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Pyer Moss Creative Director Kerby Jean-Raymond embodies the genius that can come out of “sh-thole countries.” And in an America whose President can publicly trash the contributions of the immigrants who helped build it, the young designer celebrates those who migrate to this nation, using fashion as a springboard to talk about social justice issues. His last collection was an homage to his father, Jean-Claude Raymond, who arrived to Flatbush, Brooklyn from Haiti in 1980. He raised Kerby alone after his wife, Vania Moss-Pierre (Pyer Moss is her namesake), died when his son was seven.
As a fellow “Bush Babee” also born to a Haitian immigrant dad named Jean-Claude, his accomplishments make me and a whole community beam with pride. The CFDA Award-winning designer made headlines last year after being tapped to design a two-part collection with sportswear giant Reebok. This week, the buzzed-about Reebok by Pyer Moss collection made its NYFW debut with celebs like Vic Mensa, Kehlani and Fabolous in the house.
The collection is the beginning of our journey in telling the story of underrepresented groups of Americans.
And the experience was spiritual. With a live gospel choir and soundtrack curated by Rafael Saadiq, “American Also” explores the origins of the word “cowboy” and what it means to be American. Originally a derogatory term referring to Black laborers, the word has been flipped and whitewashed over time. “The collection is the beginning of our journey in telling the story of underrepresented groups of Americans,” Kerby adds. “The phrase ‘cowboy’, is being reseen as regal. Our hope is to continue to challenge traditional narratives of minority groups in this country and tell uplifting stories within our work.”
Standouts in the range of unisex apparel and footwear include floor-length furs, wide leg trousers and oversized cowboy hats emblazoned with the words, “AS AMERICAN AS YOU.” The red, white and blue lineup included reworked iterations of artist David Hammond’s African-American flag and a sneak peak at the new DMX Fusion Pyer Moss—a modern take on the iconic Reebok Classic DMX Run 10 sneaker from the ’90s.
Take a look at the full collection below, then visit reebok.com for more information.
