HARRI x Sam Smith BRIT Awards 2023
Sam Smith wearing custom HARRI at Brit Awards 2023
The Brief
HARRI was commissioned to create Sam Smith's look for the Brit Awards 2023 — an inflatable black latex suit that would become one of the most talked-about red carpet moments of the year. The challenge was to maximise press impact around the moment and position HARRI as the creative force behind it, turning a single night into sustained brand visibility.
The Approach
I led the PR and communications strategy around the activation, managing media relations across UK and international outlets in the lead-up to and following the ceremony. This included coordinating press materials, managing incoming media enquiries and ensuring HARRI's creative vision and story was accurately and prominently represented across all coverage. The look generated immediate viral attention — which required rapid, strategic press management to shape the narrative around the brand.
The Results
Coverage secured across BBC News, ITV, Good Morning Britain, WWD, Hypebeast and British Vogue
Sam Smith's HARRI look became one of the most widely covered red carpet moments of the 2023 Brit Awards
Mainstream and fashion press coverage ran simultaneously — positioning HARRI at the intersection of pop culture and avant-garde fashion
Sustained brand visibility beyond the event, with ongoing press interest in HARRI's design practice
The look was showcased in the REBEL: 30 Years of London Fashion Exhibition at Design Museum.
Features
BBC News · ITV · Good Morning Britain · British Vogue · WWD · Hypebeast · People · Billboard · Associated Press · Pitchfork · Esquire · Hunger Magazine · The Big Issue · Yahoo Entertainment · Daily Mail · The Independent · Evening Standard · Cosmopolitan · ELLE · Teen Vogue · PAPER · Out Magazine · PinkNews · NME · Rolling Stone UK
Image credit: Harikrishnan Keezhathil Surendran Pillai, founder of HARRI London talks to BBC News and ITV Good Morning Britain about designing Sam Smith’s 2023 Brit Awards look.