Harris Reed named artistic director of Nina Ricci

Rising star of the London avant-garde and gender fluid, Harris Reed has just been appointed artistic director of the Nina Ricci label.

Harris Reed‘s appointment as artistic director at Nina Ricci follows the departure in January of Lisi Herrebrugh and Rushemy Botter, who had been at the helm of the brand’s style since 2019. Harris Reed will present his first collection for the label in 2023.

An Anglo-American designer, Harris Reed was quick to understand the transformative power of clothing, closely correlated with identity. While studying at Central Saint Martins, he attracted the attention of celebrities such as Harry Styles, Alessandro Michele and Ezra Miller, resulting in numerous interviews and press articles. He dressed Harry Styles in the December 2020 Vogue magazine series, which featured a man on the cover for the first time.

While his design process is loosely inspired by his surroundings, social or political issues, he strives for a gender inclusive vision. He describes his DNA as “non-binary romanticism”. For him, fashion is revolutionary and has a card to play “to push the world to a more expressive and tolerant place” and “to help those who seek self-acceptance and self-love”.

In addition to his own semi-couture collections, the designer has launched home fragrances and a Fluid Basics line under his label. He is one of the key figures of the new generation of young creatives whose work marries fashion, film, beauty but also the digital world.

New blood

In an instagram post, the young man expresses himself in these terms: “With my 1m 93 (without heel!), my long red hair (everyone thinks I’m a fabulous woman!), I shamelessly enter a house I would never have dared to dream of in Paris, I am full of excitement and love. I am truly speechless… I have dreamed of this moment for so long, since I was a small child.”

“I am honored to join the house of Nina Ricci, with its treasure chest of glamour, history and power ready to be explored. I’m excited to challenge the landscape of what femininity means in fashion and beauty at such an iconic house,” he says in a statement.

The brand, founded in Paris in 1932, originally became known for its feminine, form-fitting dresses inspired by lingerie. Puig, the Spanish perfume and cosmetics giant bought the brand in 1998.