John varvatos, menswear designer and fashion icon, Opens boutique in dubai
Represented By PurplePR.
John Varvatos, the internationally renowned luxury menswear brand, debuts in the Middle East with its first flagship in the Fashion Avenue at The Dubai Mall, the world’s largest shopping center.
“I’m so excited to be opening our first store in Dubai. The city has always been very progressive in style and art, so it feels like a perfect fit for the John Varvatos brand,” said John Varvatos. “Our day to night masculine sensibility has resonated with the Dubai man shopping in our London and New York stores for many years, and to have a flagship here is a dream come true.”
The new boutique introduces customers to the John Varvatos design world, showcasing the brand’s rebellious spirit and all the signature styles that have made it an international leader in luxury menswear. From the iconic leather outerwear to impeccably tailored clothing, the store features products from John Varvatos Collection, John Varvatos Star U.S.A. and Bootleg by John Varvatos. Jewelry, eyewear and fragrances complete the offering.
“Dubai plays a pivotal role in the international community,” said Mark Brashear, CEO of John Varvatos. “We are thrilled for this to be our first store in the Middle East as we continue our international expansion. This is the first of many exciting new things we have planned in this region and beyond.”
The Dubai boutique is based off the iconic New York Madison Avenue design with white walls, hand-finished herringbone wood floors, and black crown molding and details throughout the nearly 3,000 square foot space. The interiors are a combination of bespoke and vintage pieces. For this location, John Varvatos made their iconic bronze screens a focal point for the store. Another signature John Varvatos element, the Edison Chandelier, is a centerpiece in the Dubai flagship and hangs above the handmade silk rugs.
The SS19 collection focuses on pastel hues with vivid detailing. Candid swans rest on small tunics, blackberries in Swarovski crystals, butterflies on fragile tulle bodices. Hydrangeas on mini dresses, poplin shirts, the collection has a playful nature that is signature to the brand ethos of Vivetta.
This Fall, adidas Originals and Alexander Wang continue their reinvention of sports apparel and footwear with Season 4, dropping on November 14 at select retailers, adidas Originals and Alexander Wang flagship locations, as well as both brands’ e-commerce sites. This season, inspiration comes from recontextualizing, repurposing and elevating ideas and materials to transform them into a completely new collection.
For Wang, this means editing the most essential garments, graphics, and fabrics from past seasons of the collaboration and fusing them with iconic fragments from the adidas’ archive, some of which use a unique “photocopy” process — like a two-dimensional collage. Imperfect, off-kilter, and slightly disjointed, each piece bears Wang’s subversive signature style.
Track tops, dresses, shorts, puffers, and crop tops feature naïve seaming, contrasting inserts, spliced logos, upside-down brand flags, and other “wrong” details. These flaws are designed by Wang to connect the disparate eras — the before and the after, the past and the present. The collection is a commentary on the ephemeral nature of fashion and the ability to transcend time through use of technology.
The collection is defined by three stories: photocopy, disjoin, and AW essentials, each one featuring its own distinct take on track tops, track pants, shorts, tees, and dresses. The photocopy range melds Wang signatures with iconic adidas football jerseys. The disjoin series combines rich velour with jersey and nylon while playing with the adidas logo and branding. Finally, the AW essentials feature fundamental silhouettes created with mixed materials and referencing sports through iconic retro cut lines.
The collection is defined by three stories: photocopy, disjoin, and AW essentials
In footwear, the AW Skate Super revisits a tooling from Season 1, now combined with an adidas Superstar upper and trimmed with thick, 1980s-style laces. Its shell toe is turned inside-out to show its bar code. The chunky, ’70s-inspired Turnout Trainer is released in a new colorway while the AW Bball returns in a sleek, all-white style. The AW Puff Trainer pairs a multi-sport–inspired tooling with quilted uppers designed to resemble a puffer jacket. Finally, the AW Futureshell — first glimpsed on the Alexander Wang Spring/Summer 2019 runway — merges ’00s-era basketball materials with a ’90s-style silhouette. The shoe is defined by its distinct shiny, one-piece molded upper.
