February 21, 2025 |
“It’s only when we are no longer fearless that we can begin to create”, so declared Florence Pugh. The actress delivered a catwalk pep talk to Harris Reed’s audience, opening his show in a sheer, bias cut corseted gown before ending her monologue with a rousing “be yourself!”
The designer’s journey in fashion has been defined by that motto. As a gender fluid kid, making clothes was an important means of self expression and self affirmation for Reed who often refers to his formative years, sewing in his bedroom and “trying to create things of theater and glamour.” It is still the root of his dramatic aesthetic today, both at his own label and Nina Ricci, the Paris house he’s headed up since 2022. As a designer, he’s attuned to the power of clothes, creating fantastical silhouettes (Higher! Wider! Bigger!) that are designed, as he says, to “take up space.” High rise corsets had face framing spears and were inspired by armour and weaponry. Bursting from the back of a jacket, strange blue tentacles were inspired by the furniture brand Porta Romana’s urchin chandeliers, which hung from the ceiling of the show space. A balloon-skirted gown was generously splashed with gold leaf paint and caged crinolines encased the models in dramatic silhouettes.
“Every look claims space,” says Reed of the serious intention behind his designs. Undoubtedly, they hold the attention, which is exactly what his many fans, including Pugh adore. To quote Ru Paul, (and why not?), Reed’s looks give main character energy.
Photography courtesy of Harris Reed.
