Christopher Reid makes gender-fluid corsets that subvert history

Indeed, Reid’s garments would be perfectly apt for a customer such as Love. Since unveiling their graduate collection from the Edinburgh College of Art in 2020, the non-binary fashion designer has opened up their own eponymous brand, which has recently partnered with stockists like bleaq London and Lunch Concept Store.

Corsetry lies at the heart of the designer’s DNA, and their designs feature much of the conflation between traditional notions of the binary and its historical constriction. Malleable forms comprise the bodice structure, rendering the corset as an item of clothing which can be worn by all – regardless of gender or body-size.

Creating a garment which intends to subvert a deep-rooted archetype surrounding femininity – would it be possible, therefore, to render Reid’s corset as an object of empowerment? Reid refrains from integrating that word into their brand’s ethos. “I don’t want to say my work is empowering because it just feels like a word which is just thrown out there. I just really want my work to evoke something different – like the final feeling of it needs to have an energy to it,” they say. “I just want people to have a reaction to my work.”

“All of my clothes are so loaded with all of these extra themes – like Gothic sensualities and sensibilities. I can look at those anachronistic things that are very historical – which aren’t quite right, and make them a little bit off-kilter.” – Christopher Reid

Velvet, tapestried bodices are lent with laced sleeves and hemlines made up of ripped-up tablecloths, old handkerchiefs, vintage lace, and ribbon – their gossamer finishes reminiscent of a Gothic Dickensian character. Each corset embodies an amalgamation of Reid’s biggest influences; from sixties-era Hammer horror film imagery to Georgian and Tudor inspired costume via explorations of their Scottish heritage. Although their garments are steeped in historical inspiration, the Glasgow designer’s corsetry goes far beyond the realms of mere costume. “All of my clothes are so loaded with all of these extra themes – like Gothic sensualities and sensibilities. I can look at those anachronistic things that are very historical – which aren’t quite right, and make them a little bit off-kilter,” they say. “And that’s where the obsession lies – like this framed time period which sort of existed, but also feels slightly like an alternate world.”

“Everything has been quite Scottish for me, and although I wouldn’t define my work through that, it has been a theme which has stuck with me throughout.” – Christopher Reid

The whimsical dreamscapes which Reid interweaves into their designs is mainly dreamt up from the landscapes of their upbringing. Before studying BA Fashion Print at Edinburgh College of Art and moving to Glasgow, Reid grew up on the South West coast of Scotland in a small coastal town called Arvin. They refer fondly to “the seaside village” throughout our chat. Reid’s penchant for exploring their Scottish heritage particularly lies in the thematic touchpoint of their hometown’s annual festivities; a summer pageant involving the crowning of a young girl, the “Marymass” queen, and a floral procession, in celebration of Mary Queen of Scots. Think Ari Aster’s 2019 cult watch, Midsommar – just without the guts and the gore. “Everything has been quite Scottish for me, and although I wouldn’t define my work through that, it has been a theme which has stuck with me throughout,” they say. “There’s something about the place I was born – how there are little bits of heritage and aspects of folklore, which finds itself in my work.”

“My statement piece will forever be the corset now, although I would also like to expand my horizons and try making a few different things.” – Christopher Reid

Although the ultimate goal is for Courtney Love to wear one of their corsets, the next steps which Reid has mapped out involve finding themselves – both personally and professionally. “My statement piece will forever be the corset now, although I would also like to expand my horizons and try making a few different things,” they say. “I hope that my audience is something which grows quite naturally. I’ve been working in one medium for quite a while, so I think right now I’m just expanding on that. I’m still trying to find my footing in terms of where I want to place myself in a wider industry.”