If you ever need to spot Harrison Patrick Smith — better known as The Dare — in a crowded room, just look for the guy in the slim black suit.
For the 28-year-old musician, the black suit is what pinstripes are to the Yankees: his uniform. And true to form, on Wednesday night at the Acne Studios show in Paris, Smith wore exactly what you’d expect — a lean, single-breasted black suit.
“They’re all slightly different,” Smith said, though to the casual observer, they all look pretty much the same: slim cut, coal-black, sharp. His first version, he shared, was a Goodwill find in New York. Now, his collection includes suits from Gucci — and hopefully, soon, one from Acne Studios too. After all, he’s in need of extras, currently touring Europe with his high-energy one-man show.
In an era where many young men have abandoned suits altogether, Smith’s choice feels almost rebellious. At the show, he was the only guy in a room full of fashion insiders wearing a classic suit — a small but striking act of defiance.
Had he shown up at the Tom Ford presentation an hour later, though, Smith might’ve blended in more. No American brand has championed the suit quite like Tom Ford, dressing style icons from Tom Brady to David Beckham. Even with Haider Ackermann now taking over as creative director, Ford’s signature elegance still looms large.
Still, in a sea of casual looks and experimental fashion, Harrison Patrick Smith’s simple, sharp suit feels fresh — and just a little bit daring.