A standing ovation is what awaited Pyer Moss and Kerby Jean-Raymond’s Spring/Summer 2020. The designer took a hiatus skipping the NYFW in February as he thought it was not the right time for him to showcase his collection.  A bold move for the designer as his brand had won the CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund in 2018. With Pyer Moss’s Spring/Summer 2020 Collection, Jean-Raymond presented the third and the final installment of his three-part series, “America, Also.” The collection was showcased to a packed house at The Kings Theater in Flatbush, Brooklyn. The series was an attempt by Jean-Raymond to highlight the untold stories of Black people and their major contributions to the American culture.

The first part of these celebrated series was showcased in February 2018 as it told the untold stories of Black cowboys, The second installment explored “What does a mundane Saturday look like when we’re just left alone and what is Black leisure wear?” The series concluded with the final installment, titled “Sister” which took inspiration from Sister Rosetta Tharpe. She was a queer Black female artist whose music became the foundation of rock ‘n’ roll what is deemed as the true origin of this genre. The show was kick-started with a moving speech by “There Will Be No Miracles Here” author Casey Gerald. He spoke about Fannie Moore ho grew up in slavery. In his speech, he took the audience through 400 years of African American history and celebrate the freedom which they now have. He spoke about Sister Rosetta Tharpe and other folklore of flying Africans.

“I think relatively few people know that the sound of rock and roll was invented by a queer black woman in a church. I wanted to explore what that aesthetic might have looked like if her story would have been told,”said Jean-Raymond backstage.

Music has always played a huge part in every show Jean-Raymond has put for Pyer Moss and Sunday’s showcasing was no exception. The Pyer Moss Tabernacle Drip Choir Drenched in the Blood, the crew now bigger than the last show, gave a soulful music experience to the audience with their performance of R&B, gospel, and hip-hop hits. Tina Turner’s rendition of “Proud Mary,” hip-hop songs,like “Crush on You” by Lil’ Kim; “U.N.I.T.Y.” by Queen Latifah, “The Beep” by Missy Elliott, and “Money” by Cardi B made it to the playlist.

Music was also a part and inspiration for the Pyer Moss Spring/Summer 2020 Collection. There were direct references of music and female music artists in the pieces showcased. The shape of Sister Rosetta Tharpe’s guitar was threaded through the curvy lapels of satin overcoats and in guitar-shaped handbags. There were also piano-shaped front panels and embroidered keys on shirts and cropped jackets, graphics of trousers of divas singing and performing, evening gowns focusing on draping and plissé. Along with these, there was also a collaboration with artists like Sean John and recently exonerated artist Richard Phillips who has spent 45 years in prison for a crime he had not committed. The artist took on a painting during his time in the prison and his watercolor paintings made their way on some of the pieces in the collection.

The men’s collection was no less charming. It was colorful and extravagant and took as back to the jazz-club performers and club-goers of the Seventies. The second half of the collection took forward Jean-Raymond and Pyer Moss’s collaboration with sports brand Reebok forward where Jean-Raymond also serves as an artistic director. The collection presented with parkas, high-collared sweatshirts, tracksuits, puffers, two-piece sets, leggings and biker shorts in a wide array of color palette. As the show closed, Kings Theatre was flipped into an after-party space. The show will probably go down as one of the most memorable ones in the history of NYFW. Whatever Jean-Raymond has in store next for Pyer Moss, we can’t wait for it to be shown!

Pictures: Filippo Fior

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