The Season 4 campaign takes the collection on a mock camping trip with model Anna Ewers. In a stark white studio, she seductively reclines on a series of custom-made outdoor gear — tents, sleeping bags, chairs, umbrellas — produced from scraps of vintage adidas Originals by Alexander Wang, a direct reference to the collection’s inspiration of repurposing. Photographed by Brianna Capozzi and styled by Haley Wollens, the imagery veers between the playful and the absurd while retaining Wang’s sense of wit and subversion.
The Season 4 campaign takes the collection on a mock camping trip with model Anna Ewers
About adidas Originals
Inspired by the rich sporting heritage of adidas – one of the world’s leading sports brands and a global designer and developer of athletic footwear and apparel –– adidas Originals is a lifestyle brand founded in 2001. With the adidas archive at its foundation, adidas Originals continues to evolve the brand’s legacy through its commitment to product innovation and its ability to filter the creativity and courage found on courts and sporting arenas through the lens of contemporary youth culture. Marked by the iconic Trefoil logo that was first used in 1972 and championed by those that continue to shape and define creative culture, adidas Originals continues to lead the way as the pioneering sportswear brand for the street.
About Alexander Wang
Alexander Wang was born and raised in San Francisco, California and later moved to New York City to attend Parsons School of Design. In 2005, after two years, he pursued the launch of his own label. In Spring 2007, it had evolved into a full Women’s ready-to-wear line and the collection was shown for the first time on the runway in Fall 2007.
In its essence, the Alexander Wang brand’s sensibility is a reflection on contrasts, blending seamlessly between the refined and the imperfect. His collections have an unprecious outlook on fashion, and always reflect a sense of ease. He is renowned for his irreverent approach and for perpetually evolving and re-contextualizing the urban uniform.
Inaugural Hope & Heroes Fashion Challenge to support Columbia University Medical Center
Represented by For Momentum LLC.
Delivering joy and confidence is what fashion does best. So we asked the New York fashion community to give us their best and “redesign” hospital gowns for #childhoodcancer patients.
The results are amazing and now we need ???? help to bring one of these creations to life! Visit the Fashion Challenge page and view every submission. Then vote for your favorite — like this fun design by Fashion Institute of Technology student, Meagan Connelly!
Children undergoing cancer treatment must spend long periods of time in the hospital wearing the same traditional, drab hospital gown. In recognition of National Childhood Cancer Awareness Month in September, Hope & Heroes challenged the fashion industry to use their talents to re-imagine the next generation of hospital gowns and bring joy to these patients, all while helping to raise awareness and support for a cure.
“Every year, thousands of families face a devastating childhood cancer diagnosis. We work with the highly-skilled and compassionate team of doctors, researchers and staff at Columbia to create an exceptional treatment experience—one that gives children the very best chance to overcome their disease but also allows them to experience as much of their childhoods as possible,” said Bob Bomersbach, executive director of Hope & Heroes. “The Hope & Heroes Fashion Challenge brings imagination, new resources and hope to our work and we are deeply grateful for the designers, brands and students that have leant their time and talent to this important cause.”
Noteworthy designer Heidi Weisel developed a hospital gown design as part of the challenge, along with students from the Fashion Institute of Technology. Submissions include imaginative designs that range from super hero themes to under-the-sea designs to interactive swap-and-change creations.
In addition to funding Hope & Heroes charitable work, the goal of this fundraising campaign is to reproduce, and bring to life, at least one of these designs for child patients at CUMC. All designers will be honored at the Hope & Heroes Annual Gala on Thursday, November 8. Luxury fashion brands, including Giorgio Armani and Mara Hoffman, are also supporting the campaign through premier auction items to support Hope & Heroes charitable work.
“Despite their cancer diagnosis, kids are filled with imagination and joy. They deserve to look and feel great in something that is comfortable, familiar and most of all fun to wear!” said Heidi Weisel, designer and Council of Fashion Designers of America member. “As an industry, we are inspired by their determination and strength. We are here to help children and families so one day we will all live in a world free of childhood cancer.”
