Iris van Herpen’s Autumn/Winter 2022-23 collection ‘Meta Morphism’ celebrates the fifteenth anniversary of the Maison. Looking at our ever expanding relationship with the meta verse and the shifting of society into hyperreality the collection explores the body in post-human realities, what will the digital ‘you’ look like? The Maison is already regarded for its futuristic approach, but this season the designer reflects on Ovid’s magnus opus poem ‘Metamorphoses’, written around the 8th century. For this anniversary showcase, Iris van Herpen makes her debut into the metaverse in collaboration with Microsoft, fusing the realms of digital and physical Couture to create a first of its kind mixed reality runway experience. During the show, physical models exist in harmony with digital avatars, shown through HoloLens 2 headsets and augmented reality on mobile phones, while digital portraits of Ovid’s myths are newly envisioned to intersect the physical show. The translucent layering and reflective textures of growth in this collection speak to a greater message of introspection. Demonstrating a more radical color palette for the Maison, accruing the lightest color way of any collection so far in cream hues and beige tones. Transparent voluminous drapes echo around the body like ghosts, creating patchworks of shadows, designed to turn inwards on ourselves and question who we are, and who we are to become. Accents of dark blues and amethysts, ochres, metallic silvers and copper intersect the lucid palette, mirroring the vibrant flecks of our personalities. The shows opening look, the long white ‘Narcissus’ coat is embroidered with an artwork of echoing faces that shift while inter- locked. The portraits become glitchy and seem to slowly melt away. Discover Schohaja’s backstage photos below.