Iris van Herpen: Sculpting The Senses At The Brooklyn Museum

My Visit to the Iris van Herpen Exhibit at the Brooklyn Museum

Iris van Herpen’s Sculpting the Senses at the Brooklyn Museum was a mesmerizing blend of haute couture, science, and art, in short a truly memorable experience. It took me a few months since seeing the exhibit to write about it just because I took so many photos to share which I had to find time to edit and organize.

The Exhibition at a Glance

Iris van Herpen is a Dutch fashion designer known for merging fashion, art, technology, science, and nature into wearable sculpture. She draws from sources as varied as coral reefs, water, the human body, and Japanese marbling techniques, often collaborating with scientists, engineers, and artists across disciplines. 

Running through December 6, 2026, this is van Herpen's first major  New York exhibition as well as the North American debut of a retrospective that brings together over 140 haute couture creations, pairing them with scientific artifacts, natural history specimens, contemporary art and design objects to show how fashion can mimic the architecture of nature itself. This all makes the exhibition feel less like a fashion show and more like entering a living, breathing natural history museum from the future.

The Immersive Experience of the Atelier

The show is organized around 11 thematic sections like Sensory Sea Life, Synesthesia, and Water and Dreams. Each zone uses soundscapes, lighting, and natural artifacts to enhance the overall experience.

A particular highlight that was created specifically for the Brooklyn Museum is the active reconstructed Atelier space where visitors get a window into van Herpen's creative process. Pieces of fabric and materials line the wall as real-time footage from her Dutch studio is projected. Visitors can view the fabric samples up close through microscopes and also touch a selection of others.

Highlights from the Galleries

• The Seijaku Dress (2016): glass bubbles fused with silicone, a striking example of her material innovation 

The Living Algae Dress (2025): this jaw-dropping piece incorporates 125 million light-emitting algae into the fabric.

• Ars Amatoria Gown (2022): a futuristic, sculptural piece from her Meta Morphism collection

• Pioneering 3D Printing: The exhibit features her historic 2010 Crystallization top, proving she was pushing technological boundaries long before it became a mainstream runway trend.

• Water and Dreams theme: aquatic looks using blown glass, laser cutting, and Japanese ink marbling, including the Water Dress (2010) and Hydrazoo Dress (2020

Tips for Your Visit

Go as early in the day as possible so you can linger without feeling rushed through the crowded rooms or the interactive zones. Plan to be there for at least two to three hours as there is a lot to read, look at, and absorb in every single gallery. Tickets are $30 and advance booking on the Brooklyn Museum ticketing page is strongly recommended before you go. 

Final Thoughts

Visiting Sculpting the Senses is an immersive experience like stepping into a living laboratory of imagination that treats clothing as an evolving relationship between body, nature, technology, and the world. The show was far more than a traditional fashion display with each gallery shifting in mood and atmosphere — from bright, airy spaces to dark, mysterious rooms with moody soundscapes. The curation paired her couture with artifacts from the museum’s collection, creating a dialogue between art, science, and nature. The craftsmanship was extraordinary with every detail intentional, every garment a work of art. It reminded me that fashion can be both art and science, and that the most beautiful designs often come from the most unexpected collaborations. If you’re in New York, this is a must-see and if you’re not, it’s worth planning a trip to experience van Herpen’s vision in person.

Photos: Through My Lens