The Disruptive Designer Building Pyer Moss Becomes a Fashion Star – The Wall Street Journal

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A few months later, he won a prize sponsored by the Council of Fashion Designers of America and Vogue for promising designers. But in a surprise move, he decided not to present a runway show the next season or release clothes according to fashion’s traditional calendar. It was his way of rebelling against a system that can burn out designers by demanding new collections every few months.

While some observers worried the 32-year-old Mr. Jean-Raymond would lose momentum without a high-profile presentation at New York Fashion Week in February, his absence instead seemed to stoke interest in the coming show. CB Rucker, Pyer Moss’s operations director, says the label’s Sept. 8 event will be “emotional.” The show at the Kings Theatre in Brooklyn, where the Haitian-American designer grew up, is one of the week’s most anticipated events. Here are five reasons why:

He doesn’t play by the fashion industry’s rules

Mr. Jean-Raymond threw the industry a curve when he decided against a runway show in February. They didn’t produce a show, Mr. Rucker said, in part because they wanted Pyer Moss’s Sept. 2018 collection to register with fans before rushing out a new one.

“He’s going against the grain, basically saying, ‘I don’t need to do that. I have my following and if they’re ready to roll with me, they will,’ ” said Sharifa Murdock, who co-owns Liberty Fairs, a trade show that spotlights new, contemporary men’s fashion and lifestyle brands.

Pyer Moss aims to treat “collections as ideas and messages rather than months on the calendar,” Mr. Rucker said. The label presents clothes when they are ready, flouting the tradition of releasing spring and fall collections every six months.

““He’s forcing change in the systems that just don’t work anymore.” said Jennifer Minniti, chair of fashion at Pratt Institute. The college honored Mr. Jean-Raymond with the Pratt Fashion Visionary award in May.

Last fall, Pyer Moss relaunched its retail strategy, pulling out of stores and building up its own e-commerce site. Mr. Jean-Raymond has since resumed selling clothes through a number of brick-and-mortar and online shops. “Our customers resonate with Kerby’s brand values and the message he puts forth through his collections,” said Federico Barassi, senior director of menswear buying at Ssense, a Montreal-based retailer.

He has his finger on the pulse of contemporary culture

To the 70,000 followers of his personal Instagram account and 131,000 of his label’s, Mr. Jean-Raymond endears himself by being down to earth and funny. On Instagram recently, he raunchily chronicled his unsuccessful efforts to get a Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen chicken sandwich.

Mr. Jean-Raymond celebrates hip-hop music, black culture and black style, which have all influenced pop culture. “He resonates because he has such a compelling story that comes from an authentic perspective,” said Jian DeLeon, editorial director of Highsnobiety, a streetwear-to-high fashion media brand. Seeing Mr. Jean-Raymond in a prominent position inspires and validates members of Highsnobiety’s audience, which includes many people of color, Mr. DeLeon said.

Celebrities have taken notice

“The line, aesthetically, is always unique and designed well and gives them that upper hand, in terms of when they’re looking for something special,” said Chris Chambers, president and chief executive of public relations and branding firm the Chamber Group.

Current and former clients of Mr. Chambers, including actress La La Anthony and rappers Future, Lil Wayne and Gunna, have worn Pyer Moss in the past year. “On top of the aesthetics, there’s always a powerful story behind the collection,” Mr. Chambers said.

He appeals to millennials and Generation Z

The designer’s outspokenness on Black Lives Matter and his relationships with activist DeRay Mckesson and Nipsey Hussle, the late rapper who championed black businesses and communities, “definitely resonates with our audience,” said Highsnobiety’s Mr. DeLeon.

Ms. Murdock, an industry veteran with a knack for spotting cool labels, remembers Pyer Moss addressing issues such as police brutality years ago. “He’s been doing the same thing for years…but people are now taking note of it,” she said.

The label considers itself an art collective

“We’re a team of photographers, filmmakers, weavers, in addition to designers,” Mr. Rucker said. “We see apparel as just one of many mediums that we use to communicate.”

In April Pyer Moss released a collection, along with an eight-minute, semi-autobiographical film about Mr. Jean-Raymond’s childhood following the death of his mother, and the women who helped fill the void.

“The messaging is not just about the product. There’s something personal,” said

Steven Kolb,

president of the CFDA. “He’s very into telling his story in a way that relates to his customer base.”

He creates innovative, statement-making clothes

Mr. Jean-Raymond mixes vibrant colors, sharp tailoring on relaxed suits, regal draping, and refined sportswear, then overlays it with black cultural references. His September 2018 show put portraits of black families by artist Derrick Adams onto clothing and featured collaborations with Cross Colours and FUBU, brands created by blacks in the late ’80s and early ’90s.

The sneakers he designs with Reebok have been a hit. “Kerby has injected the brand with fresh ideas while maintaining his unapologetic voice and design point of view,” said Reebok president

Matt O’Toole.

Reebok recently expanded the partnership, which includes clothes and accessories, naming Mr. Jean-Raymond artistic director of a new creative division.

Write to Ray A. Smith at [email protected]