Harris Reed was only 13 when his father, a Hollywood agent and film producer, introduced him to fashion publicist Kelly Cutrone. Reed convinced her to let him intern during Fall Fashion Week, where he showed hip-hop celeb Lil’ Kim, actress Whitney Port, and the style blogger known as Bryanboy to their seats. By 15 he was outing himself as an antibullying dyslexic gay kid on his own blog and amassing the sort of followers typical of boy bands and Lady Gaga. This past summer, Reed, now a 17-year-old student at the Center School, reported for Fox from the red carpet at the Teen Choice Awards and took a one-week intensive design course in London at Stella McCartney and Alexander McQueen’s alma mater, and this fall he took his 4.0 GPA to Paris for a year abroad—even though his French is limited to bonjour and haute couture. He also takes one hell of a selfie. Kids these days, huh?

What are you wearing? The leather pants are from the LA-based line Maggie Ward—I spent an entire summer interning there in order to get them. The correctional officer’s jacket is vintage. My look for fall is preppy warrior; I’m not just building outfits, I’m building up my armor. 

Last great acquisition My Givenchy star sweater. I had to save up forever, but it makes such a statement. It’s red and black and looks a little like an anarchist communist flag. I’m not an anarchist, nor am I a communist, but I do like the reactions it gets.

Style profile You can make yourself out to be whoever you want to be online, but it will only get you so far. I’ve been comfortable with who I am for as far back as I can remember, and I’m young now, so we are talking about a really young and comfortable gay kid—and I’ve basically always relied on fashion and the Internet to help me express it. 

Best coast I spend the school year here and the summers in Venice Beach with my dad, where people think Seattle is one big granola bar commercial. I do wish Vogue Paris subscriptions were mandatory in the Seattle Public Schools system. What do you think, [superintendent] José Banda? Kids at the Center School dress for themselves, not to conform to trends, and ultimately that’s more interesting. In LA and New York they’re all just drinking the Kool-Aid. We’re different here—we stick to our coffee.

This article appeared in the November 2013 issue of Seattle Met.