Harry Lambert has told the story of how he met Harris Reed countless times. “I feel like I say it with no emotion now,” he tells Vogue. But listening to the pair finish one another’s sentences during a snatched moment at London Fashion Week, the energy between them is electric. This is a partnership that has seen both their work (Harry’s styling; Harris’s demi-couture) appear on the world stage, quite literally, in Harry Styles’s tour wardrobes. But more important than the celebrities they dress, theirs is a creative, nurturing collaboration that encourages them both to do what they do best: create fashion moments without borders or labels. Their latest project? The Harris Reed X Missoma collection.
Although Harry maintains this was all the work of Harris – who, incidentally, he was instantly intrigued by after they met at an open casting – the designer himself says Lambert had an instrumental role in his first foray into the jewellery market. “What’s special about Harry is that the way he styles is not about just creating beauty, it’s about community; he builds a world around him,” says Reed, who consulted his friend at every step, from selecting a photographer to the Missoma lookbook design.
Needless to say, the wonderfully ornate yet affordable jewellery collection has been met with rapturous applause from the couple’s glamorous inner circle (Lambert also styles The Crown’s darlings, Emma Corrin and Josh O’Connor) and the industry at large. “I’ve learnt from Harry that you should never sacrifice what you stand for,” shares Harris of bringing his gender-fluid gothic romanticism to a global accessory brand. “And to have a sense of humour. You can have fun, while taking a stance on what you believe in.”
The feeling is mutual: “Obviously there’s a seriousness to what we do, and we want it to be chic, but it’s fun to be loud and silly sometimes,” chimes in Harry. You only need to look at Styles’s Guccified aesthetic – Harris cut his teeth in Alessandro Michele’s studio – to understand the playfulness at the core of their universe. Google “feather boas”, and it will be Styles’s picture that pops up.
Watching his friend take the talismans and tokens that inspire him to a wider audience is a new career highlight for Lambert, who will be wearing at least one necklace as his own little “essence of Harris” each day. “Harris creates these amazing, fantastical clothes that are almost from a dream, but sometimes we might not be able to wear those clothes. The jewellery gives us all ways to access his world; it’s so clever for a young designer to do this,” asserts Lambert.
Reed is pleased that the Missoma edit comes across like this. “I never want to sacrifice quality to be able to give something to someone, but I also understand that most people can’t afford a custom-made £20,000 gown. With Missoma, I knew the quality was there because most of the celebrities we work with have pieces from them.” Indeed, brand founder Marisa Hordern, who praises Harris’s energy and passion, says: “It was a dream come true for us to merge the drama of high-fashion together with jewellery for everyone. The synergy between us was just so palpable.”
For the London dinner to celebrate the collection, Harris will be wearing the sword charm. “My bio is fighting for the beauty of fluidity,” notes Reed. “I liked the idea of drawing a sword, because it doesn’t have to be an aggressive thing. It’s more of a statement; I’m cutting through to the next chapter.” Fashion couldn’t ask for a better duo to lead the way. Bravo.
