Harris Reed is at the forefront of gender fluid fashion, and many expected gender neutrality to also be the focus of his debut as creative director for French fashion house Nina Ricci. For his first official show during Paris Fashion Week, however, the designer focused on a different form of inclusion, celebrating body shapes of all kinds.
The designer’s debut prompted some critics to take a negative stance on social media about the diversification of bodies in the fashion industry. The comments come mainly from those people who are bothered by the evolution of body shapes on the catwalks, or rather, people who think that brands promote obesity under the guise of accommodating different body sizes. Comments like “Size 50 is bad for your health. The problem isn’t the outfit, it just has no style” and “Gérard Pipart, the former Artistic Director, would tear his hair out because he liked slim, feminine girls who were good looking” were sporadically read.
However, they forget one important factor. The zeitgeist – a word that is essential for Nina Ricci – has changed. After years of spindly models dominating the catwalk, young fashion designers – Reed is 26 years old – want to do away with clichés. This vision is well received by other users in the social networks. The autumn/winter 2023/24 collection was praised there as “breathtaking”. “As a gay kid growing up in Arizona, French fashion was my escape route,” Harris Reed said in a statement. “Nina Ricci was my idea of Paris: dreamy romance and a deep respect for femininity.”
femininity and frivolity
Precious Lee, a Curves model with 432,000 Instagram followers, opened the runway show in a puffy, sheer cocktail dress in black polka dot taffeta. This was followed by an explosion of colors – turquoise, fuchsia, green, orange and lemon yellow – both as color accents for simple pant suits and in the form of extravagant evening dresses. Lee injected new glamor into Disney villain Cruella de Ville, now with a penchant for synthetics over puppies, with a breezy jacket made of black and white faux fur.
Some of the prints in the collection, as well as an illustration of a rabbit on the invitation, are based on paintings by the German artist Jeanine Brito. The artist’s figurative works evoke a certain feminine sensuality, not necessarily in the curves of the models, but in their longing attitude.
However, the platform shoes of the models caused a lot of enthusiasm. They’re reminiscent of drag queens’ shoes and have garnered some “wow” shouts, especially on TikTok, and that could possibly signal a revival of commercial enthusiasm for Nina Ricci.
This translated and edited post previously appeared on FashionUnited.fr.
