Dutch fashion designer melds the traditional and high-tech

Fashion designer Iris van Herpen (Photo from Flickr/Christopher Macsurak)

ATLANTA – A new exhibition at Atlanta’s High Museum of Art features the work of Dutch fashion designer Iris van Herpen.

Drawing inspiration from sources including art, architecture, the movement of the human body and science, the 31-year-old artist creates cutting-edge fashion using a combination of traditional craftsmanship and innovative technology.

The exhibition, “Iris van Herpen: Transforming Fashion,” opens Saturday and features 45 pieces pulled from 15 of van Herpen’s collections designed between 2008 and this year. Organized chronologically, it gives visitors insight into the evolution of the young designer’s career.

Many of the couture pieces look like costumes from a futuristic science fiction movie, with dramatic flourishes created from unexpected materials and contrasting textures.

Fashion-forward singers like Lady Gaga, Bjork and Beyonce have donned her creations.