Harris Reed's London Fashion Week Debut Was All About the Beauty of Fluidity

The six-look “demi-couture” collection fuses traditional menswear with artful tulle confections.

Fashion weeks — even the digital ones — survive because, amid the chaos they create, there are moments of pure magic. Harris Reed‘s London Fashion Week debut on Thursday was one such moment.

Showing technically on the even of the event, the 24-year-old Central Saint Martins graduate presented six “demi-couture looks,” all modeled by the same person. According to Vogue, the fantastical gowns were handmade by Reed and their team using both new and upcycled textiles. The designs reflect the beauty of fluidity — an opulent and inclusive aesthetic that’s at the core of Reed’s brand.

Although you may not be familiar with the designer (yet), you may recall the Victorian-era crinoline suit they made for Harry Styles to wear in his Vogue cover story. Reed’s first full collection — titled “For Now, Unexplained” — is a continuation of the conversation they created with that look, playing with gender expectations and letting us step into an accepting world where the power of clothes let us embrace our true selves, whoever that is. It fuses traditional menswear (think structured suiting) with artful tulle confections; the pieces are loaded with volume, vibrant colors and glamorous tailoring.

Some looks resemble flamboyant deconstructions of historical aristocratic garments, which is a nod to what the show notes describe as Reed’s ongoing “exploration of London’s visual history” and fascination with “uniting the anarchy of the punk movement with the debutantes and their dressmakers.” One, for example, features half of a crimson ombré pannier-like skirt attached to a single pant leg; another boasts a debutante-inspired, high-waisted skirt bursting with layers of pink tulle. The room-occupying headpieces, inspired by punkish mohawks, are as just loud as the garments themselves, towering above the model as ornate art fixtures.

“Harris Reed is looking to the horizon, facing the unknown with a rebel streak and allowing for space, growth and exploration in this current moment, ” the show notes read. “Whatever comes next, comes next. For now, this is how it exists.”

See the Harris Reed’s first full collection in the gallery below.