What does fluidity mean to you? For gender-fluid fashion designer Harris Reed, it means to live your truth, be whoever you feel yourself to be, and to honestly express yourself to the world. Through their transformative designs, Reed has captured the eyes of Hollywood A-listers such as Harry Styles, Solange, and most recently Miley Cyrus—effectively spreading their message of gender fluidity and inclusivity across the globe.
And now at 24-years-old, the Central Saint Martins graduate is still pushing boundaries by partnering up with MAC Cosmetics, launching the first ever fluid makeup collection in MAC history. With this partnership, Reed hopes to “give you fluid freedom, utter self expression, and the tools you need in your tool box. Saying goodbye to labels or rules of what men, women, and non-binary individuals can do and be.”
Just in time for Fashion Week, February 18th sees this limited-edition collection hitting our shelves worldwide—daring us to be creative within our own identities with a four-piece set, consisting of creamy consistencies, vibrant hues, and plenty of sparkles. Reed wants us to “have fun with being who you are and making your own rules of beauty, because everything else is thrown out the window.” Leaving this collection sans brushes was another deliberate decision by the passionate designer, opting instead for the human touch that results in creating defining moments of inspiration.
“There are no brushes or tubes, it is all about using your fingers and putting lipstick on your eyes or cheeks, eyeshadow in your hairline, and using highlighter as body shimmer.” – Harris Reed
This hands-on approach to makeup was born through a unique self-expression of finding beauty in the mistakes, and a creative freedom of changing one’s makeup with a single sweep of unexpected eyeshadow or smear of unruly lipstick whenever the mood takes us. The Harris Reed X MAC Cosmetics collaboration is not only redefining genders and identity, but also how we view makeup and beauty. “The world doesn’t define standards of beauty, strength, or power… we do. This is about defining what you look like to the world.”
Inspired by glam-rock romanticism, half-American, half-British designer Harris Reed hopes to spark the conversation in relation to the injustices happening within society today. So, while selecting from this soft pink Victorian gilded packaged collection, remember to fight for the beauty of fluidity and express your individuality… YOUR WAY.
Available at Selfridges.com and maccosmetics.co.uk on the 18th February 2021.
Words by Vinona Baines
