Harris Reed and Alok Vaid-Menon: “The Future of Fashion Is Gender Free” | BoFVOICES 2021

At this year's edition of VOICES, performance artist Alok Vaid-Menon sat down with Harris Reed, a recent Central Saint Martins graduate who has emerged as one of the industry’s brightest rising stars and is vocal about pushing gender-fluid fashion to the mainstream.
Reed and Alok spoke about concrete opportunities for industry stakeholders to de-gender fashion. While many fashion companies want to be seen working with gender non-binary people, few are baking their gender-free principles into their businesses beyond one-off collaborations.
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[@mikepeterson9881]

I wish this conversation was more technical than political. I'm actually curious how people with vastly different body shapes can both wear the same pieces without sacrificing fit. Maybe these people don't have any answer.

[@biutifulmediauk8856]

Fashion is a political statement hun there are plenty of vids that would help with practical ideas on gender fluid fashion 🙄

[@brennendehexe7934]

@@biutifulmediauk8856 dont be defensive. He just has been looking for an answer and didnt find it here. But of course in woke dreamer lala land real life questions dont play a role. Why worry about using your brain if you can just quote some gender ideology gibberish instead? Anyway you do you. I dont even care. But for most people gender categories make sense. If you wanna buy a skirt just go to the womens section dude. Have a nice day.

[@thozamabusakwe5608]

Fashion should only be about creative expression. The human body requires freedom to choose what to dorn without shops or marketers categorizing what items of clothing belong to what gender because life is a little more complex than that.

[@apnadogbholu2258]

This is the future , girls wearing men's clothes but men's doesn't wear women clothes . But this is changed in near future.

[@MrBerta99]

Whay is mens clothes?

[@lydiarinke7676]

I love harris reed so much !!! 😍🥰

[@lordronn472]

He is a sicko

[@lydiarinke7676]

@@lordronn472 like you ?

[@lordronn472]

@@lydiarinke7676 no, I am sane thank God!

[@normanalston7790]

Heard you're coming to Philadelphia I love to meet you soon

[@dodoscholz8626]

Thank you so much for reminding me why I started to design genderless, size inclusive, biodegradable, fair trade clothing🙏🏽❤️ thank you

[@MrBerta99]

Alexsander mqueen

[@user-jy2ci5ox9v]

Lol and how is it going? Not well I’m assuming…

[@Raising.hell.]

I see no problem with gender fluid clothing but this…. The height of a person and chest size…. For me I like things that fit my curves and accentuate them and I have a hard time finding things that fit my waste while fitting my chest, and for pants, I am a super short person so if it is gender fluid, how would gender fluid clothing compensate my body??? I think that is the only challenge I face personally but as for gender fluid clothing, I love it because it does think outside the box. It is not inside box thinking 💖 keep doing do regardless of opinions because those opinions don’t pay your bills 💜

[@viomusardathefluffysealgas9347]

👏👏👏👏👏💯💯💯💯

[@timrutter5025]

I have great respect for Harris Reed and hix work. Just want to mention at this point: Bog George, David Bowie, Uni sex.....gender fluid isn't new.

[@i.wetpaint286]

Archaic software??? WTF. Archaic mindset is more like it. Anyone with rudimentary programming skills will clock that as bull. Love this beautiful conversation with two beautiful people. I see the future of art and fashion, and it is expansive.

[@Ric419]

I can't! Not feeling their perspective, and it's very much a biased interview.

[@Raising.hell.]

As a woman, I have always hated how the models were always a certain body type and that is how they have defined what “beauty” is which is really demeaning to the natural human.. As I grew up it gave me extreme body dysmorphia of a body I could never attain. I could never be that pretty little model…. I know many struggle with the way things are advertised and it needs to change to reflect everyone 🌈✨

[@user-jy2ci5ox9v]

4:21 and yes women’s clothes tend to be more expensive but the fits are also designed for women’s bodies. Like surely a designer knows that women’s hips are completely different on men’s hips, the shoulders, bust, neck. Like what are these guys smoking? Even the sizing conventions are different. A size 6 US vs a M for men’s? What exactly are these guys smoking?

[@abetterwayblueprint225]

If we were to return to the historical adjustable sizing model it could fit a more universal market. The technical aspect of clothing is nothing more than mass production "pret a porter" off the rack which basically fits 10% of society.... then look at the dhoti, toga, kilt, cassock and you see that the western model isn't representing humanity in any way shape or form. It's shows like this that can change the narrative and societal norms.

[@TheJonvazgar]

i agree and disagree with this. great conversation to spark thought.

[@Stargirl622]

This conversation Oh I can't deal

[@rockyraaacoon]

It’s so sad to see these weird commenters reveal themselves as transphobic and cynical in these comments and so scared of change that has nothing to do with their personal lives and goals.

[@MrBerta99]

Alok is clueless

[@AlexVanVuuren]

this parody is just so funny - well done to the artists!

[@QueerIsHere]

Such an important conversation

[@siennad587]

Alok is a child predator they don’t deserve a platform.

[@lordronn472]

@@siennad587 he*

[@vishnus2004]

This is what happens when they don't have real issues to solve, they just create an issue....

[@MrBerta99]

Is they shaming trans women?

[@fegermany2413]

They are lying obviously . Im 46 y.o mom , size xl , and yet my adults kids dressed fashionable according to NORMAL gender . Male or female , dont let them manipulate your kids and grandkids

[@MrBerta99]

Bla bla bla Has he met the world? Money money money

[@user-jy2ci5ox9v]

4:51 😂 trust them to come up with it being technically difficult to screaming you’re homophobic. 😂 Jesus.

[@user-jy2ci5ox9v]

Lol only a few mins after saying we should make everyone feel inclusive to then saying at 6:05 we CAN’T have a place where we make everyone feel happy. Like the irony and parody is beyond comical.

[@quentincrisp6933]

Alok is ridiculous looking! He's basically wearing a 🤡clown suit & makeup. They're trying to be provocative & cool but come across corny & cliched! Yikes!

[@brennendehexe7934]

That dude should at least shave his legs if hes wearing a dress. And those 2Dollar earrings making those annoying sounds....thats the future of fashion?.... no comment.

[@fidgetinbed1]

Alok called little girls 'kinky' just so we all know!

[@Carltonwanks]

Yes we all know, but if we post comments about it they get deleted and our channel Also gets shut down

[@evemuresan3802]

Stop kidding yourselves, it's not going to be gender free :)

[@ultimatesunrise]

This is disturbing on many levels

[@EmlynBoyle]

Yes, you are disturbing on so many levels. Nice mask 🙄

[@jojolabellefleur1]

This is not ok.

[@jasonthewatchmansson8873]

There is a whole media industrial complex which continues to promote this strange, disturbing person.

[@mooom465]

Ew what did i just saw 🤢🤮🤢🤮

[@lordronn472]

You saw 2 sick people!

[@EmlynBoyle]

'See', not 'saw'. Why can't any of you bigots spell properly? 🤣

[@schiatzeschiatze5002]

IF YOU ARE FIGHTING FOR YOUR RIGHT TO NOT CONFORM TO GENDER, I AM WITH YOU, BUT DO NOT TAKE THE RIGHT OF THOSE WHO WANT TO CONFORM TO GÊNER AWAY FROM THEM. THIS INCLUDES FASHION HOUSES.

[@emmanuelleroy2915]

They used to be called drag queens......