspiring to say the least; however, in my opinion the extreme amount of fabric manipulation renders it clinical and overtly calculated. I feel that such extreme fabric torture allows very little room for the audience to create their own sense of fantasy. That's not to say that Ms. Van Herpen isn't a designer of liberated imagination, but my own beliefs in what makes for exciting fashion leaves me feeling that such a garment is more sterile than moving.
