Go see Iris Van Herpen’s hi-tech haute couture sculptures IRL in Paris

…plus all the other fashion news you missed this week, from Goohmeo’s erotic sports collection to Michaela Coel bagging a fashion award and Timothée Chalamet’s cursed Wonka suit

5December 2023

For Iris Van Herpen, fashion is less about viral TikTok gimmicks and more about scientific, haute couture spectacles that stimulate all the senses. In fact, during a 2021 interview with Dazed, the Dutch designer declared: “I really see couture as a laboratory of fashion, a beautiful place where there’s time and resources to work on new materials.” The result: a 16-year archive of 3D-printed metallic panels meticulously-stacked into alien-like vertebrae, swirling, layered-up strips of fabric that expand and shapeshift with each model’s steps, and crystallised blown glass sculpted to illustrate transparent water splashes or ink stains frozen in time – all worn by celebrities like Beyoncé, Lady Gaga, Björk, and Rosalía and solidifying Van Herpen as one of fashion’s most innovative names to date.

If you – like many of us – haven’t caught one of the designer’s haute couture sculptures IRL, we have news for you. Paying homage to Van Herpen, Paris’ Musée des Arts Décoratifs has launched a brand new exhibition devoted to the designer’s 16-years of forward-thinking designs. “From micro to macro, the exhibition questions the place of the body in space, its relationship to clothing and its environment, as well as its future in a rapidly changing world,” the museum explained while announcing the exhibition – titled Sculpting the Senses – in January.

So, what’s on the line-up? Bringing Van Herpen’s designs to life, the exhibition will merge fashion, contemporary art, design, and science, revolving around nine different themes that form the core of the designer’s body of work. Meanwhile, visitors can also pick up a brand new Iris Van Herpen coffee table tome available to purchase in the museum’s gift shop. Iris Van Herpen: Sculpting the Senses runs from November 29 to April 28 at 107 Rue de Rivoli in Paris, book tickets here.

In other fashion news, the fashion game of musical chairs is back with Matthew Williams leaving Givenchy, Pharrell took Louis Vuitton on a trip to Hong Kong for the house’s first-ever pre-fall menswear show, Patricia Arquette auctioned off a night on the town with her True Romance character Alabama Worley to raise money for climate change, knitwear designer Paolina Russo dropped three cute looks on Roblox, and FLANNELS re-opened it’s Beyoncé pop-up shop. Plus, Dazed dropped six covers for its winter 2023 issue: the Baddie Issue – check them all out here, and click through the gallery below to see everything else you missed this week.

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THINGS ARE GETTING EVEN MORE DEPRESSING AT SHEIN

As we all probably know by now, fast fashion brands will do anything it takes to make money – just ask Kourtney Kardashian’s fake “sustainability” stint at Pretty Little Thing or Shein’s dodgy influencer factory tours. Now – in an attempt to expand its empire – Shein has filed paperwork to go public on the US stock market.

So, what does this mean for the unsustainable brand? In short: the fashion giant is spreading its global reach, and only going to grow larger in value over time [yes, all despite long-standing reports of poor working conditions in factories and stealing designs from independent artists, plus its unsustainable environmental model]. As for those of us who actually care about the planet and fashion workers’ rights, we are… afraid x

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Photography Anna Rosova, Make-up Julia Edwards

MICHAELA COEL IS HONOURED WITH A FASHION INNOVATOR AWARD

In less unsettling news: director, screenwriter, and actor Michaela Coel will be honoured with the British Fashion Council’s Pandora Leader of Change Award at The Fashion Awards 2023 on December 4. Presented by none other than Pamela Anderson, the award – which honours creatives who make positive, global change – comes in celebration of Coel’s work “[unapologetically exploring] the topics of race, class, and gender while telling the authentic and complex stories of Black women and queer identities” via Chewing Gum, I May Destroy You, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, and Top Boy.

Elsewhere, from hosting the 2023 Met Ball to gracing the cover of Vogue, and holding close friendships with designers like Riccardo Tisci, Coel’s work has transcended far beyond television and film – expanding themes of representation and empowerment towards all sides of the creative industries.

