Fashion meets technology
Designers create clothing with unique inspiration
Dutch designer Iris van Herpen is globally renowned for innovative fashions crafted from plastic, magnets, umbrella tines and other unorthodox materials.
Pittsburgh’s fashion and arts communities know a thing or two about transforming ordinary objects into extraordinary designs, too.
At 7 p.m. Friday, the unique creations of a dozen local artisans will be featured in the Material Worlds fashion show at Ace Hotel Pittsburgh in East Liberty. The event is produced by LUXE Creative and presented by the Carnegie Museum of Art, where the exhibition “Iris van Herpen: Transforming Fashion” is on display in the Heinz Galleries through May 1. Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre dancers will be the models.
Earlier this year, the museum invited artists to submit ideas for garments they could create for the show in the spirit of Ms. van Herpen’s unconventional aesthetic. A committee selected the winners, who received a paid stipend and access to TechShop in East Liberty’s Bakery Square to help turn their ideas into something wearable in just a few weeks.
Because Ms. van Herpen’s work melds style with science and technology, the show’s roster of artists is a mix of fashion and jewelry designers, sculptors, architecture students and even a human hair artist. For some, the event is a chance to try something new.