Designer behind Sam Smith’s inflatable Brit Awards suit: “The idea came from my dog”

14 February, 2023

Sam Smith

Harri, the designer behind Sam Smith‘s inflatable Brit Awards suit, has said that he took inspiration for the silhouette from his dog.

Harri (whose full name is Harikrishnan Keezhathil Surendran Pillai) spoke to the BBC about getting the call to design the outfit.

“They [Smith] reached out to me on Monday, asking if I could create something custom-made for the Brits,” he said. “I was a bit scared because it’s not enough time. It usually takes four to five weeks because it’s all handmade. It took me a day to think about the logistics of everything.

“So I gave confirmation on Wednesday that I could make this work and we finished it an hour before the red carpet! And since then, I’ve tried to catch up on my sleep.”

While many people commented that Harri took inspiration from one of David Bowie‘s famous ensembles, the designer told the BBC: “The idea about creating a silhouette came from my dog. He’s a small dog – it was the thought of seeing me from his angle [on the ground looking up].”

In response to the criticism he has since received, he said: “It doesn’t bother me, no. I’m used to it because my graduate collection had a similar reaction. I’m passionate about making something that makes people think and talk and discuss.”

Elsewhere in the interview, Harri spoke about his second job as a latex farmer. “I have a small plantation back in my home town. Me and my dad do the latex farming,” he said. “The raw material, we export it here and it becomes latex. It’s used for so many things.”

On February 11, Sam Smith and Kim Petras brought their global hit single ‘Unholy’ to the BRIT Awards 2023 stage.

Smith and Petras took to the stage in black and leather outfits, backed by dancers on a set made to look like a shadowy, greasy garage. Petras made her entrance for her verse rolling into view on a mechanic’s trolley.

The performance followed the pair’s appearance at the Grammys on February 5, which saw them accused of promoting Satanism. “Don’t fight the culture wars, they say,” conservative commentator Liz Wheeler wrote. “Meanwhile demons are teaching your kids to worship Satan. I could throw up.”

The Church Of Satan later weighed in on the topic, calling the performance “nothing particularly special”.

The post Designer behind Sam Smith’s inflatable Brit Awards suit: “The idea came from my dog” appeared first on NME.