Harris Reed Bids Adieu to Nina Ricci

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Well, that’s all, folks! Harris Reed has left the house of Nina Ricci.

Reed broke the news on his personal Instagram account ahead of a formal announcement from Nina Ricci or parent company Puig. “After three and a half extraordinary years at the helm of Nina Ricci, it is now time to say farewell and turn my full attention to my own namesake label,” he wrote. “I am leaving Nina Ricci with a heart full of gratitude and a profound appreciation for all that my time there has given me. My deepest thanks go to Puig and to the entire Nina Ricci team. Truly, to step into a heritage house that not only welcomed, but actively championed my imagination, has been an honour beyond words.

“To my Paris team, thank you for meeting every idea with openness, generosity, and courage. You embraced possibility without hesitation, and in doing so taught me more than I could ever adequately express. Every moment we’ve shared will stay with me always. I love you.

“When I first arrived at Nina Ricci, I was 26 years old, not long graduated, single, and still finding my footing while learning how to stand confidently with an unconventional voice. Today, I leave having learned and grown so much, and I am so excited to enter this next chapter of my life with my husband (and dog) beside me, in a home that I love, ready to take my own company into its next chapter.

“Thank you to every single person that has helped me and been a part of this journey.

Reed was the youngest designer ever to lead Nina Ricci, taking over from menswear designers Rushemy Botter and Lisi Herrebrugh just two years after graduating from Central Saint Martins.

“The house would like to sincerely thank Harris for his contagious energy and dedication,” Ricci said in a statement after Reed posted the news on Instagram.

“All of us at Nina Ricci and Puig would like to extend our warmest thanks to Harris Reed, who, since his arrival, has brought a breath of fresh air as well as an inspiring and inclusive perspective and exceptional creativity. Harris has written a beautiful chapter in the history of Nina Ricci,” said Ana Trias, president of Nina Ricci.

This means Reed’s fall 2026 Nina Ricci collection, which showed as part of Paris Fashion Week on Friday, March 6, was his last for the nearly 100-year-old brand.

Inspired by the “Marie Antoinette Style” exhibition at the Victoria & Albert Museum in London, the show had some nice moments — the tiger stripe jacket with the ruched blue border and matching pants was cool — but, in general, felt disjointed, costume-y, and over-styled. For example, the look with the black and brown belts wrapped around a blue tiger strip corset over a black tshirt with an asymmetrical skirt dragging on the ground was both overdone and underwhelming.

Indeed, much of the collection felt like a less-than-successful attempt by Reed to reconcile his love of the theatrical — the colorful, printed pieces and more intricately draped and constructed skirts and jackets — with what might actually sell — neutral separates and oversized sweaters — by simply mashing the two together. Which is no way to design a collection.

 

This collection notwithstanding, one thing is for sure: Reed is a very talented designer with an incredible flair for red carpet drama. Here’s hoping he can lean into that more as he develops his namesake brand.

Check out the rest of Reed’s final collection for Nina Ricci below.