butterfly kinetic sculptures flutter along iris van herpen’s couture dress at MET gala 2024

iris van herpen’s haute couture dress at MET gala 2024

During the MET Gala 2024, Iris Van Herpen’s haute couture dress made an appearance, escorted by a kaleidoscope of wearable butterfly kinetic sculptures slowly fluttering their pink-dusted wings. By the way the dress looks, it may as well be exhibited inside the post-MET Gala 2024 exhibition, Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion, which runs from May 10th until September 2nd, 2024.

These moving sculptures are the brainchild of artist Casey Curran. He said that the philanthropist and entrepreneur Mona Patel, the wearer of the Iris Van Herpen kinetic dress, reached out to him for a ‘wild and frankly technically challenging idea,’ the artist writes on his Instagram. It took Casey Curran and Iris Van Herpen’s team a month or so to finish the butterfly kinetic sculptures and the ethereal-looking haute couture dress in time for the MET Gala 2024.

images courtesy of Iris Van Herpen

butterfly kinetic sculptures with pink-hued wings

Named APSARA, the mythological Iris Van Herpen’s haute couture dress fits the MET Gala 2024 theme, Garden of Time. As Mona Patel graced the red carpet, the butterfly sculptures accompanied her poise and stance, taking their glacial flights on the length of her arms. Behind the dress, artist Casey Curran placed a box that may be engineering the movement of the kinetic sculptures. Translucent wires were pushed and pulled by the crank that rotated at the bottom of the box, continuously making the butterflies’ wings beat.

Looking at the dress, the stark lines that have long marked Iris Van Herpen’s haute couture signature appeared visible, golden and light around the pink-hued dress. They formed their own silhouettes that followed the bodice of Mona Patel, even reaching the tail of the dress, where a series of overlapping textiles resembled the wings of the butterfly kinetic sculptures. This project and the village of people that took the MET Gala by gentle storm last night have filled my heart with so much joy, beauty, and inspiration,’ writes artist Casey Curran on his Instagram. In its way, this MET Gala 2024 dress may have invited viewers to visualize what an ethereal garden looks like.

Mona Patel wears Iris Van Herpen’s MET Gala 2024 dress with butterfly kinetic sculptures by Casey Curran

a box behind the dress that makes the kinetic sculptures move

front view of Iris Van Herpen’s MET Gala 2024 dress with butterfly kinetic sculptures by Casey Curran

the tail has overlapping textiles resembling butterfly wings

Mona Patel wearing Iris Van Herpen’s MET Gala 2024 dress

 

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by Iris van Herpen Official (@irisvanherpen)

project info:

name: APSARA

dress: Iris Van Herpen

arm piece: Casey Curran

talent: Mona Patel 
photographer: Alikhan 
art director: Radik Ayzharikov
make up: Sidney Jamila 
hair: Chris Martin, Edgar Martin
producer: Karina Kandel
production designer: Kristopher Saldana