Meet Harris Barnes | Fashion Designer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Harris Barnes and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Harris, how do you think about risk?
Risk has played a major part in my life and career. Moving to Atlanta, coming by way of Sioux Falls, South Dakota is a risk in itself. The prairie is all I knew, wanting to pursue my chosen path of designing clothes. I knew there would be many more connections to be made in Atlanta. Career wise, I took the biggest risk yet. About two months ago me and my former roommate Cadence Blake hosted a runway show in the Peachtree Center Marta Station Downtown Atlanta. Without Permission from Marta many things could have gone wrong. Thankfully, we were able to pull it off successfully and had a great response from the Atlanta community and the fashion industry. Risk is raw and powerful, nothing is guaranteed ,but the opportunity must be acted upon.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
As death approaches, reflection of life transpires. I often think about the good and the bad, success and failure, loyalty and betrayal, love and heartbreak, but most importantly, I think about home. Home isn’t just a place, it’s a feeling. It’s where I took my first breath, where I felt love, where I was shaped. Whether you stay or go, love it or struggle with it, there’s an unbreakable connection to where you began. That sense of origin is what drives my art.
My work is rooted in memory, emotion, and truth. I’m drawn to pieces that feel like they’ve lived a life, that hold stories within them. I want my designs to speak, to feel worn and real, like they’ve been passed down or dug up from someone’s past. To me, the magic of fashion is in making something new that still feels like it remembers where it came from.
It hasn’t always been easy. Like many creatives, I’ve faced doubt, comparison, and moments of burnout. But I’ve learned to stay close to what feels honest. When you work from a place of truth, the work will always find its way.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
When friends visit, I like to keep the week centered around fulfilling our creativity and exploring. We’ll start by hitting Gail K Fabrics to dig for textiles, then head to Little 5 Points to develop film from recent photoshoots, thrift for reference pieces, and grab pins or embellishments for custom work. Most days involve some kind of creating, whether that’s sewing at the studio, sketching at piedmont, or just building off the inspiration we’ve found. We’ll hit underground rap shows at night, and mix in stops at the High Museum or smaller pop-ups depending on what’s happening that week. The whole week is about tapping into that creative flow and letting the city feed it.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I definitely want to give a shoutout to my buddy Shaquan Coburn. He really stepped up and handled all the managerial duties for the MARTA runway show we pulled off a couple months ago. I actually met him back in December. He had reached out to shoot some photos for me, and from the jump, he was locked in on the vision. It’s rare to find someone who not only sees what you’re trying to build but is genuinely down to help bring it to life. If you’re working on a creative project and need someone reliable and focused, I highly recommend reaching out to him on Instagram @shaquancoburn.

Website: https://www.mrwshow.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/harrydenims/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/harris-barnes-136516271/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@issue3003online

Image Credits
Marta Runway Photos: Jesus.shot
B & W Film: Harrydenims
Others: Harrydenims