Lament of the Sirens: Inside Reagen Varross’ Ocean Inspired Couture
London has a way of surprising you — even on the quietest of days. Tucked away from the city’s clamour, I stepped into the serene intimacy of Reagen Varross’ studio in South East London, greeted not by the hum of a busy atelier, but by the designer himself, ready to unveil his latest triumph: Lament of the Sirens.
This was not just a preview — it was a one-to-one immersion into the mind of a couturier whose work is equal parts narrative and craftsmanship. As we moved between pieces adorned with feathers, velvet, and silk, Varross spoke with a measured yet magnetic certainty — the kind of quiet conviction that draws you closer, urging you to catch every word.
The collection, first shown during Paris Haute Couture Week, draws inspiration from the mysteries of the ocean — a realm we understand far less than the universe above. “So this one was inspired by the fact that we know more about space than we do about our seas,” Varross reflected, “and yet they sustain life in ways we barely comprehend.” This poetic tension between beauty and fragility became the heartbeat of Lament of the Sirens.
Each of the eight looks is tethered to a specific marine muse — from the ethereal Halitrephes Maasi jellyfish, whose movement is captured in a dramatic silk velvet gown crowned with a removable Silk Jellyfish halo, to the striking Glaucus Atlanticus, reimagined in a sculpted blue cotton ottoman with a silhouette as sharp and untouchable as the creature’s own poisonous warning. The Eagle Ray’s elegance was translated into a voluminous marabou feather cape that seemed to breathe with each step.
The details are nothing short of obsessive, and I can’t forget to mention his signature “V” — subtle yet deliberate — stitched into collars and seamed into panels, a discreet mark of his identity.
It is couture in the truest sense: each piece a story, each stitch a sentence. One jacket is corseted with seashell cups; another gown carries removable bone structures to transform its silhouette — a testament to Varross’ dedication to adaptability for his clients, who range from European royalty to Hollywood’s red-carpet elite.
We spoke about his beginnings — graduating in 2018, attracting his first high-profile client, the Duchess of Rutland, andnavigating lockdown with a steadfast focus on bespoke work. He works entirely alone, from sketch to final seam, logging more than 1,000 hours on Lament of the Sirens. It’s this singular authorship, combined with his refusal to rush, that gives his garments their quiet authority.
There is something profoundly moving about seeing a collection like this up close. It’s not simply fashion inspired by nature — it is fashion as a dialogue with it. Varross is not merely dressing women; he is asking them to wear a piece of a story, to carry a reminder of what is at stake beneath the ocean’s surface.
As I left the studio, the London sky was turning that particular shade of grey it does before rain. I couldn’t help but think of those deep, uncharted waters and the sirens that still sing within them — and of the designer who has given them voice, in silk, velvet, and feathers.