CUMC is home to the largest and most comprehensive pediatric oncology program in the tri-state area, and one of the largest centers in the nation for stem cell and bone marrow transplants. Funding from Hope & Heroes ensures that every child who comes through its doors has access to the newest and most advanced treatments available in the United States, including the latest chemotherapy and radiation oncology regimens, bone marrow and stem cell transplant treatments, immunotherapies and personalized medicine specifically tailored for each patient. Research funded through this effort benefits not only the children at CUMC, but also children worldwide.
About Hope &Heroes
Hope & Heroes funds the life-saving work on childhood cancer and blood disorders at Columbia University Medical Center – including cutting-edge research, support for families, and care that always puts children first. Lear more by visiting our website: www.hopeandheroes.org.
Yep, the holidays are a-comin’, and with that in mind, we have a special offer FWO VIP Members. Thanks to our retail and designer partners, this fall, FWO VIPs can enjoy 70% off two bags from a designer recently written about in Cosmopolitan.
The bags come from Negris Lebrum, also a favorite of Teen Vogue.
Block Crossbody Clutch (only $178.50!)
The Block Crossbody Clutch (get your 70% off VIP code here) is available in green, brown and black only. The retail price is $595, but FWO Members can but it for $178.50. Bag materials: vegan leather, metal buckle with clap, gold metal strap loops, red velvet lining, wide shoulder strap.
The Buckle Clutch (70% off VIP code here) is available in the black only. The retail price for the bag is $458, but FWO Members can buy it now for only $160. Bag materials: Leather, metal buckle, metal strap loops, trimmed in white stitching, silk lining.
You get even get both for only $315.90 (almost $1,0000 full price).
More Opportunities
Designers! Want to connect with editors, stylists and influencers? Show your collections at for a press preview November 15th at a gorgeous space in Midtown Manhattan. Learn more here. FWO VIPs save 10%.
My favorite season, without a doubt, is fall. Breaking out my turtleneck sweaters, thick knit blankets and fur pillows is my favorite thing to do beginning mid-September. The number one way that I can say goodbye to summer is lighting a few autumn candles, and switching out my fruity perfume for a warm, wooly one.
To celebrate the official beginning of fall I am going to break down our absolute favorite scents for you and your home. These scents offer something for everyone, except the person who likes a cheap, synthetic-smelling fragrance. Trust me when I say that these are some of the best selling fragrances to cozy up in while temps drop and you want to be transported to a distant memory like an early morning walk through the forest as leaves fall around you.
these are the best scents to cozy up in while temps drop
Switch out your floral, fruity perfume for one of these warm and cozy scents. Commodity creates simple, elegant and easily identifiable fragrances; we love Wool that has Haitian Vetiver that is sustainably sourced and provides a deep earthy aroma with smoky undertones. This scent also has notes of Amber and Bourbon Vanilla to give you the feeling of warmth wrapped in a cozy wool or cashmere sweater on a cold fall night by the fire.
Another nostalgic scent is ABL’s Composition. This scent is a nod to anticipation after summer ends and school has begun. This scent smells of flint graphite, green apple and wool to bring you right back to the chilly fall days sitting on the football stands cheering on your high school team.
I recently discovered by Rosie Jane, and I now switch in and out every single one of their fragrances. James is my favorite scent to wear everyday during the fall, because while it smells spice and earthy but with hints of fig and gardenia it is so light and fresh. This line is one that I consistently suggest to friends and family, so trust me when I say it is worth it to pick up a bottle of this. You will fall in love!
Empress of Fashion by Diana Vreeland embodies who she was, as she literally was called the Empress of Fashion. Vreeland was one of the most groundbreaking editors Vogue and Harper’s Bazaar have ever housed. This fragrance embodies her powerful presence with blackcurrant, pink pepper and a soft Saffron. The Turkish Rose hints mixed with the warm spice and woody notes make this a well rounded fragrance that gives you the confidence of Vreeland, in a warm embrace.
Juliette Has a Gun’s Not a Perfume is locked and loaded. This fragrance is made of one base note, Cetalox. This gives the minimal and fresh scent of warm woods and earthy vanillas. This perfume has tons of reviews saying that even for people who have an intolerance to fragrances (get headaches or get sick at the smell of perfume) can wear this without being bothered.
