To know the work of designer Iris van Herpen is to know the beauty of a mushroom gill (her Spring 2021 collection drew patterns from the mycelium network), the glow of bioluminescent algae (Fall 2025 included a “living dress” made with 125 million Pyrocystis lunula organisms) and the movement of a bird mid-flight (as seen in the glass wing pleats of her Fall 2018 collection). Since founding her namesake brand in 2007, the forward-thinking Dutch couturier has looked to fields spanning mathematics, neuroscience, marine biology, paleontology, mycology, mineralogy, astronomy, architecture and dance to inspire her fantastical haute couture garments. Those wide-ranging sources of inspiration are at the center of Brooklyn Museum’s newest fashion exhibit, “ Iris van Herpen: Sculpting the Senses .” "Iris van Herpen: Sculpting the Senses" Photo: Courtesy of Brooklyn Museum ...
Marking Pratt Institute's 125th annual showcase, the New York-based university held its 2026 Pratt Fashion Show at Powerhouse Arts on Thursday. Split between an afternoon and evening presentation, the runway event spotlighted 155 looks by 28 graduating fashion design students. Womenswear, menswear and unisex silhouettes debuted on the runway, with many students exploring weaving, embroidery, hand-dyeing and other textile techniques through their creations. Sustainability also played a crucial role in the designs, as the graduating students were required to commit to a minimum of 20% responsibly or sustainably sourced resources within their collections (though many students exceeded this requirement, Fashion Department Chairperson Lisa Z. Morgan said in a statement). Before the runway began, Korina Emmerich of Emme Studio was awarded Pratt Institute's 2026 Fashion Visionary Award. "I was so impressed by how much every student at Pratt held their collection so close to the...