HARRI produces a range of artisanal fashion and ready-to-wear clothes. His latex pieces sit somewhere between art and fashion, a surreal garment that redefines the body. But who says artisanal pieces can't be worn in everyday life?
It was a typical April Monday in London: slightly overcast, bustling streets, surrounded by people in a hurry dressed mostly in workwear. We decided to do the opposite. In a city where talking to strangers is rare, and eye-contact is considered an unsolicited interaction, my muse for the day, Sofia Bowes, and I, decided to test the crowd, by walking her through London dressed in HARRI's statement pieces.
The Outfit: Black Limo Trousers and Cropped Tank Top
We began the day by dressing her in the iconic Black Limo Inflatable Trousers and Black Cropped Fitted Tank Top. Putting on the tight tank top was a stretch, literally. As we took our first steps outdoors, Sofia recognised that the tank top felt like second skin, so much so that she almost felt naked. It was a part of her now. We decided to leave the Limo Trousers deflated for the first leg of the journey. Even in their subtler form, they turned heads. As we were sitting on the DLR, a woman on her way to work asked, "where are your trousers from? Those are cool. I'm going to check them out."
Baker Street: First Inflation
We arrived at Baker Street Station. Usually two people wandering around a tube station on a Monday morning wouldn't attract attention. This was until I began to pump Sofia's trousers up on the platform. Families, tourists, commuters, all stopped to stare, questions written all over their faces.
"They're surprisingly flattering even though they don't look conventional." - Sofia Bowes
Where they don't contour the body in a traditional sense, they highlight it in a completely new form. The latex appeared to cling to the body in all the right places to sculpt and flatter, while the inflated volume exaggerated the rest, creating the perfect juxtaposition of shape.
"You could win a fashion contest wearing that!" - a random commuter passing by
With modelling experience, Sofia was naturally poised. But her everyday attire does not usually include inflated outfits. A pair of jeans and a nice top usually suffices. Because of this, the anticipation of wearing a statement piece in a public space was understandably daunting. She initially felt more self-conscious. However, as the day went on, the attention became part of the experience of wearing HARRI. Excluding shocking a small child at the sight of a lady with an alien-like silhouette on the platform at Baker Street station, the public was in awe. And this was exciting.
Liverpool Street: Performance Art in a Confined Space
We got on the Hammersmith and City line to Liverpool Street Station. Travelling on the tube in inflatable trousers was a good experiment. Negotiating tight, enclosed spaces, having to step over people's legs on the tube, and side stepping her way through the tube barriers was a fun challenge. It was performance art in a confined space. Liverpool Street was even busier, with an even higher concentration of corporate workers in smart suits spilling out of offices for their lunch breaks. Outside the Pret directly opposite the station, Sofia caused a full blown spectacle. At one point, she was enclosed by a circle of 5 people taking her photo. It felt like paparazzi.
The Sensory Side
There was also a sensory side to it. Like how wearing high heels or boots is empowering with the sound of the rhythmic clip clap on the pavement, the squeaking of her thighs with the latex rubbing together was playful and oddly satisfying. This only contributed to the charm of the trousers and the experience when wearing them. The sound added a personal soundtrack to the performance and made Sofia laugh. A sort of cartoonish reminder that fashion can be fun.
"I feel protected by them. I'm bouncy. I won't get any bruises."
Brick Lane: Comfort, Crowds, and "Got a Lot of Gas?"
One of the most asked questions on our walk to Brick Lane was whether they were comfortable or not. Sofia responded by saying that "you wouldn't think you'd be able to sit comfortably in them but you can. You can move, bend, dance."
On the walk between Liverpool Street and Brick Lane, we noticed how hard some tried not to look, covering up their interest by turning their heads when we made eye contact. Strangely, it almost became weirder when people didn't react or look twice. In a city like London where rushing is the default and strangers don't acknowledge each other, discretion is usually the social currency. However, HARRI's clothes resist that. They encourage presence, attention, and embrace confrontation.
When we got to Brick Lane we received hilarious comments. The odd shouts from across the road exclaiming, "got a lot of gas?" or, "you're lucky I don't come over and stick a pin in it!" In Shoreditch, the trousers created a parody and it became more playful.
The Outfit Change: Deflated Trousers at the Pub
After having a loop round Brick Lane we went to a pub, and an outfit change was in order. We deflated Sofia's trousers by squeezing her legs right in the middle of the pub floor. When taking off the Limo Trousers, she recalled, "I felt like I had just come off a trampoline. Wearing HARRI's inflatables make you feel lighter."
We dressed her in the Black Deflated Trousers. This was a cool outfit, less risque, more trendy. She remarked that the deflated trousers were very comfortable and wearing them "feels like water. Like I'm kicking my legs through waves," which contrasted to the top of the trousers which were "nicely tight" and "giving my booty a hug."
She received a lot of compliments from the two locals in the beer garden who asked a lot of questions about her clothes. Their initial reaction was "she looks fantastic!"
What HARRI's Clothes Are Supposed to Do
Towards the end of the day, Sofia came to the realisation that people weren't judging what she was wearing, and if they were, it was with curiosity, joy, and admiration. London, with its amazing diversity of people, culture, and expressive fashion, has room for statements that disrupt the ordinary. It even embraces them. Watching the enjoyment from both Sofia exhibiting HARRI, and the reactions from its audience was amazing. It felt like witnessing what fashion is meant to do: spark conversation, and draw attention. HARRI's clothes are supposed to be seen.
Explore the inflatable collection, shop the Black Limo Inflatable Trousers, or discover the full ready-to-wear range at harri.store.
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All images shot on film by Petra Norfolk
Talent: Sofia Bowes
