Sustainability is one of the biggest buzz words in the fashion industry today. As new faces join the workforce, everyone wants to find ways to close the production loop to work towards a circular economy. Many designers have come up with innovative ways to reduce waste in textile production, but none have created a fully vegan dress — until now, that is.
Magnum ice cream and Iris Van Herpen have taken the term “vegan fashion” to a whole new level. During Paris Fashion Week on July 4th at Elysée Montmartre, the Magnum Vegan Dress went down the runway, worn by model Cindy Bruna in Iris Van Herpen’s 15th Anniversary show. Iris Van Herpen is known as one of the most innovative designers, often combining new technological advances with haute couture.
The Magnum Vegan Dress she designed is made from cocoa bean husks and is inspired by the iconic Magnum vegan ice cream. It features beautiful details that evoke plantlike aesthetics, with copper-coated embellishments as well as upcycled and pliseed organza. Iris Van Herpen also utilized SLS technology (Selective Laser Sintering) to 3-D print certain elements.
Magnum’s vegan ice cream is an award-winning collection of delicious, plant-based indulgence. It offers all of the decadence of traditional ice cream without containing dairy. This collaboration supports both Magnum and Iris Van Herpen’s ambitions to work towards a circular economy.
Iris says “I am honored to have been approached by Magnum ice cream as a partner to bring to life the Magnum Vegan Dress. 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. The opportunity to work with the brand on such an innovation in sustainable fashion has been a very special experience.”
While we still have a long way to go, with innovators like Magnum and Iris Van Herpen, we are one step closer to creating a more sustainable world.