Pyer Moss Couture
Pyer Moss' couture show showcased the modern everyday lifestyle and consumer products created by innovative Black inventors throughout history. Outside of the upstate NY estate of the legendary Madame C.J Walker, Kerby Jean Raymond yet again had a message on behalf of Black Americans on his biggest stage yet. Now being the first ever Black American designer to be invited and show at the official Haute Couture fashion week KJR finds himself in rare air and just now at a new beginning and recognition in fashion
The fashion scene is full of (select)opportunities and milestones for designers young and old to reach, accomplish, and strive to, with a host of great honors and attainments that follow suit. Moreover, as far as Paris Fashion goes, receiving an invitation to Paris Haute Couture week could easily be considered one of the greatest honors and distinguishing opportunities of all time.
Considering how many well known and now famous designer names that have displayed collections and solidified their marks in fashion history. That honor is now held by Kerby Jean Raymond, the Founding Creative Director of Pyer Moss and Global Creative Director for Reebok ,who in July of 2021 showcase a debut collection at Paris Couture Week this year. While this may sound like an amazing opportunity all on its own, it does not just end there.
Not only will Kerby hold the honor of being invited by the Chambre Syndicale to be a guest designer at Paris Haute Couture, but also most notably be the first Black American designer to be invited to the Official Paris Haute Couture Calendar. Haute Couture and Pyer Moss will both be coming out of a fairly long hiatus period for this event. Haute Couture will be coming out of a two year hiatus while Pyer Moss will be coming out of a year and a half long hiatus, making this his official return.What a way to reintroduce yourself. Although Mr. Raymond did not head to the beautiful land of Paris with his collection to show in person at the official Chambre Syndicale de la Haute Couture, he did showcase to a world stage at the Estate of Black Historical Icon Madame C.J Walker!
This announcement cements Raymonds place in the world of fashion in a WHOLE new way meaning this young designer(35) now sits in peer space currently with only the top of Fashion’s most influential and ground breaking Creative directors like Olivier Rousteing, Virgil Abloh, and Kanye West. The future opportunity Pyer Moss has to now establish and build a concrete foundation to a future luxury house is unmatched in 2021. To really soak in how important this news is, one should take note that Pyer Moss will be following in the footsteps of another designer- Patrick Kelly, who held the place of being the first ever American to be admitted within the Chambre Syndicale in 1987. Truly showing how far America has come in 34 years(one year after KJR was born) in regards to fashion. While there may already be a short list of distinguished American couture designers out there, not many designers in general can say that they have even been personally invited to display a collection.
This is a very large leap in the right direction for black fashion as a whole as well as recognition of for other black designers presently working within the industry. In regards to recognition, things are seemingly coming full circle for Jean-Raymonds, as the last collection he released served as a statement to address the intentional censorship of Black narratives within pop culture. Now instead of black narratives being censored, they will be placed in full spotlight as ‘WAT U IZ’ recalls the back story of Black American innovation.