Iris Van Herpen Made a Couture Dress Inspired by Magnum’s Vegan Ice Cream

So it was no surprise that the Dutch designer would take her futuristic inclinations even further with a look that pushed the limits on what technology can do — thanks to the help of ice cream brand Magnum.

Shown on model Cindy Bruna, Van Herpen introduced a chocolate brown outfit made from cocoa bean shells — a first for an haute couture look — that turned into biopolymer fibers with the help of 3D printing.

The intricate look designed in partnership with Magnum was created to celebrate its vegan range and acts as their first steps into circular fashion.

“I am honored to have been approached by Magnum as a partner to bring to life the Magnum Vegan Dress,” Van Herpen said. “As a designer, I have always worked to push the boundaries of design and this collaboration has really allowed us to take this one step further by linking the ingredients of an iconic Magnum Vegan to create a Haute Couture design.”

It also features copper-coated plant-like body embellishments that are draped and entwined with upcycled and pliseed organza, while other 3-D elements have been printed using innovative SLS technology (Selective Laser Sintering).

The Magnum Vegan dress is part of Van Herpen’s 15th-anniversary Fall 2022 Haute Couture collection titled “Meta Morphism,” which is inspired by Ovid’s poem “Metamorphoses” and the arrival (and influence) of the metaverse while questioning perceived reality and the breakdown of lines between the physical and digital realms.

Indeed, Magnum has had several fashion crossovers in the past, including projects with Jeremy Scott and Henry Holland. The brand also announced a new upcoming partnership with the University of Leeds where it will commission a research project with the Leeds Institute of Textiles and Colour to look at how Magnum can bring to life accessible, sustainable fashion using by-products from its core ingredients.

“What an honor to be able to reveal the Magnum Vegan Dress to the world, and to be able to do this at Iris’ 15th anniversary show just makes this even more special,” said model Cindy Bruna. “Bringing together ice cream and haute couture in such an unexpected and impactful way is so exciting, making this a partnership that I am delighted to be a part of.”

This article is a sponsored collaboration between Magnum and PAPER

Photos courtesy of Magnum