Make Way Fashion World, Pyer Moss is Coming
Pictured from left to right: Emily Blunt (presenter of award), runner-up Jonathan Cohen, winner Kerby Jean-Raymond, U.S. Vogue EIC Anna Wintour, runner-up Emily Adams Bode, and CFDA chief executive Steven Kolb. Image via.
Kerby Jean-Raymond, the mastermind behind the luxury sportswear brand Pyer Moss, was recognized by the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) as the winner of the coveted $400,000 CFDA-Vogue Fashion Fund this year.
Jean-Raymond, the son of a Haitian immigrant, has not shied away from injecting political messages into his brand. Founded in 2013, Pyer Moss attracted public attention with its release of a T-shirt that listed the names of people of color who had been victims of police brutality. In recent years, Jean-Raymond has opened conversations about gun violence and racism in his runway shows. For example, in his Spring/Summer 2016 show, he presented the audience with a documentary on racially motivated police brutality in America. Not only is Jean-Raymond unafraid to have a voice in this contentious political climate, but his pride in his culture and race is also reflected in all of his collections, which celebrate Black culture.
Titled the “911” Tee, this T-shirt is just one example of the many ways in which Pyer Moss speaks about policy brutality against people of color, namely African Americans. Image via.
The CFDA-Vogue Fashion Fund was launched in 2003 in response to financial struggles and controversies surrounding the fashion world. Seeking to combat the homogeneity in the type of models featured on the cover of magazines and parading down runways, the Fashion Fund emerged with the purpose of highlighting new fashion designers. In addition to the cash prize, the Fashion Fund also sought to provide new generations of designers with a network that would foster success in a competitive industry. Specifically, the Fashion Fund has awarded and recognized designers who are advocates of inclusivity of all body shapes and skin colors. Past winners have included Alexander Wang, Prabal Gurung, Proenza Schouler, as well as a multitude of other notable designers.
In addition to the Fashion Fund, Pyer Moss was awarded the 2014 Fashion Group International Rising Star Award in the category of menswear and Jean-Raymond was also featured on the Forbes 30 Under 30 List in 2015. While the Fashion Fund has been critiqued in the past for casting light on brands prematurely and having those brands become unsuccessful in the long run, we can rest assured that Jean-Raymond’s Pyer Moss is here for the long-haul.
Feature image via.
