Harvey Guillén always loved to get dressed up. He cannot say the same of shopping. “Going to the mall was so hard,” says the What We Do in the Shadows star. “Somebody made a meme of what it is to be a person of size going shopping with your friends. Everyone else is like, ‘I got this cute outfit, I got this cute top, I got these cute jeans.’ Meanwhile I’m like, ‘I got this cute bracelet.’ “
Some brands and retailers have gotten better at catering to plus-size customers, but the evolution remains slow-going. Fortunately for the 33-year-old queer actor, a real sartorial standout with a string of buzzy 2023 red carpet looks, he’s now courting the attention of major labels, though not all of them are able to deliver. “They love him and want to work with him, but they are working with limited sample sizes and limited resources,” says stylist Michael Fusco. “It’s not a challenge for people to want to work with us, it’s the execution part.”
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Christian Siriano is one who’s handled the execution. In March, Guillén became the first man to don a plus-size look from the designer at the Academy Awards. The pair collaborated again on a pink tweed suit for the Met Gala, a sly “fuck you” to event inspiration (and well-documented sizeist) Karl Lagerfeld. “Christian just knows how to make Harvey look great and elongate his lines,” adds Fusco. “It’s just magic.”
Even without Siriano on speed dial, Guillén is prepared for his increasingly public life thanks to a not-insignificant collection of clothing — his L.A. home boasts two full walk-in closets and four racks for overflow. A few of those looks will no doubt be sported on the Orange County native’s near-endless promotional circuit for Shadows (season five premieres July 13 on FX), DC feature Blue Beetle (in theaters Aug. 18) and a deep slate that includes recently announced New Line thriller Companion, among many other projects on deck.
You’ve had a lot of major red carpet moments this year. Is there a look you’d consider a favorite?
This year has just been back-to-back-to-back. The Oscars started that. We made so many best-dressed lists. Christian had designed for Billy Porter before, but never has he designed for a plus-size guy — so it was nice to collaborate with him on something that was new and had never been done before. The Met Gala was great. They were obviously honoring Karl Lagerfeld, but you also have to represent yourself. So I wore pink. Karl was known for not liking pink. I like loads of things that he didn’t approve of.
How would you describe your first experience at the Met Gala?
I got to walk the carpet before I hosted the night for E! I’d never really put on that hat before. Maybe next time I’ll just go and do the carpet and enjoy the event. It was really cool to watch everyone come in, but it was also very exhausting to be out there in an outfit, all night, talking to people.
Working in even the most basic tuxedo can be exhausting.
Yeah! You’re just wearing Louis Vuittons, and these shoes are meant for being walked on and taking pictures — not running up the hill for hours and hours on end. I can’t even imagine it wearing heels. There’s no way I could do that for eight hours.
I’ve seen you at a couple of events wearing semi-sheer tops. Even with fashion’s easing of older gender norms, that takes confidence. Were you always so adventurous, or is this a recent development?
I’ve always been one to take risks; I just never had the opportunity to do so. It’s already hard to be confident in your own body, especially in this industry. So, if you’re going to do something, then do it full out. And then there are the people who comment, like, “Oh my God, you’re so confident in that.” Yeah, I want to feel my best in what I’m wearing. Why wouldn’t I wear a sheer top? People are just like, “Wow …” They usually assume that people who are a plus size want to cover up, not show off any skin or curves. I do the opposite. I want to show my curves. I want to show a little peekaboo. The sheer is fun.
What is your everyday style?
For the day, a T-shirt and jeans will be just fine. Obviously, you’re not going to wear a Christian Siriano gown to pick up bread. But I like to play with old stuff. My place in L.A. has four racks of clothes on top of two walk-in closets that are already full. I’ve collected so many pieces over the years that I’ve probably only ever worn once. I can’t bring myself to get rid of them. I have pieces I haven’t worn that are ready to go for an event. I’m like Ariana Grande: I see it, I like it, I want it, I got it. Because it’s hard to find stuff in your size! So when I find something I like, I don’t double-guess it. In the past, I’d be like, “I’ll get it later.” Then it’s gone!
The clothes that we put off buying haunt us for years.
