Couture is what couture does—it is emotional, considered, crafted with the utmost care and, in Dutch designer Iris van Herpen’s case, it is where opposing forces come together. She has created couture with recycled plastic, digitally printed clothing, and harnessed kinetic energy in calf-length dresses. The couturier’s latest co-conspirator and creative collaborator, Bollywood actor Sonam Kapoor Ahuja, wears a look from the haute couture spring/summer 2021 collection and turns interviewer to the dreamweaver. Excerpts from the conversation:
Sonam Kapoor Ahuja: When I saw your clothes a couple of years ago, I was so moved. I find them romantic and innovative at the same time. Simultaneously old and new…
Iris van Herpen: Yes, I think it’s beautiful to think about time and evolution in a non-linear way. I have a passion for the craftsmanship that goes into fashion and all the incredible people that have evolved craftsmanship through time. But I also want to add the here and now to it. I’m trying to learn from the past while looking to the future.
SKA: Across your various collections, there’s an emphasis on movement, and how the garment moves. Is that because of your background as a ballet dancer?
IVH: Dance has always inspired me. Not only classical ballet but many forms of dance. My mother was a dance teacher. It’s that transformation of the body and the beautiful relationship that we have between our mind and our body that intrigues me. I’m still looking for that energy within my garments— that transformative energy that a woman can have and radiate.
This story is from the April 2021 edition of VOGUE India.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the April 2021 edition of VOGUE India.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Breathe In, Breathe Out
A powerful tool to help you master your nervous system or another biohacking buzzword? SIMONE DHONDY explores the inhalations and exhalations of breathwork
Red Pill, Blue Pill
India's nutraceutical industry is booming thanks to advanced technology, distrust of the medical system and rising vanity. With multivitamins becoming purer and more effective, NIDHI GUPTA finds out if supplements have become the new serum
Sign of the times
No longer do you need to have an answer to, \"What is the significance of this?\" when people point to your new tattoo. ARMAN KHAN discovers that everything is on the table when you get inked temporarily
Return to form
Watching the world's most elite athletes deliver the best performances of their careers rekindled SONAKSHI SHARMA's own love for sports
Dimple, All Day
YOU MAY HAVE WATCHED HER ON THE BIG SCREEN FOR OVER FIVE DECADES, BUT DON'T MAKE THE MISTAKE OF ASSUMING THAT YOU KNOW DIMPLE KAPADIA.
MUSIC, TAKE CONTROL
As someone who had always sought safety in numbers, ALIZA FATMA often wondered what her own company would feel like. The answer arrived unexpectedly when she attended her first-ever music festival, one of the largest in the world, all alone
Let it grow
When we think of hardworking farmers toiling in India's scorching heat, we often think of men, the sweat on their brow, the sinews in their arms. JYOTI KUMARI speaks to four women who are championing the invisible female labour that keeps these fields running
YOU'LL NEVER WALK ALONE
When armless archer Sheetal Devi set her sights on the Paralympic Games this year, she knew she had a tough journey ahead of her. Luckily, her mother was with her every step of the way.
Beauty and the feast
The appeal of Indian weddings has always been in a sprawling spread. For additional bragging rights, Aditi Dugar recommends going beyond designer tablecloths and monogrammed napkins.
Sweet serendipity
From a scavenger hunt-inspired proposal to a Moroccan-themed baraat, Malvika Raj and Armaan Rai's love story prioritised playfulness throughout their blended celebrations.
