10 Questions with SRVC

One can always gauge how a designer feels towards women by the clothes he creates. That being said, it’s clear that Rickey Harriott of SRVC loves the women he dresses and places them at the centre of his craft. Founded in 2021 and creatively led by Rickey, the London-based brand SRVC seeks to redefine womenswear, approaching it with a futuristic vision that sheds the conventions of the past, or perhaps even our present. Obsessed with the idea of self-styling and the independence and personal creativity it fosters, a “typical” SRVC garment can be reconstructed by the wearer in numerous ways. Buttons, ribbon ties, and zippers encourage a sense of play, and Rickey strikes a balance between the utilitarian and the beautiful, with pieces that address the varied and complex facets of modern life. As SRVC prepares for its AW25 show, Rickey takes a moment to discuss world-building, video games, and his vision for womenswear.


Describe your AW25 collection in three words

Introspective, Protective and SRVC 

Why do you do what you do? What keeps you motivated to keep creating fashion collections?

I have always wanted to design, it’s really the only thing I have ever done. Even as a child I was drawing ideas of how women could look, how they could feel, always with an intention of making them look strong and powerful. I was only raised by women and I was cared for and protected through what could be considered some really challenging situations. So from a really young age I was just privy to really incredible examples of women overcoming really tough circumstances. Me designing today is very much rooted in creating a world and a uniform that empowers and amplifies women. I want to create garments that feel like armour and protect women in ways I maybe wish I could have protected them at times when I was a child, that motivation is always a key driver for me. 

Have you found a technique, or a supplier, or a contributing craftsperson that has excited you to incorporate into your new AW25 collection?

The team I get to work with everyday is so talented. It takes a village to bring collections to life, but this season, I have been really lucky with my team embracing some more of the technically challenging silhouettes and functions I wanted to explore. I always like to deconstruct ways to sculpt and propose the female form and the team I work with have really embraced that challenge this season. I think a technique we always really explore is that balance of dressing and celebrating the female body without objectifying it and I feel like we have visited some really interesting places in that realm. 

What’s one element of your design process that might surprise people?

Some of my design ideas are formed through conversation. I don’t know if that's a surprise, but I tend to build out visual stories through the real life things happening with the women in my life.  We talk at length about how they feel, what they need, what they aspire to, how they feel seen. I feel my work is always a fantasy based on reality and building out those stories from real things feels like I am bringing identities I recognise to the garments. I love when I can look at a garment and see who in my life that piece is for and why. 

ChatGPT. Yes or no?

I think Miss ChatGPT is great for checking if an email you're about to send sounds insane or not. I type how I talk and that can be a little messy sometimes, so yes I guess?

Over the past few challenging years - with Brexit, post-Covid, with the retail landscape a bit of a mess - how have you thought about what you make and how to make it connect with your customer and community?

One of the things I think about often is wardrobe sustainability. I want to make pieces that can exist in someone’s life for as long as possible. I often think about how and why they would want to keep it as a part of their visual narrative over time. I think where people seem to be shopping less, focusing on designing things that house longevity and purpose is something that feels really important now more than ever. A lot of SRVC garments have self-styling elements that allow personalisation of silhouettes or functions that can transform the piece into something different. I want people to feel that when they invest in a SRVC piece there is limitless potential in how it can integrate into their wardrobe and last. I like to keep these things in mind especially now I feel the consumer is being a lot more careful in financial commitments to clothing. 

What is it about London that continues to energize your creativity?

London has always been my home, it’s where I am from, so growing up here it has become the natural backdrop for my work. When I am designing, I see her in spaces I love, or pass through. I see ideals of the SRVC woman on the street everyday. London is very much the landscape to which I build out our SRVC universe so I look to the cities past, present and future to house a lot of my ideas.

How will you celebrate when the show / presentation / showroom is over?

I really need to finish Final Fantasy Rebirth, so I am hoping I can have some PS5 time with a glass of good wine. 

What's the one product that is NOT your own, that you can't live without, or has stayed in your wardrobe for constant use, and why?

When I worked at VETEMENTS I got a bomber and I have pretty much worn that jacket every day for the last 4 years. It goes with everything, it’s huge so it feels like a duvet the older and more worn it gets I love it more. I hold on to clothes for years but If I think about consistent use that piece wins for sure. 

What has been your strangest source of inspiration?

I don’t know if my inspirations could be considered strange, more that they are just quite personal, I guess if someone saw that as strange then I guess it’s that too? Maybe I’m just incredibly strange and not aware, either way I’m good with that.