“300 hours, 300 seems, 100 metres of latex and six pairs of hands” - is what it took HARRI to breathe life into his latest inflatable design for London Fashion Week. The rows of guests capturing the presentation in the Royal Academy hall transformed the spectacle into a viral sensation for the fashion house. Many were captivated by what was described as ‘probably one of the biggest inflatable dresses ever seen’. However, the final presentation only represented a fraction of the story. Only a glimpse of the magic.
For HARRI, the presentation was a chance to pay homage to the long history of art forms housed in the Royal Academy. It was important for him to showcase a piece that aligned with his pursuit of innovation but with an act of rebellion against repressive norms. True to the essence of art, fashion should provoke dialogue beyond mere consumerism, and in such an iconic building it brought viewers back to re-engaging with a building that for centuries was at the forefront of iconic works of art.
Compared to the months offered between fashion shows, HARRI was only given 22 consecutive days to construct the piece by hand. With all great ideas comes the challenge of construction, therefore size emerged as the primary hurdle to overcome. Anticipated to be “half the size of a bus”, the design team had to begin by drawing each individual pattern out in chalk in their office’s car park to get the base layer of the circumference of the dress. From these foundational layers, each panel was intricately developed, requiring three members of the team to collaborate on a single panel due to its sheer scale.
“The biggest challenge we faced was the size of the pattern for the dress as it was bigger than the size of the studio.” (Harriet - design team)
While latex is often associated with provocative notions, for HARRI, combining it with air, allows for expansion and maximalist proportions - key to his genius designs. Latex has always been a core medium for previous designs, and with the collaboration of Supatex, the team was able to source the highest quality material, ensuring the durability and striking appearance of the inflatable dress. All latex had to be cut by hand and cleaned thoroughly so each section could be hand-glued together and rolled securely. This lengthy process took an extraordinary length of time to delicately piece together, to make sure no air would leak when it was eventually inflated.
Continuing the brand’s legacy, HARRI wanted to spotlight silhouettes that have defined the fashion house, most notably the iconic inflatable Fruit Skirt, which inspired the dress’s lower section. For HARRI, visual perception is crucial, challenging the functionality of clothes. His designs, quite literally, use air to take people's breath away - inflation is everything to HARRI.
Of course, inflation itself had to be meticulously managed, especially whilst the dress would inflate as Nemo powerfully sang their winning Eurovision entry, “The Code”. The design team had to ensure each chamber remained airtight and secure whilst bearing the weight of latex used. By using an extra layer of latex glue, the piece was able to withstand its scale and remain inflated throughout Nemo’s entire performance as they belted their powerful voice through the grand hall of the Royal Academy.
The dress would have not achieved its full impact without the talented Nemo, who embodied its essence and narrated its story. With their exceptional talent and shared vision to also challenge norms and create dialogue through their art form, they inspired the design team to further challenge the status quo and introduce new ways of being and seeing through the dress. Despite limited rehearsal time, their synergy and alignment in creating an impactful performance left no doubt it would captivate and inspire onlookers.
The most important thing to me is to truly listen to myself. And if the thing I‘d truly like to do or the way I truly want to be feels right to me I will always put that over upholding the status quo. (Nemo - interview with Josh)
As the fashion industry eagerly awaits for what is next for HARRI, one thing is certain, the brand will continue to push boundaries, redefine visual perception, and create designs that challenge societal norms.
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