Harris Reed Wants The World To Wear His Pieces

At just 25-years old, designer Harris Reed has been quite busy building one of the industry’s buzziest up-and-coming labels. “These past three years have been incredibly insane, with attending the Met Gala, doing Harry Styles’ world tour, dressing some of the most amazing people, and launching a jewelry collaboration,” he tells TZR. And now, with the launch of the new Fluid Basics line, his collection of everyday wardrobe staples, the London-based designer is ready for the masses to experience his emerging brand.

“For me, it was super important to try to find a way to be able to get my message, ethos, and brand out to the world,” he explains. The ethos he follows? Come as you are, be as you are, and live every day as if it was your last. “It’s about being bold, bright, and courageous, and being authentically who you are,” Reed says. “That stems across the Harris Reed label, as well as the Fluid Basics by Harris Reed.” When it comes to the label’s DNA and Reed’s personal identity, the brand’s website says it’s best described as “Romanticism Gone Nonbinary.” The website adds, “It puts the wearer and their fluidity — in whatever way it manifests — front and center.”

If you can believe it, Reed got his foot in the door when he was still studying at Central Saint Martins. At the time, the designer was taking exams while also dressing A-list celebrities like Harry Styles, Solange, and Ezra Miller. “I was super fortunate to work with people like [stylist] Harry Lambert who’s been a guardian angel in my life — he was really able to give me my wings and incredible VIP clients,” Reed says. “I had my voice, but he helped me to be able to make my voice commercially seen — and I mean that in a way that he was able to help me put the steps in place to build a business and find the right people.”

Since officially launching his namesake label upon graduating in 2020, each collection has embodied gender-fluid fashion. Merging punk and glam, the designer makes clothing — such as upscale dresses and sleek suits — that aren’t labeled as masculine or feminine. Styling-wise, Reed has teamed up unexpected pairings like suiting and tulle gowns — notably for Harry Styles’ Vogue cover in 2020. Reed’s personal fashion sense is all about vintage-inspired pieces, which typically consist of colorful sets and exciting details like statement collars or sheer puff sleeve blouses.

While his newest offerings are more streamlined (hence the “basics” in Fluid Basics) than the dressy silhouettes his namesake brand is known for, Reed says this new line of wardrobe essentials is meant to seamlessly be incorporated into everyday life, and his attention to detail was still meticulous. “It’s been insane, but what I've loved about it is I'm still involved in the making process,” Reed explains about the new line. Adding that he finds ways to reimagine corsetry and ribbons. “All these beautiful details were really about looking at this Victorian Edwardian inspiration.”

The young designer also examines current social and political issues as a source of inspiration in his work — particularly within the issues that involve the queer communities, which really hit home for him. “I take inspiration a lot of times from my rage and frustration of looking at spaces and places where people can’t authentically be who they are,” he explains. “I’m able to use these feelings to create larger than life silhouettes and things that are really almost fashion protest. It's never about designing something beautiful, it's about designing something beautiful with meaning and a purpose.”

While you wait for the Fluid Basics line to be available later this month, get your hands on the label’s latest jewelry collection and current collection of boots (plus, they make great gifts!).

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