To this day, there are these shoes that I think about. I was in Germany and thought, “It’s fine, I’m sure I can get them online.” Nope! Sometimes, in the middle of the night, I’ll wake up in a cold sweat of regret. “No! The shoes!”
When you’re at the mall, what do you gravitate toward?
When I do a movie or something, the costume designers will call, and it’s always the same conversation: “Where do you shop for your clothes?” Which is so interesting to me because I was like, “Where do you shop for everyone’s clothes?” The difference is they know that question is loaded because a lot of designers or stores only go to a certain size. It isn’t as easy, and then that becomes their struggle. You’d be surprised how many times I’m like, “See, the struggle is real.” I had one costume designer who gave up. They were like, “Can you just bring some of your own clothes?”
If you have the clothes, that means they’re out there.
You can find it! You can find clothes in a size that fits everyone; you have to search. For me, the easy go-to is ASOS. They’re reliable when it comes to a big selection of sizes — and they deliver overnight — so I do ASOS a lot. I remember spending whole afternoons at the mall just looking for clothes. You find something that you like, but then they don’t make sizes past a large or an XL. They don’t think that people who are our size are fashionable. They think you’ll be content shopping at Big & Tall — which is fine if you want to shop there, but it’s very limited. Big & Tall is for someone who’s big and tall. … “tall” being the key word. I’m big and short. There should be a shop called Big & Short. (Laughs.) The average body is not a size zero, so it’s surprising to me how the fashion industry keeps pushing that idea. The average person wants to look fashionable. But that’s aspirational living, right?
And, like any other industry, they want to make money. So it doesn’t make sense to ignore such a significant portion of the market.
It’s always surprising when you see, like, “Well, the sales are low this year.” Why? Sales will go through the roof if you just added two more sizes to your collection — or at least another three sizes on top of that. There’s money out there that people want to spend. It’s like in Pretty Woman. I want to walk in like Julia Roberts with a bunch of bags and say, “I came in yesterday, and you didn’t have my size. Big mistake. Huge.” I have money to spend, but you don’t get my money because you didn’t think I was worth making a garment for my body.
How would you describe your discussions with the Shadows costume designer about the aesthetic of your character, Guillermo?
Laura Montgomery, who won the Emmy for costume design, is amazing. She and I get together at the beginning of the season. Because we know what the year’s going to be like for the character, we sprinkle in something new. In season one, he’s more buttoned up. He’s almost suffocating in his own clothing. In season two, he relaxes a little bit. He unbuttons the top button. If you look at pictures of every season, he slowly starts to become the version of who he’s supposed to be — to the point where, in season four, he’s wearing Versace. It’s in a non-fashionable way, of course. That’s just what he thinks people with money should look like.
Who are your own style icons?
There are classic icons that never go away — both male and female. Audrey Hepburn is iconic. But I like the new ideas of fashion. When you look at Maluma and Bad Bunny, they’re oozing confidence, right? Maluma, even offstage, looks amazing in the shirt because he’s wearing it in a way that he’s living his best life. And I strive to do that myself. I could wear a potato sack, but I’d wear it with such confidence that people are like, “I want a potato sack.”
Interview edited for length and clarity.
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Guillén’s Go-To Foundations and Flourishes
Mr. Purl
A fan of pearl jewelry, Guillén paired his pink Met Gala look with Mr. Purl’s Kandy pendant, a mix of gold, violet, cream and pink orbs; $1,275, mrpurl.com
Oribe
For his go-to scent, Guillén channels the French Riviera with Côte d’Azur, a gender-neutral and citrusy scent by Oribe; $125, neimanmarcus.com
Vitaly
Another Met Gala accessory, the Cobra ear cuff by Vitaly comes in silver, gold and matte black; $95, vitalydesign.com
Louboutin
Guillén completed his Met Gala look with Lipsidandy patent-leather loafers by Christian Louboutin; $1,045, matchesfashion.com
David Yurman
On Oscar night, the actor wore this signet ring in sterling silver with black pavé diamonds; $3,800, davidyurman.com
SK-II
His skin-care routine includes SK-II’s Facial Treatment cleanser; $75, saksfifthavenue.com
This story first appeared in the June 14 issue of The Hollywood Reporter magazine. Click here to subscribe.
