Interview: Harris Reed on breaking fashion norms and working with Royal Salute

Harris Reed is one of the most exciting and dynamic designers currently working in fashion. Known for his gender-fluid fashion, which often subverts themes of masculinity and femininity, the American-British designer launched his eponymous label in 2021, was appointed creative director of French fashion house Nina Ricci in 2022, and has collaborated with a roster of celebrity clients like Harry Styles – whom he dressed for a pioneering Vogue cover – Adele, Emma Watson and more. One signature Harris Reed demi-couture look is the fusion of masculine form with structured, sculptural skirts, often combined with extravagant accessories such as a hat or a bold headpiece – something the designer brought into his limited-edition whisky collection with Royal Salute, the second iteration of which was released in December 2025.

“I took a lot of that idea of what we do with the Harris Reed brand, which is being quite graphic, being very bold, being very luxurious, and took that to the next level,” explains Harris. “The level of detail this time around is also 10 times more.”

The Royal Salute Fashion Collection collaboration with Harris Reed began when Royal Salute master blender emeritus Sandy Hyslop hosted the acclaimed designer for a private blending session at the Strathisla Distillery in Speyside, Scotland, where together they crafted the new 21 Year Old blend. Harris worked with the brand to bring his signature fluid and avant-garde glamour to the collection, taking something already incredible to something truly extraordinary. To dress the bottle, Harris took inspiration from his own signature headpieces – including one he made for superstar Beyoncé – and Royal Salute’s heritage to create a modern interpretation of a royal crown. A halo of feathers adorns each theatrical flagon design, cast in three different colourways.

The decision to work with the acclaimed whisky brand was a “no-brainer” for the design, who is something of a connoisseur himself – and saw an opportunity to break some of the stereotypes surrounding whisky.

“I’ve always been a whisky drinker, and my grandfather was a big whisky drinker. I think sometimes people who aren’t as well-versed in whisky think of it as an old thing, but it’s actually something that’s for every gender, for every age.

“The creation process was similar to [designing] a collection, from a visual standpoint. Imagery that evokes joy and creativity that got my ideas sparking as if I would do a runway collection.”FASHIONING WHISKY

Harris explains that he has lived his entire life breaking gender norms and stereotypes; his bold, non-conforming approach to fashion is what puts him a class apart from others. While studying at renowned London fashion school Central Saint Martins, Harris’s work caught the attention of celebrities, leading to him design looks for former One Direction star Harry Styles’s solo world tour – as well as the now-famous dress for Styles’s Vogue cover in 2020, which featured a caged ballgown skirt with a fitted double-breasted suit. The photoshoot, marking the title’s first male cover star, evoked celebration and controversy for its bold exploration of gender fluidity in contemporary fashion.

“[Designing] is a very personal process, which is why I love it… I also love the fact that I have a mostly female and queer team at Harris Reed,” says Harris, adding that, having now worked with some of the biggest names in the business, he and his team are skilled in navigating collaborations with individuals and brands alike and, in many ways, the creative process behind creating the Royal Salute 21 Year Old Harris Reed Edition II and a fashion collection starts the same way.

“I would say the process is very similar, because both start with a brief. Then you ask, ‘are you aligned?’, and then work back and forth. It’s the same thing here, just one end result is a bottle of whisky and the other is a dress for the Grammy Awards,” he says.“What I’ve loved with Royal Salute is speaking to the people making it happen. You get to be there with the people actually creating every step of the way.”

Where the two creative forms find the most kinship, however, is the level of detail that each entails. “There’s so much craftsmanship and love that goes into [whisky]. It’s a lot more technical,” he says. “Although, with fashion, you can wing it a little bit. You can, kind of, jam a feather here, staple a crystal there, whereas here, the technicality and the craftsmanship across the whole process is so integral.”

Telling a story through each bottle or couture collection is a major part of both the brands, and is a skillset Reed brought to this second whisky edition as well.

“When working on the packaging for 2.0, we started with this idea of the headpiece, like we did for the first season with Royal Salute. This season, we really pushed ourselves to be a bit more daring: taking the idea of a headpiece and making it a bit more global. It’s a crown that feels very universal, and evokes the sense that you are the king or queen of your own world.

“I love this idea of whisky being the perfect gift for yourself. It’s obviously something gorgeous to give, but I feel like this is your own beautiful moment with your whisky, with your friends, with your loved ones. I think the gold really provokes this idea of it being a little touch of glamour just for yourself,” says Harris. THE HARRIS REED WAY

Harris has always had a keen understanding of the transformative power of clothing and its correlation with identity and liberation. He speaks of dealing with ridicule on the school playground at nine-years-old and having the self-confidence to come to London at age 18 and wearing makeup for the first time. He has long been attuned to the psychology of fashion and how people react to it – he recalls playing with vintage clothing, spiking his hair and reclaiming fashion in a way that felt individual – and this, in turn, has shaped the designer he is today.

“I remember my first Met Gala with [supermodel] Iman, and having that validity on those stairs to stand next to someone I’ve looked up to my whole life – and to have that recognition from an industry… These moments of self-discovery, self-affirmation and self-acceptance have made me ​​the 29-year-old I am today,” says Harris.

While Harris never forgets that art has a responsibility to spark joy, curiosity and escapism, his guiding motto when designing a new collection, whether for Harris Reed or Nina Ricci, is: “Are we having fun?”

“At Harris Reed, I always think about how we can encourage those nine-year-old kids to dream and see fashion through a different lens. How can we evoke joy and fun in the amazing individuals who are wearing these pieces?

“I work with [stylist] Carine Roitfeld, who always asks, ‘Does that bring you joy? If not, we’re not doing it.’ And I’ve always loved that… if we’re putting something out [into the world] it has to have purpose and meaning. I try to keep that at the forefront of what we do.”This philosophy influences Harris’s creations as well as how he approaches gender fluidity in his designs. Being hyper aware of the harassment people face daily for what they wear and how they present themselves, he believes he has a responsibility through fashion to challenge perception.

“Fashion is the first thing people see whether intentional or not,” he says. “I think it’s my responsibility to make sure fashion makes people ask questions, for people to be in a space where what they wear evokes thought. 

“I used to say that, when I would wear a pair of platform boots and something crazy and someone would scream a slur at me, I would think, ‘Maybe they’re confronting something within themselves, because they have this immediate hate or anger’. And I think it’s important, when you have the safe space to do so, to provoke people to face something within themselves,” he says.

Harris intends to continue to be such a force – challenging expectations and provoking thought in whatever space he chooses to make his own.

“I want to continue collaborating with people I respect, whether that’s in spaces like spirits, interior design, fashion or celebrity,” he says. “Do everything our way and not the way that’s expected.”

Images: Alex Bramall and Royal Salute

Read more interviews with Tempus