Pyer Moss Designer Kerby Jean-Raymond To Make Haute Couture Debut

On Wednesday, Pyer Moss designer Kerby Jean-Raymond revealed plans to show during autumn ‘21 Paris Haute Couture Week which will take place from 5th July to 8th July. The designer, who launched his brand in 2013 and has since taken on the additional role of Global Creative Director for Reebok, was invited to be part of the official calendar by the Chambre Syndicale de la Haute Couture. He will be the first Black American designer invited by the governing body of haute couture to present during the event, according to WWD. 

As any aspiring American couturier knows, being invited to show during Paris' Haute Couture Week — which lists names like Chanel, Givenchy, Christian Dior, Giambattista Valli, and Schiaparelli as members — is a big deal. In spring '21, S.R. STUDIO. LA. CA., founded by artist-designer Sterling Ruby, was the first American brand on the Haute Couture calendar since Ralph Rucci presented in 2009, according to High Snobiety.

Though the official date for his couture debut has yet to be announced, Pyer Moss stated in a press release that more information about the collection will be released in early June. WWD reported that, after a virtual spring season, July’s shows are set to take place in person, though plans are subject to change.

Jean-Raymond’s couture news arrived on the heels of another major announcement: Pyer Moss is returning to NYFW after a two-year hiatus. The brand’s last show took place in September 2019, when Jean-Raymond took to Kings Theatre in Flatbush, Brooklyn, to present the third and final collection in the “American, Also” series, a showcase of what it means to be Black in America. For many who were there, the event was much more than a runway show — it was an immersive experience. Through music (the show was inspired by Rosetta Tharpe, the Godmother of Rock ‘n’ Roll) and expertly crafted clothing, shoes, and accessories, Jean-Raymond and his team made art out of fashion. And really, that’s exactly what haute couture is about. 

To add a cherry on top of the designer’s already-impressive year, Jean-Raymond will also see his designs housed at New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art, in the Costume Institute’s “In America: A Lexicon of Fashion” exhibition, which will run from 18th September 2021 to 5th September 2022.