To say that designer Kerby Jean-Raymond has been on the verge of a mainstream breakthrough since launching his celebrity-beloved line, Pyer Moss, in 2013 would be an understatement—as it would be to say that he’s an established favorite of The Glow Up. In the past year alone, the Brooklyn, N.Y.-born designer’s clean lines and socially and racially-conscious aesthetic have landed Pyer Moss a successful collaboration with Reebok, a tribute-making capsule collection collaboration with Hennessy, and red carpet appearances courtesy of Issa Rae, Tracee Ellis Ross and more (He’s also an honoree of this year’s The Root 100). As Fashionista wrote, and we wholeheartedly agree:
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“Jean-Raymond is an outspoken advocate of social justice and makes a point to celebrate Black culture in each of his collections.”
This year, Jean-Raymond also scored a 2018 Emerging Talent award nomination from the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA). While he didn’t take home the prize this year, on Monday night he scored another big win—and major investment—when he was announced as the 15th annual winner of the 2018 CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund in a celebration at the Brooklyn Navy Yard, not far from his childhood home.
Jean-Raymond, who was the only black contender among this year’s 10 finalists (following 2017's winner, fellow black designer Telfar Clemens), was chosen as 2018's winner by a committee of industry luminaries, insiders and influencers such as Anna Wintour, designer Joseph Altuzarra, and Instagram’s Eva Chen (a panel that was criticized for not including any black judges this year).
The win was a culmination of many months competition between the finalists, including design challenges and branding exercises. The prize? Four hundred thousand dollars and a year of mentorship. The runners up for the CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund were Emily Adams Bode of menswear label Bode and womenswear designer Jonathan Cohen, each taking home $150,000 each.
Undoubtedly, this incredible honor—and infusion of cash—will result in even bigger things for our favorite label on the rise. You can check out their current offerings here.
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