GILDED

With a sense of the world in turmoil, Reed was drawn to punk references, finding inspiration in the counterculture of rebellion and individual freedom. This collection is utterly unapologetic, designed to take up space and make noise. Never one to shy away from excess, Reed happily gilds the lily.

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Looks evoke the feeling of armour, offering protection with their architectural structures; corsets become breastplates, or are extended with surreal spikes and waves, and crinolines create a cage shielding the wearer from the world without. Reed’s fascination with interiors continues in collaboration with luxury British lighting and furniture brand Porta Romana, taking inspiration from their distinctive Urchin chandelier, which hangs in the show space within the Duveen Galleries. The organic armour of the Urchin fronds grow from the garment structures, each frond 3D modelled and printed by Porta Romana, in a flexible resin and hand-painted by their skilled artists in etched gold or electric blue .

In opposition to the collections’ armoury there is a sense of vulnerability and inversion- the elements that might usually be hidden are proudly exposed; contours of the body are highlighted through layers of hand-painting and gold metal leaf expertly applied by Porta Romana’s artists, and crinoline cages and corsets are no longer undergarments but stand proudly as the garment itself, showing the world the wearer’s simultaneous vulnerability and protection.

Fabric choices and embroidery placements are contrasting; opaque deadstock tailoring wool creates structure, but is paired with sheer, fluid chiffon and tulle. Archival embroidery samples are applied in glimpses, adding touches of light, colour and texture, or hand embroidered in graphic lines. The collection in its entirety has been proudly made in the UK, from Porta Romana’s Surrey studio to the London ateliers of Harris Reed and Roker.

ENDS.

With special thanks to: