Watch: Designer of Sam Smith’s iconic Brit Awards latex jumpsuit says he was inspired by his dog
The creative brains behind Sam Smith’s iconic Brit Awards red carpet look has revealed the inspiration behind his latex balloon styles, and it comes from an unexpected source.
Fashion designer Harri came up with the inflatable bathing suit that Smith wore on the red carpet at Saturday’s Brit Award ceremony, which had everyone walking the weekend.
The Unholy singer made a standout at London’s O2 Arena in the all-in-one latex catsuit with voluminous blow-up details on the sleeves and legs.
Indian-born, London-based designer Hari Krishnan, of fashion brand Harri, has become known for his bespoke creations featuring these large disproportionate, puffy sections on the legs and shoulders that give the impression of balloons.
But it all started in a rather unusual place.
Speaking on Good Morning Britain on Monday morning, Harri revealed that he first started designing the inflatable pants in 2020 after being inspired by his dog.
Read more: Sam Smith’s latex bodysuit was *the* most iconic look from the Brit Awards red carpet
“I started thinking about it from my dog’s point of view,” he revealed to hosts Ranvir Singh and Robert Rinder, who said the design looked like an “installation at the Tate Modern.”
“I have a little dog, his name is Khai,” he explained, “I started to think how he would see me from this angle, this distorted image.”
Smith reached out to Krishnan after seeing his work, but the designer revealed he only had “four days” to get the latex outfit red carpet ready for the Brit Awards.
“It took a lot of emotions and a lot of work,” Krishnan said. “I’ve worked with proportions before, but never as big as Sam wore on Saturday.”
The larger-than-life latex designs get their balloon-like appearance from a seven-millimeter-wide inflation valve that pumps air through the outfit, and they’re actually not as difficult to get in and out of as many might think, says Krishnan.
“It’s cut with precision, made to the body…” he told the GMB hosts. “I personally work with clients, so it’s made for them to get in and out, like you’re wearing your pants. It’s like a tailored suit or pants.”
A movement artist even demonstrated how easy it was to move in the design during the breakfast chat show, completing dance moves across the stage in a similar outfit to the Gloria hitmaker.
Krishnan also revealed that Smith walked to the red carpet with the outfit fully blown up, adding, “I think they did a fantastic job walking in it.”
Smith’s all-black bespoke outfit made a bold statement at the 2023 Brit Awards, held at London’s O2 Arena, and quickly went viral on social media, but the artist was later forced to change costumes for their performance of the award-winning single Unholy with collaborator Kim Petras.