Kerby Jean-Raymond is a Haitian American

fashion design Fashion design is the Art (skill), art of applying design, aesthetics, clothing construction and natural beauty to clothing and its Fashion accessory, accessories. It is influenced by culture and different trends, and has varied over time and plac ...

er who is the founder of the menswear label Pyer Moss.

Career

Kerby Jean-Raymond first came into the spotlight for his presentation of Pyer Moss' Spring 2016 Menswear Collection during

New York Fashion Week New York Fashion Week (NYFW), held in February and September of each year, is a semi-annual series of events in Manhattan typically spanning 7–9 days when international fashion collections are shown to buyers, the press, and the general publ ...

. The show highlighted

police brutality Police brutality is the excessive and unwarranted use of force by law enforcement against an individual or a group. It is an extreme form of police misconduct and is a civil rights violation. Police brutality includes, but is not limited to, ...

, referencing the

Black Lives Matter Black Lives Matter (abbreviated BLM) is a decentralized political and social movement that seeks to highlight racism, discrimination, and racial inequality experienced by black people. Its primary concerns are incidents of police bruta ...

movement through use of video, street art, and fashion. Despite receiving backlash for his display, Jean-Raymond uses his platform promote positive social change. Jean-Raymond has made public comments about his experience as a teenage victim of

driving while black "Driving while black" (DWB) is a sardonic description of racial profiling of African-American motor vehicle drivers. It implies that a motorist may be stopped by a police officer largely because of racial bias rather than any apparent violation ...

. Kerby Jean-Raymond collaborated with R&B singer and activist

Erykah Badu Erica Abi Wright (born February 26, 1971), known professionally as Erykah Badu (), is an American singer-songwriter, record producer and actress. Influenced by rhythm and blues, R&B, Soul music, soul, and hip hop, Badu rose to prominence in the ...

who styled Jean-Raymond's Pyer Moss AW16 line for the 2016 New York Fashion Week show. The featured collection was titled "Double Bind." His brand, Pyer Moss, won the FGI Rising Star Award in the menswear category in 2014. Also in 2014, he was a finalist in the DHL Exported Prize presented by IMG Worldwide. He was recognized by the ''Forbes'' "30 Under 30" list in 2015. Jean-Raymond was featured on '' Cultured Magazine''s fashion issue cover in April 2019. During Paris Fashion Week in February 2019,

Odell Beckham Jr. Odell Cornelious Beckham Jr. (born November 5, 1992), commonly known by his initials OBJ, is an American football wide receiver who is a free agent. Born in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Beckham played college football at LSU and was drafted by the ...

wore a Pyer Moss Collection 2 hoodie. Others who have been seen in Pyer Moss include producer

Swizz Beatz Kasseem Daoud Dean (born September 13, 1978), known professionally as Swizz Beatz, is an American record producer, rapper, disc jockey (DJ) and songwriter. Born and raised in New York City, Dean embarked on his musical career as a DJ. At the ag ...

, Kiandra Layne,

Gabrielle Union-Wade Gabrielle Monique Union-Wade ( Union; born October 29, 1972) is an American actress. Her career began in the 1990s, when she made dozens of appearances on television sitcoms, prior to landing supporting roles in 1999 teen films ''She's All That' ...

Colin Kaepernick Colin Rand Kaepernick ( ; born November 3, 1987) is an American civil rights activist and football quarterback who is a free agent. He played six seasons for the San Francisco 49ers in the National Football League (NFL). In 2016, he knelt du ...

and First Lady

Michelle Obama Michelle LaVaughn Robinson Obama (born January 17, 1964) is an American attorney and author who served as first lady of the United States from 2009 to 2017. She was the first African-American woman to serve in this position. She is married t ...

. In September 2020, Jean-Raymond was named Global Creative Director of sportswear brand

Reebok Reebok International Limited () is an American fitness footwear and clothing manufacturer that is a part of Authentic Brands Group. It was established in England in 1958 as a companion company to J.W. Foster and Sons, a sporting goods company ...

. His label Pyer Moss was also awarded the top prize at the fifteenth CFDA/''Vogue'' Fashion Fund awards that same month.

Background

Listed in ''

Forbes ''Forbes'' () is an American business magazine owned by Integrated Whale Media Investments and the Forbes family. Published eight times a year, it features articles on finance, industry, investing, and marketing topics. ''Forbes'' also re ...

'' 2015 "30 Under 30" in Art And Style, Jean-Raymond began designing at a young age. He landed his first apprenticeship at 14 years old while still attending The High School of Fashion Industries in Manhattan. He started his first fashion label called Mary's Jungle at the age of 15. Taught by

Kay Unger Kay Unger is an American fashion designer. Until July 2012, she was the creative head and public face of Phoebe Company LLC and its brands.Creative Marketing Plus. "Kay Unger - Fashion Designer and Philanthropist." Press release. New York, NY. No ...

, Jean-Raymond worked on Unger's first women's evening collection. He launched Pyer Moss in 2013. Jean-Raymond makes use of his brand by addressing racial tensions in the United States and intertwining social issues with the fashion world. He describes his brand, Pyer Moss, as an "art project" or "a timely social experiment" at times.

Career

Background

References

Further reading