Source: iOne Creative / other
Honoree: Kerby Jean-Raymond
The Grind: Founder, PyerMoss; Vice President of Creative Direction, Reebok
Find Him: @kerbito
Founding his first fashion label at 15, no one ever had to wonder what Haitian-American designer and founder of Pyer Moss wanted to be when he grew up. Kerby had everything he needed to succeed-talent, training and laser focus. In 2013, the New Yorker officially launched his menswear collection, Pyer Moss and three years later, the media was singing his praises for his Spring 2016 presentation at New York Fashion Week. While the fashion industry praised him for being so “outspoken” and his show was widely praised for its incorporation of activism and mental health awareness, it would be hard to forget that just 12 months before his original venue and buyer backed out when he announced that he was including a police brutality video in his show.
And this, perhaps, is why he continued the fight, focusing on different aspects of Blackness in his shows. From “Black Cowboys”, to “Black People Doing Normal Things”, the stories are told with pride and boldness through colors and fabrics that shine and move perfectly while telling tales of the diaspora. Stories that for now, we will have to revisit, as Jean-Raymond has announced he is taking a break and does not have a date in mind for his next show. What he does have, is a new position as Vice President of Creative Direction with Reebok, a new concept releasing in 2021 called “Your Friends In New York”, beautifully bold yet somehow still delicate pieces from Pyer Moss Collection 3, and a list of resources for those interested in fighting social injustices.
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