The 7 Virtues is a fair trade, organic and sustainable fragrance company. The Rose Amber Eau de Parfum uses a rare rose essential oil that evokes feelings of warm love in the fall with notes of amber, vanilla and bergamot. This is the perfect scent for a serial floral lover wanting to transition from a spring or summer floral to a warmer, earthier rose parfum.
Dasein’s Autumn Unisex Fragrance is truly fitting for both males and females, I tested this on my boyfriend much to his protest. We both wore it on the same day, and were equally complimented on this fragrance! It is dark and comforting, and is nostalgic of a warm cup of coffee on a fall day where you take an extra few minutes wrapped in your cashmere blanket before entering the cold. The Angarwood is a southeast Asian tree producing a sweet yet woody smell note called ‘oud.’ There is also essential oil from coffee bean oil and cinnamon bark essential oil giving it the rich spice you will be intoxicated by all day long.
Now we come to everyone’s favorite part, scents for the home. Boy Smells is one brand that I literally always keep burning at my desk or someplace in my apartment. Stalker is named after the stalk of celery, not the creepy stalker scent you definitely do not want burning in your apartment. This coconut and beeswax candle smells botanical, earthy and warm with notes of purple carrots, cumin and patchouli. Stalker smells like the inside of a Farmer’s Market in the fall.
Ethics Supply Company has an amazing Libations line, and we are loving the Bathtub Gin scent. This candle burns a clean, woody meets crisp apple scent that is intoxicating on my bar cart. It is a clean, non-synthetic burn with all natural coconut and beeswax blend.
A great transitional scent to burn from Summer to fall is sandalwood. Cander’s Rue Vertbois is a go to candle with notes of sandalwood, orange blossom and smoke. The base of sandalwood is the perfect playing field for orange blossom to marry smoky flavors. This candle is an absolute go to when entertaining friends or family.
For the ultimate luxury candle look no further than L’Object’s Cubisme candle. This hand painted candle is way more than just your average candle. The canister is painted with black and white matte glaze and a hint of gold, perfect for keeping on your coffee table all season long. The alluring green vetiver takes the lead with notes of moss and citrus for a clean and warm burn.
All of the Southern Elegance candles are made in and inspired by North Carolina. Our favorite scent is Tobacco and Vanilla; a blend of tobacco, vanilla and spice. For those out there who live and breathe pumpkin spice (sorry, we aren’t fans) this is a nice subtly sweet alternative. Inspired by the old tobacco factories in Durham, NC this candle is a home-run.
My favorite alternative to candles is an essential oil diffuser, I am the worst about leaving tons of candles burning and walking into another room. The chic diffusers from dōTerra are pretty enough to leave out on a shelf all season long, while still filling an entire room with a light fragrance. For great fall oils look for clove, a woody scent that energizes you at the same time. Cinnamon Bark is a food grade oil with a spicy fragrance that can double as a cleaning spray mixed with water! This brand is one of my favorites when it comes to essential oils because of the natural smells and ingredients.
When you burn Hinoki Noir you are engulfed by cashmere woods, redwood bark, cardamom, sandalwood and cardamom. Nature is calling with this fragrance, and we are here for it 100%. This candle gives a calming, peaceful and woodsy fragrance to your home and you’ll want to burn this natural wax candle over and over again.
lululemon has been doing some amazing collaborations recently. Earlier this year they worked with Central Saint Martins students to design six Asian-inspired prints inspired by the “Art of Motion.”
The Canadian-based athletic brand is at it again with a stunning collection in partnership with the Royal Ballet in London’s principal dancer, Francesca Hayward. The limited edition 17-piece collection is highly technical and perfect for prima ballerinas to women having fun in a salsa or pilates class. The line includes cashmere, cooper, and double-knit merino wool fabrics to add a luxurious element to the capsule collection.
