The British-American fashion designer Harris Reed kicked off London Fashion Week with his signature flare for putting on a theatrical production through his work and giving traditional design codes a gender-fluid flip. This time, he explored the themes of a debutante ball, rewriting conventional female tropes with his take.
For his Spring/Summer 2023 demi-couture collection, he played up waist-cinching corsets and voluminous crinolines in regal colors like fuchsia and marigold, teaming them with rocker-ready black thigh-high boots and grandiose headpieces from milliner Vivienne Lake, who designed the sky-scraping halo and bell-shaped creations this season.
He gave a nod to the return of his Missoma collaboration by dressing a model in one-of-a-kind bespoke piece of wearable art crafted by Italian artisans and featuring a crescent moon, a North Star motif, and a Georgian-inspired hand holding a baroque pearl — all consistent themes in Reed and Missoma’s second collection (which launched Thursday).
The new Harris Reed x Missoma assortment includes 14 pieces with three new silver styles and five new gold designs. When the collection first launched in 2021, the collaboration’s signature In Good Hands Pearl necklace sold out a whopping five times — and it’s no wonder — pieces from the original offering were sported by Billie Eilish, Adele, Gigi Hadid, Bella Hadid, Emma Watson, Sam Smith, and Anya Taylor-Joy.
“I fight for the beauty of fluidity. I fight for a more opulent and accepting world. That is really important to me,” Reed said in a statement. “The Harris Reed challenge is to be the fashion risk taker. I love wearing just silver but mixing metals is not only easy, it also makes a big impact. The jewelry really pops with the contrast. With this collection, go have fun and play.”
Singer Adam Lambert (who is currently collaborating with the iconic British band Queen as their lead vocalist) performed during the presentation and closed out the show with an emotional rendition of “Who Wants to Live Forever.” Reed sang Lambert’s praises on Instagram.
“When my partner and I saw you performing in queen at the O2 in all your crystals and makeup and the entire arena cheered, smiled, and embraced you for you, I have never cried so much,” wrote Reed. “Isn’t the ultimate dream being so deeply yourself you have never felt more you and at the same time the world embraces, doesn’t judge or box you in but LOVES YOU FOR YOU.”
Following the Sept. 8 death of Queen Elizabeth II, there were talks that London Fashion Week may be canceled. Reed shared a message on Instagram respectfully asking for support for small brands.
“It has been a challenging two years, in these two years I have been absolutely blown away by how incredibly supportive the fashion community is in London when put through massive challenges. Designers, models, movement directors, casting directors, nail artists, [and] writers have supported one another, lifting one another up,” he wrote. “London is a place where community, creativity, and cultivation should always be in the forefront of what we support and nurture.”
