Dutch fashion designer Iris van Herpen has once again pushed the boundaries of haute couture with the unveiling of Helix Nebula, a groundbreaking dress featuring glowing plasma encased within hand-shaped glass horns. Presented during Paris Couture Week, the futuristic creation is believed to be the world’s first garment to integrate plasma, where the electrically charged fourth state of matter transforms fashion into an immersive display of light, science, and craftsmanship.
A Couture Dress Illuminated by Plasma
Created in collaboration with American artist Mundy Hepburn, the Helix Nebula dress incorporates plasma sealed inside sculptural glass horns that extend across the garment. As the wearer moves, the body’s natural electrical conductivity interacts with the plasma’s electromagnetic field, causing charged particles inside the glass to emit glowing red light. The effect creates dramatic streaks of luminous energy flowing through the glass elements, making the dress appear alive with movement.
The phenomenon resembles the technology behind neon lighting, where electrically charged gases produce visible light. While plasma is rarely encountered on Earth outside natural events such as lightning and the aurora borealis, it is the most abundant form of visible matter in the universe, forming the substance of stars.
Projects like Iris van Herpen’s demonstrate how the future of fashion is being shaped by computational thinking, digital fabrication, and material experimentation. As architects and designers increasingly explore the intersection of technology, geometry, and wearable design, these skills are becoming relevant far beyond traditional fashion practice. Those interested in creating parametric wearables, working with Rhino, Grasshopper, 3D body scanning, 3D printing, and fabrication-ready design workflows can continue their exploration through specialized online workshops available at PAACADEMY, taught by leading practitioners at the forefront of computational fashion design.
Blending Scientific Innovation with Traditional Craftsmanship
Van Herpen paired this technological breakthrough with meticulous couture techniques. The transparent tulle gown is embellished with approximately 8,000 hand-blown glass spheres, each individually bonded to the fabric using ultraviolet light. The shimmering spheres echo the iridescent bubble effect first introduced in the designer’s celebrated gown created for skier and model Eileen Gu at this year’s Met Gala, adding depth and movement to the translucent silhouette.
The project continues her long-standing exploration of unconventional materials in fashion at the Paris Couture Week. Having previously experimented with solids, liquids, living materials, and gases, Helix Nebula marks her first creation to incorporate plasma, further expanding the possibilities of wearable design.
Part of the Sonic Starquakes Couture Collection
The Helix Nebula gown is one of 17 couture looks featured in Van Herpen’s Sonic Starquakes collection. Inspired by the invisible forces that govern the cosmos, the collection explores the interconnected patterns found throughout nature, right from lightning storms on Jupiter and branching river deltas to human blood vessels and neural networks.
Photo Credit: Iris van Herpen
