Harris Reed is undoubtedly one of the most exciting designers working in the industry right now, who at only 25 years old has already made a powerful mark. He doesn’t simply make clothes, but uses his designs and platform to spark conversation, fight for inclusivity and champion gender fluidity. Harris only founded his eponymous label three years ago but his aesthetic is firmly established. He mixes aristocratic references with ’70s silhouettes, the grittiness of London nightlife and a glam rock spirit, making a theatrical look which he describes as ‘Romanticism Gone Nonbinary.’ Each collection includes gigantic hats, gowns made from deadstock fabrics and exaggerated flares—signatures which have made his show the hottest ticket during London Fashion Week.
Harry Styles was an early supporter, wearing a tailored suit with a hoop-skirt in tulle and satin on his cover of American Vogue in November 2020. “To wear Harris’s clothes is to be having fun,” Styles told the New Yorker. “Every frill is there to be played with, and an overwhelming sense of freedom shall rain down upon you.” This sense of release is at the core of everything Harris does, as he says the performance of dressing up is as important to him as the design process. Having created his label before even finishing his studies at Central Saint Martins, and side-stepping the traditional production model to only focus on made-to-order, Reed is a shining example to young designers of how to do things differently.
It is natural then that he has quickly turned to mentorship, joining forces with Klarna to launch a competition for young talent to represent a gender fluid world through a sustainable lens. Reed is the perfect mentor as alongside his dedication to demi-couture he also understands the importance of commercial partnerships and how they can amplify your brand to become a global powerhouse—he’s worked with MAC Cosmetics and Missoma on collaborations, to name a few. In addition, his knowledge of social media, engaging an audience and looking for multiple offshoot opportunities to expand his business cement him as quite the modern polymath. “It’s funny but I wear a lot of hats for someone who makes hats!” jokes Reed, and he’s not wrong.
I spoke with Reed about the power of mentorship, how he found his aesthetic and the biggest misconceptions about gender fluid fashion.
wazup.