Harris Reed is a fashion designer with a goal bigger than most! The 25 year old gender-fluid fashion designer based in London is a Central Saint Martins graduate with larger than life designs to match his personality. Reed uses his eccentric designing skills to begin a fight to blur the lines between what men, women and non-binary people wear, simultaneously changing the course of fashions future. Taking gender fluid fashion to new heights, Reed is set to showcase a collection of his best works at The Victoria & Albert Museum on Friday 18th March.
Taking inspiration from his childhood and the people around him, today his designs offer something new and exciting to the industry. Harris described his brand as “Romanticism gone Non binary”, this unlikely combo gives the wearer the confidence to feel their most authentic self and put their fluidity front and centre, something that is so empowering. The fight for fluidity in fashion is not an easy one. Many years of gender construct within the fashion industry need to be broken down, but with Reed’s goals and ideas, this future doesn’t seem an unlikely one!
Supported and loved by many superior brands and VIP celebs, Harris Reed is a well-needed breath of fresh air in the industry. Dressing the likes of Harry Styles, Solange Knowles, Selena Gomez, Ezra Miller, Troye Sivan and Miley Cyrus, Reed has a unique and particular style that emanates throughout his work and into the wearer. This is evident in the dress designed for Iman for the Met Gala 2021, the golden, sunbeam dress radiates Harris’s love for fashion and the limitless possibilities of the ever-changing industry, whilst also gracefully linking to the Met Gala’s theme.
Harris says that his inspiration comes from dressing up in old halloween costumes and his mums clothes at around the ages of 8 and 9, he says this is where his love for fashion first begun. You can see the playful ‘dressing-up box’ inspiration throughout all of Reed’s work. He has mentioned before that Little Bo Peep is one of many inspirations for his signature over exaggerated hats and fascinators- an unlikely source of inspiration for many, but not for the eye of Harris! A clear creative connection to this childhood nursery rhyme character is apparent in many of Harris’ collections; from his first year at CSM, his most recent re-worked bridal collection, and his “60 Years A Queen” collection which has just walked in London Fashion Week this year show.
Harris has said that it was a dream of his to bring out a bridal collection, and now he has! Entitled “Found” the collection is an extraordinary array of lace, veils and sheer material. This collection features 10 black and white looks creating a modern and sleek interpretation of classical wedding day clothes. This gender fluid bridal collection gives the wearer the breath-taking feeling that all hope to feel on their big day. A perfect balance of feminine and masculine silhouettes, the collection is unlike any other bridal collection ever designed before.
Entitled “60 Years A Queen” this demi-couture collection made its debut on the catwalk of London Fashion Week this year. His strive for fluidity is shown throughout the collection and is stunning to look at and shows a true and honest expression of Harris’s ethos. With a regal mix or corsets, gloves, and lace Harris is reaching new fashion heights many didn’t know existed. A classy and sophisticated take on fluid fashion, “60 Years A Queen” gives us a look into how broad the fluid fashion style can go!
Alongside his demi-couture collections, Harris has a “Fluid basics” collection containing a compilation of skin-toned wardrobe basics, further showing Harris’ range and passion for inclusivity for all. Soft, flexible fabric designed to make the wearer feel comfortable in their own skin no matter what, what’s not to love about that!
Harris Reed will present highlights from his outstanding Demi-couture collection at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London. Having fluid clothing and a queer designer represented in a museum is a groundbreaking step in Harris’s fight for inclusivity. The collection aims to show off the best of his work whilst educating people on the future of fluid fashion and its importance in the industry. Work from his first year at CSM to the latest LFW collection will be available for viewing. With an immersive set designed for the V&A, three fashion performances will take place in the museum’s Raphael Court on Friday 18 March, featuring designs that explore themes of performance, opulence and self- expression.
“Truly overwhelmed, this one’s for the queers and those who never thought they would see themselves represented in a museum!”
Words By Lily Grimes
Photo Credit: Harris Reed Instagram
