Harry Styles appears to be launching his own beauty brand. Here’s everything we know so far
Harry Styles wins the Mastercard British Single award for Watermelon Sugar during The BRIT Awards 2021. (JMEnternational/JMEnternational for BRIT Awards/Getty Images)
Harry Styles may be launching his own beauty line soon – here is everything we know so far.
The 27-year-old registered a company called “Pleased As Holdings” with Companies House on 25 May, along with his assistant Emma Spring. His independent label, Erskine Records – which Styles launched in 2016 and is the sole owner of – has share capital in the new company.
According to Refinery29, fans think the listing – “STYLES, Harry Edward” – is a “feminist abbreviation” and means that the beauty line will be called S.H.E. However, PinkNews understands that this format – surname, first name, middle name – is common for people listed as officers on Companies House.
Pleased As Holdings’ “nature of business” is listed as “Wholesale of perfume and cosmetics” – which has set the internet ablaze with predictions for what the Fine Line singer is plotting.
Styles fronted a Gucci perfume campaign, for unisex fragrance Mémoire d’une Odeur, in August 2019. He accidentally caused the New York Times to break the news that a single dangly earring constitutes a “non-binary fashion moment” later that year, and went on to grace the cover of Vogue in 2020 wearing a tiered ballgown.
While Styles has resolutely refused to label his sexuality, the fluidity of his gender expression has spoken for itself on several occasions. Like many other celebrities who blur the lines of gender with the way they dress – think Billy Porter in his tuxedo gown or Lil Nas X in, well, many things – he’s received his fair share of criticism from conservatives, but it doesn’t seem to make much of an impact on the Watermelon Sugar pin-up.
It’s also been pointed out, rightly, that Styles is insulated by his fame from the violence that many queer and gender non-conforming people face for dressing in a way that transgresses those boundaries.
He also upset some fans with news last year that he’ll play a queer policeman in an upcoming film – with some wanting an openly gay actor in that role. This year, he was nominated for best music artist at the British LGBT Awards, alongside JoJo Siwa, Lil Nas X and Sam Smith.
In its shortlist, the British LGBT Awards said of Styles: “While Harry Styles may have begun his career through One Direction, he has since skyrocketed to another level of celebrity through his work in the fashion industry and his solo music career.
“His unapologetic approach to gender-fluid fashion and his frequent references to inclusivity in the music industry has marked him out as an icon for young queer generations.”
Styles’ Vogue cover saw him wear an outfit by genderfluid fashion designer Harris Reed, who also collaborated on the Gucci campaign. It’s possible that future collaborations between Styles and Reed in the beauty space are on the cards – Reed recently created a limited-edition collection for Mac Cosmetics.
Whatever Styles’ beauty brand contains, it’s safe to say we can expect it to be fluid, inclusive and playful – fingers crossed for nail polish and perfume.
