HARRY STYLES IS STYLIN’
His Innate, Boundary Breaking Fashion
Love him or hate him, Harry Styles has become a fashion icon.
For several years now, the former One Direction boy bander has blossomed as one of Hollywood’s leading fashion figures. He isn’t afraid to experiment, having toyed with androgyny and gender bending on several occasions. Although he has his detractors, of course, who say that it’s all “been there, done that” thanks to legends like Mick Jagger and David Bowie, Styles has pushed on and carved out a path all his own.
Perhaps most notably in his rise up the fashion ranks, Styles became a muse for Gucci’s Creative Director Alessandro Michele, who made Styles a sort of provocateur for the Italian fashion house. Styles can frequently be seen in Alessandro’s designs, from tapestry print trousers to lithe loafers to the now-famous (or infamous?) pussy bow blouses. As one of three co-chairs of the 2019 Met Gala, Styles stayed true to that year’s “camp” theme in a sheer blouse with (you guessed it) a large pussy bow, a chunky pair of men’s heels, and a single pearl earring.
And of course, there’s that infamous December 2020 cover shoot for Vogue. Styles was photographed wearing (what else?) a Gucci gown specially crafted for him by Michele, along with a double-breasted tuxedo jacket on top. It caused quite the stir when it first appeared on newsstands, with detractors like conservative mouthpiece Candace Owens (eye roll) announcing the official death of the “manly man.” However, it’s this very unabashed love of his feminine side that makes Styles so refreshing in the first place.
Much of this discovered love of all things femme can be attributed to Styles’ new stylist and frequent collaborator Harry Lambert. The two met over seven years ago and immediately bonded over their mutually whimsical approach towards dressing. Their collaborative efforts went viral after Styles wore a Rubik’s Cube-inspired cardigan that Lambert found (from JW Anderson) for a Today Show rehearsal in February of last year. Styles paired it with one of his own pearl necklaces, and the look eventually made its way onto several TikToks, with influencers providing tutorials on how to make the pattern and imitate the look for much cheaper. Even London’s famed Victoria & Albert Museum requested to have Styles’ original as part of their permanent collection: a truly emblematic example of just how far Styles’ reach could be.
As Styles’ attitude and approach to fashion continues to morph and change over the years, so too will our opinions of him. Nonetheless, Styles will continue to move nowhere but forward, and that’s one direction we can all get behind.
