Fashion fans, singer Harry Styles or actress Emma Watson surely already know her name. Harris Reed is one of the next generation of prominent designers. It is therefore not surprising thatat the age of only 26 he has just been appointed head of the artistic direction of Nina Ricci. And it could be a winning bet for this French luxury home.
Where does designer Harris Reed come from?
To better understand the interest of this news, let’s start with the presentations. Harris Reed doesn’t come completely out of nowhere, let alone poverty: he’s the son of Academy Award-winning documentary producer Nicholas Reed and model Lynette Reed. Something that helps you grow with the right connections to integrate the closed world of entertainment. After growing up in California, he went on to study fashion at Central Saint Martins College in London, one of the most recognized courses in the world.
Reflecting his androgynous appeal, Harris Reed imagines collections genderfluid. For this he is inspired by both David Bowie and the New York Dolls (one of the first punk rock groups, who practiced from 1971 to 1977 with a glam rock look). What quickly catches the attention of Harry Styles designer Harry Lambert, for whom Harris Reed designs several stage costumes.
Since we don’t change a Harry / Harris winning teamthe trio joins the photo series again for the December 2020 issue of rowing United States including the British singer on the cover. Since it was the first time a man had appeared on the magazine’s solo cover, he caused quite a stir, especially as he wore a suit. Enough to create a tidal wave of media, an hypervisibility that Harris Reed has greatly benefited from.
How Harris Reed dresses pop culture in his genderfluid fashion
In reality, the young designer presented his collections only as part of London Fashion Week from September 2021. (then 25), but immediately attracted all the attention of the media. Thus, the second look of the collection that she then presented, for spring-summer 2022, was worn the following month by Emma Watson during the Earthshot awards ceremony. It was the actress’s first red carpet appearance in centuries, so something to impress with this masculine-feminine look that recycled old wedding dresses.
His second official collection, for autumn-winter 2022-2023, Harris Reed accentuated his trademarks: statuary silhouettes, rich in a flared cut with very seventies flared legs on the side of the pants, and dramatic in staging. And ever sinceknows how to advertise through celebrities during ultra-media eventsis inspired by her eighth look to dress supermodel Iman Mohamed Abdulmajid (widow of David Bowie) at the Met Gala on September 13, 2021, then Lil Nas X at the MTV VMAs on August 29, 2022. What, again, imprinting his style on the retina of time, and establishing himself as an essential creator of contemporary pop culture.
Since then, Harris Reed has also dressed the singers Adele, Selena Gomez, Miley Cyrus, Sam Smith, Beyoncé. But it is precisely because he believes he is developing a fashion free gender (freed from gender boundaries) that his creations even take up residence at the Victoria & Albert Museum in London, as part of the exhibition “Fashioning Masculinities: The Art of Menswear” (until 6 November 2022). This questions the evolution of masculinity through clothing.
While he has just unveiled his third official collection for spring-summer 2023 during this London Fashion Week marked by the death of Elizabeth II, Harris Reed is therefore once again attracting all the attention with this new appointment. He has just been appointed creative director of Nina Ricci.
Where is Nina Ricci’s house today
This French luxury house was founded in 1932 by Maria Adélaïde Nielli from her birth name, an Italian born in Turin in 1883 who married a certain Louis Ricci with whom she settled in Monaco before coming to Paris to create her own brand with her son Robert Ricci. After twenty years as the artistic director of her house, Maria Adélaïde Ricci returns her pencils. Jules-François Crahay followed in 1954, Gérard Pipart in 1964 until Nathalie Gervais replaced him in 1998 (Puig bought the house that year), Lars Nilsson in 2003, Olivier Theyskens in 2006, Peter Copping in 2009 , Guillaume Henry in 2015, Lisi Herrebrugh and Rushemy Botter (designer couple behind the Botter brand) in 2018.
Like many luxury houses today, the fashion shows primarily serve as an attractive showcase for primarily selling cosmetics and perfumes. It’s a winning strategy for the Puig group, which also owns Paco Rabanne, Jean Paul Gaultier, Carolina Herrera and even Dries Van Noten. Thus, the fragrance L’Air du Temps by Nina Ricci, launched in 1948, with its iconic bottle with a dove cap imagined by the Lalique house of the time, continues to be a worldwide success, for example.
Will Harris Reed be able to capture the spirit of the times to sell much more than perfume? Response at the beginning of 2023 when his first collection for Nina Ricci will be presented.
Front page photo credit: Instagram screenshot by Nina Ricci.
Source: Madmoizelle
Ashley Root is an author and celebrity journalist who writes for The Fashion Vibes. With a keen eye for all things celebrity, Ashley is always up-to-date on the latest gossip and trends in the world of entertainment.