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RICK OWENS AND MONCLER’S RAVER SLEEPWEAR IS FINALLY HERE

Way back in February, Rick Owens joined forces with Moncler for the second time ever, teasing images of goth ravers in pumped-up puffers, sweeping column dresses, and louche sweats, all standing before a brutalist, sound-proof sleep pod. Why? “[Raves] sound like the perfect scenario for an insulated bed,” the designer told Dazed earlier this year, explaining how – in his opinion – the recycled, sound-proof bed’s privacy signifies the height of luxury between the two brands. Now – whether you’ll be napping mid-Berghain bender or not – the collab is finally available online. Shop here.

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Photography Heji Shin

GOOMHEO DROPPED AN EROTIC SPORTS CAPSULE

For its SS24 collection, London-based label GOOMHEO is subverting everything we know about sportswear. Titled Bad Sports, the collection takes its wearers inside the locker rooms – which, according to GOOMHEO offers insight to the “overt homoeroticism” evident within sports – with an offering of wrestling singlets extended across the body and paired with matching head gear, barely-there, cut-out pin-striped tops, zip-up short shorts paired only with cricket padding, acid washed vests and thigh-hugging jeans, and laced-up cropped jackets. Elsewhere, vintage ringer tees are reimagined in second-skin styles – all featuring GOOHMEO’s team logos and lensed by photographer Heji Shin as GOOHMEO’s models celebrate a sweaty sports victory. View the collection here.

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SHOP THE SKY HIGH FARM UNIVERSE HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE

That’s right, it’s officially December: the most wonderful time of the year. Need a nice present to distract yourself from the impending freezing weather, political arguments, and family drama come the end of the month? We don’t blame you! Lucky for us, Sky High Farm Universe – a mission-based, Dover Street Market-approved brand supporting NY-based non-profit Sky High Farm (501) – has released its 2023 holiday gift guide featuring its signature workwear.

Scroll through the site for cute Sky High Farm Workwear accessories, pyjama sets, and clothing from its latest collab collection “El Mundo es Un Pañuelo” which translates to “It’s a Small World”. Shop the Sky High Farm Universe gift guide here.

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Courtesy of Valentino

VALENTINO DROPS A BOW-ADORNED MULE FOR THE TIKTOK GIRLIES

Whether it’s the festive season or the slew of fashion girlies tacking ribbons to their bags, outfits, and hair on TikTok – it’s undeniable that bows are in this winter. Just in time, Valentino has unveiled its newest release: the Garavani un Chateau – a pink, red, and platinum mule adorned with an large bow detail and first revealed during its AW23 Haute Couture show. Shop the shoe here.

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EVERYONE SHOWED UP FOR BEYONCÉ’S RENAISSANCE RED CARPET

Last night [November 30], some of fashion’s biggest names showed up in London to celebrate the premiere of Beyoncé’s new Renaissance concert film, walk the red carpet, and fangirl over being 10 metres away from the musician [Celebrities, they’re just like us (sort of)!].

Besides the queen, herself, who showed up in a black blazer, and daughter-slash-backup dancer Blue Ivy, who wore a black Versace gown, model and activist Munroe Bergdorf turned up in a custom latex look by Atsuko-Kudo, model Jourdan Dunn wore a belted black jumpsuit and cape, Blake Lively showed up in a Chanel get-up, and fellow music mogul Taylor Swift wore a long, silver gown.

Meanwhile, Dazed cover star Bree Runway showed one of the evening’s best looks – a black-and-white, latex dress which danced and bounced around her body as she stood on the red carpet, all crafted by designer Monique Fei.

08 / 08

TIMOTHÉE CHALAMET’S WONKA SUIT IS DIVIDING THE INTERNET

Well, Wonka is officially almost here, and at its world premiere in London, starring actor Timothée Chalamet showed off not one, but two shirtless looks – a pinstriped Alexander McQueen tailcoat and a purple, velvet Wonka-esque Tom Ford suit, both worn with nothing underneath [a signature of the actor’s red carpet looks]. Now, it’s no coincidence that – after the film’s cringe-worthy trailer dropped this summer – Chalamet’s looks have raised some questions online. For example, does Chalamet own a shirt? Should he borrow one from Kylie? Did he dress like a slutty Wonka bar on purpose?

Of course, others are thirsting over the look, with one user commenting, “Never in my life would I have thought I would find Willy Wonka attractive,” on a TikTok showing off the suit. Tbh we can’t blame you, but we are a little worried.

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