In the Studio with Kerby Jean-Raymond of Pyer Moss
November 2, 2018
Nicky Campbell
“Black as hell.”
That’s how Kerby Jean-Raymond sums up Pyer Moss. The three choice words certainly ring true throughout his collection.
There are few with a voice as loud as Jean-Raymond’s in fashion. This can be for a variety of reasons – fear of being excluded, ridiculed, ostracized. Jean-Raymond is no stranger to any of these, but he has forged on regardless. For him, it’s not a choice. It’s mandatory.
I learn this while visiting the designer and CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund finalist in his Chelsea studio, asking him if he always had this drive to fight for equality.
“No. Not at all,” he responded. “I didn’t want to be political in my work. I also didn’t want anyone to know me. I didn’t start the brand to become a famous fashion designer. It happened over time. I’ve always been political in other ways, I just never crossed Pyer Moss and that part of my life until 2015.”
The year Darren Wilson was acquitted. The year George Zimmerman was acquitted. The year the world was shocked as Eric Garner was choked to death by police officers on film. The imagery was constant and the message was clear: if you’re black, you were at risk.
Jean-Raymond responded the only way he knew how – through his art, starting with the Spring/Summer 2016 collection. The blood-splattered clothing and footwear down the runway were just an accessory. The real show was on screen: a 12- minute video depicting police brutality against black women and men.
The backlash was swift. Retailers dropped the collection, and Jean-Raymond began to fear his business was in jeopardy. Yet, three years later, he remains standing firmly on his own two feet, more confident than ever.
“I believe fashion is an art,” he said. “In 100 years, when people dig this up, they should be able to tell or piece together a story about what this time was like. My canvases that are discovered long after I’m gone should at least give the viewer some insight into what my life was like and what fueled me. That’s why I feel like right now, the hot topics are social justice. We are having this movement of enlightenment where everyone is trying to get their fair share in this world. We have an insane and tremendous responsibility right now to make sure this movement stays on its legs and moves forward. So I’m using my medium to do that.”
Unfazed by critics, Jean-Raymond has continued to power forward. His latest collection – titled “American Also” – featured t-shirts that read ”Stop Calling 911 on the Culture” – a sure sign that he has no intention of remaining silent. He’s here to share his experience – the black American experience. Pyer Moss poses the question: What does it means to be black and American, and why is it so hard to be both?
“The concept came when my friends and I were leaving a bar after playing basketball in Long Island,” he recalled. “We saw this guy in an American flag tracksuit. All of us crossed the street, and when we were driving back to Brooklyn, we talked about why we did that. Why does it feel threatening? We were all born in America, and for whatever reason, none of us felt like we were part of America. It’s the divisive nature of politics and the rhetoric that we’re seeing on the news.”
Make no mistake, Jean-Raymond is as American as the rest of us. Born in East Flatbush, he fondly recalls growing up in the “self-policing” neighborhood primarily of Guyanese and Jamaicans, where he often went on bike adventures with a close circle of childhood friends.
I felt my friends needed to see how contributions of people who look like them essentially form this country and culture
“As we got older, people were pulled in different directions. You see how everyone’s school changed everyone’s demeanors,” he noted. “Some people joined gangs. Suddenly your friend doesn’t mess with you anymore and they’re trying to pick fights on you because you wore a blue shirt instead of a red shirt.”
Jean-Raymond’s path led to the High School of Fashion Industries. By the time he graduated, his resume included a job at the local sneaker store, and internships at Barneys New York, Marchesa, and Kay Unger.
“I was into hip hop brands, but once I got to Barneys and that 50 percent discount, my style really changed,” Jean-Raymond recalled. “I got into Marni, Acne, Margiela, Yohji. When all of the kids wore Rocawear, I’d come in slim jeans. They would make fun of me at first, but then they would all try to buy what I had the next summer.
“They didn’t have the discount, so it didn’t work out,” he laughed. “Everyone would agree that I was the flyest kid in my neighborhood.”
Despite early ambition, Jean-Raymond struggled to find his way to where he is today. He largely has his Reebok to thank for where he is today. The collaboration brought Pyer Moss to a wider audience.
The most admirable aspect of Jean-Raymond extends beyond his thought-provoking collections and his mega-collaboration. As he guides me through his studio, he references Derrick Adams, Barkley Hendricks, and Mickalene Thomas as sources of inspiration. He works with stylist Eric McNeal, and recently shot his campaign with photographer Micaiah Carter. They are each talented creative individuals and entrepreneurs – and yes, they are also black.
“A lot of times in fashion, the conversation about diversity is confused with the conversation around inclusion,” Jean-Raymond said. “What I try to do is lead by example and show what inclusion means, which is not overlooking people because of their race. When I first came into the industry, it was openly biased in that you didn’t work with this guy because he doesn’t look the part. I completely rejected that system and said, I’m just going to take the people who typically wouldn’t get the job because it’s going to mean that much more to them. It’s not like we exclude anyone – we do have white people who work with us as well. It’s just a conscious effort to go out and pick the people who typically get passed over for opportunities. And it’s been working for us.”
In other words, Pyer Moss stands for so much for more than the bottom line. It’s builds community.
“I hope Pyer Moss shows other designers how to convert commerce to conversation,” the designer said. “Use this space and this time allotted for us, however fleeting it may be, to communicate a message. Cause we need more of that. We don’t really need more bags and shoes. We need more stories.”
PHOTOS BY ALDO ARAUJO
