The world-famous Dutch fashion designer Iris van Herpen is coming to the Brooklyn Museum with her exhibition “Sculpting the Senses.” It includes the collection of 140 different dresses and is going to make history in the fashion industry. It will be on display for roughly 6.5 months until December 6, 2026.

This is the first major exhibition of Iris van Herpen at the Brooklyn Museum in her 19-year career. You will not see any ordinary rows of dresses on the ramp. Instead, Sculpting the Senses pulls visitors into a world where fashion does appear to breathe, float, and grow like living things.

The exhibition opened at the Brooklyn Museum on May 16 and marks the arrival of Van Herpen’s legacy in North America. After doing shows in Paris, Singapore, Australia, and the Netherlands, the show has finally landed in the Apple City with its biggest collection. And honestly, being a fashion lover in New York, it is difficult to ignore.

One gallery introduces visitors to the original version of Iris van Herpen’s famous bubble dress. It is the same dress that inspired Olympic skier Eileen Gu’s recent Met Gala look. According to Fast Company, the gown was created by design studio A.A.Murakami. 

They used thousands of hand-formed glass bubbles in it, and it took 2,550 hours to get ready. Hidden microprocessors inside the dress release real soap bubbles into the air as the wearer moves.

Change Brought By Iris van Herpen’s Brooklyn Museum Exhibition

One of the interesting things about this exhibition is that it has a strong connection with nature. People who don’t know should know this: Van Herpen studied the movement of water, coral reefs, bird skeletons, spider webs, fossils, and microscopic life forms for years. She does not simply copy nature into clothing. 

You can notice that approach in the exhibition. A skeletal gown inspired by bird anatomy and dinosaur fossils was borrowed from the American Museum of Natural History. In addition, there are dresses in the form of flowing waves with marine specimens. 

As Artnet reported, van Herpen believes that “nature is the best artist that we have on this planet.” This philosophy is used in every room of the exhibition.

Further, if you see these outfits closely, you will know more about them. Many of the garments may look fragile at first glance, but when you look at them carefully, you will understand them in detail. You will see layers of laser-cut fabric, hand stitches, and geometric forms.

Also Read: How The Benefits Of Cold Shower Every Day Can Improve Your Health 

Dress Made With Living Algae

From 140 pieces, the living algae dress has made thousands of people fans of Van Herpen’s work. It was created along with biodesigner Chris Bellamy. The gown contains 125 million living bioluminescent algae. The organisms react to movement and emit light, which lights up the dark dress.

According to WWD, the garment was grown over several months in seawater baths. It was not manufactured traditionally.

Van Herpen described the project as a breakthrough in her creative process because it involved working with nature and was inspired by it.

That same curiosity about materials and technology has defined her career for years. Back in 2010, she became the first designer to present a 3D-printed garment on a runway. That design, from her Crystallization collection, also appeared in the Brooklyn exhibition and still looks stunning even though it’s been a decade.  

Visitors Can Actually Work With Iris van Herpen

There is excellent news for the visitors who are planning to go to see the show at the Brooklyn Museum. Visitors can take part in the creative process in Sculpting the Senses. 

As Harper’s Bazaar revealed, van Herpen will host special one-on-one pleating sessions on selected days during the exhibition. Guests will work directly with the designer using a metal-based fabric developed for her signature plissé technique.

Each piece made by guests will eventually become part of a garment. Van Herpen explained that she wanted people to experience the quiet, meditative side of couture handwork—something rarely visible in modern fashion.

Plus, in the exhibition, you will see the recorded Rotunda installation. They are large-scale videos that show hours of hand embroidery and fabric construction. After watching the videos, one thing will be crystal clear to you: these garments are not designed in panic. They are the outcome of patience, experimentation, creativity, and hours of hard work.

Why the Show Feels So Different

Generally, fashion exhibitions often celebrate celebrity looks or iconic trends. But this one is quite different. It is personal and reflective.

Yes, you will see the outfits worn by Lady Gaga, Björk, Beyoncé, and Anne Hathaway. But the exhibition is less interested in fame than in ideas—how clothing can connect to movement, memory, science, and even the future of the human body—and you may remember this concept for a long time after you leave the museum.

There is a common feeling among the visitors who went to see Sculpting the Senses that van Herpen is not chasing trends. Her work asks bigger questions about where fashion is heading and how humans relate to the natural world around them.

At a time when the fashion industry thinks about the future, the Iris van Herpen Brooklyn Museum exhibition connects us to nature.

Also Read: GOP Star Vivek Ramaswamy Wins Ohio Governor Nomination

Sources & References:

• Fast Company – The dress of Olympic skier Eileen Gu at the Met Gala.
• Harper’s Bazaar – One-on-one pleating sessions with Van Herpen during the exhibition.
• Artnet – Nature is the best artist that we have on this planet.
• WWD – The making of the “Living Algae” dress.