James Reid on ‘dressing up nice,’ PH representation in global fashion

Reid attends the Fendi show. —DAVID GRACIADAS

Singer-actor James Reid, who created online buzz after debuting at Milan Fashion Week, said it was hard to recall the particular point in his life when he first became mindful of what he wore, but admitted that being around girlfriend Issa Pressman “pressures me to look my best.”

“This is fine because she helps me anyway … She is probably the most stylish person I know,” James told Inquirer Entertainment in a recent interview. He credits Issa as his creative director and John Lozano, his stylist.

“I think I’ve always been mindful since I am in the limelight—I’ve been in show business for 13 years now. So fashion has been something that I’ve enjoyed for years now and something I have been becoming more passionate about. Definitely being around other people has affected how much I think about fashion, how much it affects me,” said the 30-year-old artist.

James said he was first invited to attend the Louis Vuitton show in Paris. “Then, word got out that I was going to be in Milan and Paris for Fashion Week, so the invitations started pouring in. It’s also because John played a huge part in being my stylist, and the connections that he has in the fashion world really helped,” added James, who was also able to attend shows for luxury fashion houses Fendi and Tod’s.

James, along with Issa, also attended the Emporio Armani fashion show, where he met legendary designer Giorgio Armani.

James Reid (right) with legendary fashion designer Giorgio Armani at the Emporio Armani show —DAVID GRACIADAS

‘Parts of who I am’

“My biggest takeaway from the whole Fashion Week was really just a deeper understanding about my own personal style,” said the singer-songwriter. “But when it comes to what I think the Pinoy fashionistas, especially the designers, might appreciate, it’s the dedication and hard work they put into Fashion Week. From the shows I’ve seen here in the Philippines, I feel like the fashion scene has been gaining significant momentum. So, I don’t think it will be long before we see more Filipino representation in global fashion.”

James entered show biz via the reality talent search “Pinoy Big Brother: Teen Clash” in 2010, where he was declared winner. The Australian-Filipino artist signed up with Viva Records in 2013 and eventually released two albums. He later wanted creative control over his music, so in 2017, he put up the record label Careless, which went independent in 2019.

Asked how his work as a singer-songwriter aligns with his fashion taste, James said: “They don’t. I like fashion. I like dressing up nice, and I am also a songwriter. The two don’t really align, they’re just two things I really enjoy and are parts of who I am and what I do.”