Florence Pugh commanded the runway last night, delivering a radical monologue at Harris Reeds AW25 show, “Gilded”. The collection, from the brand best described as “Romanticism Gone Nonbinary”, explored themes of fluidity, punk rebellion, and vulnerability.
Ethereal ultramarine lights bathed the vast halls of Tate Britain, casting a supernatural glow over the space. A pulse of dramatic sound filled the air, amplifying the anticipation—then, Florence Pugh emerged, stage left. With Harris Reed at the helm, London Fashion Week’s AW25 had officially begun. Pugh is magnetic, her presence electric, her voice filling every corner of the historic building as she delivered a haunting monologue that distilled the very essence of Reed’s latest collection: a fearless ode to rebellion and unapologetic individuality.
“Clothing has transformative power,” she declared, draped in one of the house’s signature masterpieces—an opulent black hooded gown with a razor-sharp corset, shimmering silver and black sequins, and an outsized halo headdress adorned with feathery faux lashes. This striking detail, echoed in the beauty looks of every model that evening, became the defining motif of the night. Her words, a rallying cry for radical self-expression, reverberated through the cavernous space, amplifying Reed’s own mantra: “fighting for the beauty of fluidity.”
Reed, known for his intensely sculptural and romantic designs presented catsuits, high-rise tutus, and caged corsets in bursts of cobalt blue, yellow ochre, and pitch black. For AW25, his design process was shaped by the current social and political landscape, this season, there was a sharpened edge. Reed drew on punk references, looks evoked a sense of armour – corsets becoming breastplates, crinolines transforming into cages, yet revealing vulnerability, exposing the contours of the body through hand-painting and gold metal leaf, a collaboration with Porta Romana. This push-and-pull between protection and exposure is Reed’s signature, between excessive extravagance and inherent nonchalance. Pugh, the “I am who I am” girl, proved the perfect match for Reed’s brand, especially this season setting the stage for a collection that dared to be uncomfortable, brave, and utterly, unapologetically itself.
Reed, renowned for his intensely sculptural and romantic designs, unveiled a striking lineup of catsuits, high-rise tutus, and caged corsets, awash in cobalt blue, yellow ochre, and pitch black. But for AW25, there was a sharpened edge. His design process, shaped by the turbulence of the current social and political landscape, leaned into rebellion.
Punk references ran deep — corsets morphed into breastplates, crinolines became gilded cages. Yet beneath the armour lay a sense of vulnerability, the body’s contours exposed through hand-painted details and gold metal leaf, a collaboration with Porta Romana. This delicate tension, between protection and exposure, excessive extravagance and effortless nonchalance, is Reed’s signature — and who better to embrace this ethos than Florence Pugh, the ultimate “I am who I am” girl? Echoing in those halls, she set the stage for a collection that wasn’t just bold—it was defiant, daring to be uncomfortable, brave, and wholly, unapologetically itself.
Nods to 80s retro motifs (feathers, shoulder pads, pencil skirts), mingled with his signature dramatic plumes and towering “H boots” — Reed’s avant-garde silhouettes brought old-school high fashion back to the ready-to-wear runway this LFW. Slicked hair, stern brows, and striking eyelashes, amped up theatricality. The fabrics, a mix of opaque deadstock tailoring wool and sheer chiffon and tulle, further emphasising the collections contrasting themes.
As Reed took his victory lap, with a fist pump in the air amidst the captivated audience, it was clear: “Gilded” was more than just a fashion show; it was a powerful statement about identity, fluidity, and the courage to be unapologetically you.
Words — Isabella Ardeman
