He’s the stylist responsible for putting Harry Styles in neon suiting and dainty pearl necklaces. But now Harry Lambert is bringing the aesthetic to the masses with the launch of a 60-piece collection for Zara, featuring retro-inspired silhouettes and playful cartoon prints, including a giant bunny in a green hat.
“People like Prince and Mick Jagger have done it before,” says the Norwich-born 36-year-old of the look he champions. “It’s not super new. But we are in a new era.”
Lambert, who also counts actors Emma Corrin and Eddie Redmayne, as clients, describes the collection “a little bit selfish”. An espresso-coloured two piece suit, minty green cropped trousers and a neat chocolate-brown suede jacket are all inspired by items he says he has spent years searching for but until now failed to find.
On social media, Styles fans have hailed it as “heavily Harry coded”. Before the collection’s launch on Monday they are making wishlists featuring £25.99 diamante chokers and a £59.99 rainbow-striped jumper with matching scarf, a nod to the JW Anderson patchwork knit cardy that, when worn by Styles, caused such a frenzy on TikTok that Anderson released the pattern and a tutorial for users to knit their own version. The original now sits in London’s V&A Museum.
Some imagery for the collection was shot on transgender models. The pieces will sit in both the menswear and womenswear sections instore and online, a first for Zara. “I wanted it to be a collection for everyone,” Lambert says. “It’s a simple but an important move.”
Choosing to work with a fast fashion brand is a somewhat unexpected pivot for the stylist who is known for his love of vintage. He has previously taken part in a secondhand clothes swap and sold pieces from his own wardrobe on Depop to raise money for charity.
“I’m very aware that producing new clothes is not good for the world,” Lambert says. “The first thing I raised when I was approached by Zara was sustainability.” Inditex, which owns Zara, cites Lambert’s collection as being its most sustainable yet, featuring only recycled materials such as wool and polyester.
Lambert says he also focused on longevity, an attribute not usually associated with fast fashion. He also doesn’t like the word trend. “I didn’t want to make throwaway pieces. I want people to keep them for a long time.” To further achieve this Lambert says he has taken cues from luxury brands on details that signify quality. “Its things like covering the buttons on a suit in the same fabric and lining the underside of collars with a nice rather than gross fabric.”
The decision by Zara to team up with Lambert hints at a wider mainstream demand for the look Lambert has crafted for Styles. He has become synonymous with challenging traditional ideas around masculinity. We’ve seen the effect on the red carpet (see Brad Pitt in a skirt) so it’s only natural the “pearlification” of the high street has officially begun. “If people want to copy or feel inspired by it then that’s great,” Lambert says. “For me, it’s the biggest compliment when someone says they are doing a Harry Styles look.”
