Dutch couturier Iris van Herpen honored with European Culture Prize

A new award for designer Iris van Herpen. The Dutch couturier and pioneer will receive the European Culture Prize this autumn. The prize's organiser, the European Cultural Forum, announced this in a press release.

“Iris van Herpen uniquely embodies the innovative spirit of Europe,” stated Reiner Schränkler, chairman of the European Cultural Forum, in the press release. “Her work connects art, craftsmanship, science and visions of the future at the highest level. She has revolutionised the international fashion world while creating a completely new visual language. The current exhibition in New York impressively underlines her global significance.” The exhibition in New York is the ‘Sculpting Senses’ exhibition, which was previously shown in Paris and Rotterdam.

Van Herpen will receive the award on September 4 at the Royal Concertgebouw in Amsterdam. She joins a line-up of renowned designers, including Karl Lagerfeld and Vivienne Westwood, who have previously received the European Culture Prize.

The Dutch designer already has several awards to her name. In 2025, she won the first Perrier-Jouët Design for Nature Award; received the Grand Seigneur, the Fashion Stipendium and the Johannes Vermeer Prize; and has also won an Andam Award and multiple Dutch Design Awards.