Kerby Jean-Raymond is a Haitian American

fashion design Fashion design is the art of applying design, aesthetics, clothing construction, and natural beauty to clothing and its accessories. It is influenced by diverse cultures and different trends and has varied over time and place. "A fashion design ...

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 seven to nine days when international Fashion design, fashion collections are shown to buyers, the pres ...

. The show highlighted

police brutality Police brutality is the excessive and unwarranted use of force by law enforcement against an individual or Public order policing, a group. It is an extreme form of police misconduct and is a civil rights violation. Police brutality includes, b ...

, referencing the

Black Lives Matter Black Lives Matter (BLM) is a Decentralization, decentralized political and social movement that aims to highlight racism, discrimination and Racial inequality in the United States, racial inequality experienced by black people, and to pro ...

movement through videos, street art, and fashion. Jean-Raymond has publicly commented 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 and songwriter. Influenced by rhythm and blues, R&B, Soul music, soul, and hip hop, Badu rose to prominence in the late 1990s when her debut al ...

, 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. That same year, 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 professional American football, football wide receiver. He played college football for the LSU Tigers football, LSU Tigers and was selected ...

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

Swizz Beatz Kasseem Daoud Dean (born September 13, 1978), known professionally as Swizz Beatz, is an American rapper and record producer. Born and raised in the Bronx borough of New York City, Dean embarked on his musical career as a DJ in 1994. At the age ...

, Kiandra Layne, Gabrielle Union-Wade,

Colin Kaepernick Colin Rand Kaepernick ( ; born November 3, 1987) is an American civil rights activist and former professional football quarterback. He played six seasons for the San Francisco 49ers in the National Football League (NFL). In 2016, he gained na ...

and First Lady

Michelle Obama Michelle LaVaughn Robinson Obama ( Robinson; born January 17, 1964) is an American attorney and author who served as the first lady of the United States from 2009 to 2017, being married to Barack Obama, the 44th president of the United Stat ...

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

Reebok Reebok International Limited ( ) is an American footwear and clothing brand 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 which had bee ...

sportswear brand. His label Pyer Moss was also awarded the top prize at the fifteenth CFDA/''Vogue'' Fashion Fund awards that same month. In March 2022, he departed Reebok.

Background

Listed in ''

Forbes ''Forbes'' () is an American business magazine founded by B. C. Forbes in 1917. It has been owned by the Hong Kong–based investment group Integrated Whale Media Investments since 2014. Its chairman and editor-in-chief is Steve Forbes. The co ...

'' 2015 "30 Under 30" in Art And Style, Jean-Raymond began designing at a young age. He landed his first apprenticeship at 14 while still attending The High School of Fashion Industries in Manhattan. He started his first fashion label, 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 uses his brand to address racial tensions in the United States and intertwine 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