This collection took literally an entire year to come together. The designers came to London to make sure that they were designing a collection to enhance the ballerina’s abilities and movement rather than restrict it. The outcome is an alluring corset-like sports bra, low back leotard, merino double knit wool sweater (that I literally want to live in), and amazing gold lining tights.
This collection took literally an entire year to come together
A slightly new feature of the collection as the bold gold details. There are gold hints on waistbands and in the color palette used, as well as gold logos sewn onto some pieces. lululemon reps stated ”Pieces feature touches of gold that mirror the opulence of the Royal Opera House.” The gold was also a request of Francesca as she just loves gold!
I have to call out their Principal Dancer Corsetry Tights. I am an avid lululemon lover, I have pledged my allegiance to the addicting culture of wearing lululemon. So you can imagine the large number of leggings I have accumulated over time… And these pants are my favorite to date because of the fit. The corset like waist-band sucks you in without feeling restricted and give my flat butt some shape I didn’t know was possible.
these pants are my favorite to date because of the fit
Growing up as a ballerina I spent a lifetime in horrible ballet warm up clothes and poorly fitting leotards I couldn’t wait to get out of.
My only two questions now are, where was this collection 10 years ago, and can I buy the entire collection in every color?
About Francesca Hayward
English dancer Francesca Hayward (@frankiegoestohayward) is a Principal of The Royal Ballet. She trained at The Royal Ballet School and graduated into the Company during the 2010/11 Season, and was promoted to Principal in 2016.
When Anna Wintour cosigns your designs, you’ve got to know you made it, right?
Much could be said for the 10 finalists in the Vogue/CDFA Fashion Fund 2018. The power house Vogue/CDFA duo has been celebrating, supporting, and showcasing emerging designers for the past 15 years, crowning two winners at the end of the competition. Among these 10 gems, I was drawn to Kerby Jean-Raymond of “Pyer Moss,” a men’s and women’s line of style, with a conscience.
As Wintour says, “they’re not only talented, they’re engaged with a rapidly changing world.” Kerby illustrated this in his Fashion Week debut back in 2016, tackling the very sensitive and prevalent issues of police brutality, where models wore imitation blood spattered, white boots, inscribed with phrases and words popular amongst the “Black Lives Matter” movement.
The New York Native has made it appoint to not only create aesthetically pleasing pieces, but collections that are birthed from his raw personal experiences and emotions.
Kerby’s Fall ’18 collection speaks to his feelings of disconnect to America, due to historical exclusion and disenfranchisement. Western inspired pieces like the Pyer Moss jackets, are his attempt to pay homage to the unsung “Black Cowboys” of America. He consciously crafted the contrast, topstitching jacket to mimic the original construction of western-style jackets, intertwining a modern edge. It’s imperative for the designer of Haitian decent to evoke a conversation amongst fashion goers that exceed their mere appearance, really pushing to create an “art form” as he describes it, an element I can appreciate.
Last year, Kerby collaborated with Reebok for the “Reebok by Pyer Moss,” “American Also” Collection 1, which included a huge, foot-length, wool scarf, with an American flag print, stamped with the Reebok and Pyer Moss logos.
The scarf is very reminiscent of the garb worn by most African village chiefs, further evidence of Jean-Raymond’s desire to preserve culture, all the while keeping us bundled up during those brutal NYC winters! Their “DMX Fusion Experiment” sneakers contribute to the current athleisure moment in fashion and were highly anticipated for its limited release back in March. The low top, all black and white, unisex sneakers feature an on trend chunky bottom, with intricate wrap-around, draw string laces (the single-handed detail that gives “Yeezy” a little stiff competition, in my opinion).
Having world renowned notoriety, spanning from an FGI Rising Star Award to making Forbes’ “30 Under 30,” Kerby mentions his father’s participation in his AW17 Campaign, amongst the highlights of his career. The Haitian immigrant serves as the muse for Pyer Moss, which established the brands overall tone.
Strapped with witty banter, a revolutionary spirit, and chic designs, its clear Kerby Jean-Raymond didn’t make the top 10 on a fluke! And I for one, look forward to not only seeing, but experiencing his “art form.”
We had a chance to get to know some of the designer with the help of FTL Moda.
The Interviews
We first spoke with Mihai Lupu, director of the program ROFTL (Romanian Hub at FTL Moda), working directly with the government of Romania, and coordinator of all Romanian designers for this project.
Q: You started this activation to penetrate the US market with Romanian designers, who are renowned for their manufacturing excellence. What changed, why is now Romania investing in its own labels?
I think it is only natural to have this switch toward actually promoting our own brands.
Yes, we have this major advantage at being very good manufacturers, but we also have amazing and creative people in Romania.
we have this major advantage at being very good manufacturers
The fact that Romania is rather new to the creative industries by having our own brands has been beneficial for us, because we learned from other people’s mistakes. We have a very serious creative movement in Romania.
Of course, the Romanian market is not enough for its creative designers. We are still not an extremely rich country so it is easier for us to buy from other countries’ producers and designers who are mass producers.
We are making unique designs that are actually very fresh. The American market is in need of fresh ideas, and this is our take.
Irina Schrotter
Q: We know that Irina Schrotter is one of the leading labels in Romania, with several retails and great manufacturing quarters. What is the secret that keeps the brand so cosmopolitan and well structured in a country that has been focusing on manufacturing for third parties until recently.
Irina Schrotter has been in the fashion industry for about 25 years. We began in 1992.
We manufacture in Romania and have five shops there and one shop in Switzerland. We sell in 40 countries and have many clients in Italy and France.
We sell in 40 countries
We work a lot and Irina is very dedicated to fashion. She knows very well what women want to wear and she is a very talented designer. She is a very nice, elegant, and positive woman. Her personality is expressed through the collections, and this is probably our secret.
Thais & Stroe
Q:Thais & Stroe represents possibly the youngest generation of designers in Romania. How important was your technical schooling/training in Italy to the level of success that your brand sees in the style/appeal and excellence in production?
It was very important because we found people who could teach us the best skills in the whole world.
Europe is one of the leading fashion industries so it was a really good experience for us. For example, we had the chance to meet people who work for D&G and organize their shows. It was awesome.
we had the chance to meet people who work for D&G
We also worked with some teachers that had their own labels and teach us how to market our own designs. We were very inspired by the art museums, the city and the architecture in Italy.
PassionbyD
Q: Do you define yourself a couturier? What led you to styles that are so extravagant and yet so well finished? What is the difference between PassionbyD and a general couture?
Yes, I usually introduce couture into my work.
I have an accent on details and handmade work. I have tried to simplify some pieces but it never works because I usually go back to couture. Even my RTW pieces become couture-to-wear.
I don’t really like to be extravagant, I like items to be different and original. I like the finishings to be really well done and to dress the female body very well.
I put the body first in order to represent the real woman. I like to make the woman who wears it to feel comfortable, sexy, feminine, bold and courageous. And for me, the details always make the difference between the garments you are wearing.
I put the body first in order to represent the real woman
I am trying to combine modern and couture and create something very versatile. I want the pieces to be worn both as evening wear and everyday wear. You can wear the pieces during a special occasion but if you accessorize it well you can wear it in a casual moment too.
If it is a dress, you can wear it with elegant shoes and jewelry and you can go to a restaurant. Or, you can wear some boots and a leather jacket to make it very cool and RTW but chic at the same time.
I think it is important to have items in your wardrobe that you can wear for more than just one occasion.
Dorin Negrau
Q: It’s wonderful to see a male designer with such care for details in ready to wear conceived for independent strong women. What inspires you as designer of Dorin Negrau?
Women inspire me, of course. My traditional elements incorporate the contemporary with the traditional. I show my collection at NYFW every year. Each year, my clothes are inspired by traditional art.
I show my collection at NYFW every year
Maison ChouChou
Q: We saw beautiful coats in your display. Can we hope to find trenches, and light jackets next Spring Summer at Maison ChouChou? we think it would be outstanding.
Yes, we have a wide range of light jackets and trenches that we regularly include in our look book. This season we run a bit short of time in preparation of Coterie, but we are preparing a really strong Fall Winter collection, to present in February.
Maison ChouChou
Exe
Q:Exe‘s line is very forward thinking, contemporary, streetwear almost underground. Yet, so chic and elegant. What is that led you to this unique approach to fashion?
I am a traveler of the world, I love to incorporate a cosmopolitan approach into my vision, and keep it updated.
Today men can be dressy and yet very comfortable.
Petite Coco
Q:Petite Coco is a luxury collection for children, covering newborn to pre-teen age. How important is the luxury aspect for this segment of the industry? And do you focus on the “mommy-daddy and me” concept, or you think that children should have designated collections? Do you find inspiration at all in contemporary womenswear and menswear?
People who are interested in the luxury aspect of this industry for themselves, are also interested in luxury fashion clothing for their kids.
Their kids’ image should match their own. And a special occasion, which is our area of expertise, is the best time for expressing and showcasing their testes and attention regarding the children’s outfits, and also the whole family’s image.
Matching outfits concept, mom and daughter, dad and son, are very trendy right now, but we are a fashion house dedicated mind and soul only to the little ones.
Children’s fashion has special requirements and their own sense of fashion, so this is why they have their designated collections, even if inspiration is seldom found in the adults’ clothing design area. To be more precise, almost all the time, but adapted, as I said, to kids’ needs.
Brooklyn-native designer, Kerby Jean-Raymond decided to launch his SS19 collection in a place closer to the heart this season. A show at a new location to NYFW, Weeksville Heritage Center, a museum dedicated to documenting and preserving the history of the 19th century African American community of Weeksville – one of America’s first free black communities.
The collection represents the designer’s beliefs of the overall power that fashion has and how it can inspire along with, create a movement. With a designer creating such a voice for his heart every season, it is amazing what a collection can say for itself. Symbolizing the freedom of a prominent black community and the value in standing up for what you believe it is shown strongly throughout each piece in this collection. It was nothing but an inspiration and boost of courage through everyone at this showcase.
The Pyer Moss designer, known for voicing political messages, even the ones of utmost controversy and creates fashion forms out of the messages. These collections have a remarkable growing audience that is persistently following the designer eager to see what is next.
In true Kerby Jean-Raymond fashion, the show began with a gospel choir’s heavenly voices echoing through the Weeksville Heritage lawn. With this being the second Pyer Moss collaboration with Reebok, the collection featured various nostalgic statement pieces. The colorful graphics on several were drawn from Jean-Raymond’s research findings on the Jim-Crow laws as well as, the era in general. He stated that artist, Derrick Adams, assisted bringing his dream for this ready-to-wear season to life, as the artist commissioned paintings that were woven across pieces in the collection. The art is touching and speaks louder than words.
Phrases “See us now?”, “Stop calling 911 on the culture” spoke for the collection as they were embellished on pieces of the clothing. These messages did not only speak for the collection, but they are worth wearing. It was also announced in this collection that the Pyer Moss designer has decided to collaborate with the 90s-era label by Daymond John, FUBU.
In the end, this collection entitled “America, Also: Lesson 2”, is one of the most talked about this NYFW for all notable reasons. What a way to mark the 5th anniversary of the Pyer Moss label.
W hat do our FWO VIP Members going to the @FashionWeekGala — FWO’s official kick-off party of fashion month — have in common?
Well, except great music, refreshments, industry friends, and surprises at the DV Club in Midtown Manhattan, they’ll also be getting some fun stuff in a special VIP gift bag. (I mean, what’s fashion month without gift bags, right?)
In that spirit, along with our other supporters (full story here!), mobile accessory fun-maker Gocase® has custom-made an amazing iPhone case, just for gala guests.
(They have an equally amazing selection at shop-gocase.com.)
We manufacture in Romania and have five shops there and one shop in Switzerland. We sell in 40 countries and have many clients in Italy and France. 
It was very important because we found people who could teach us the best skills in the whole world. 
Yes, I usually introduce couture into my work. 
I am trying to combine modern and couture and create something very versatile. I want the pieces to be worn both as evening wear and everyday wear. You can wear the pieces during a special occasion but if you accessorize it well you can wear it in a casual moment too. 
