Black Parade: Pyer Moss Couture Fall 2021

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by brownfashionagal

Pyer Moss Couture happened. And it’s a moment in Fashion History.

Kerby Jean-Raymond, the founder of label Pyer Moss, became the first Black American designer to show on the couture calendar in over 150 years.

“We are an invention inside of an invention. Inside of the creation of race, we made blackness.” said Kerby. The idea behind the collection where each look represented an invention by a black individual was simply beautiful. This is quite an inventive way to honor the often overlooked black legacy and contribution to society; A thoughtful tribute to the under-celebrated individuals who deserve a lot more. Featured inventions included Peanut butter, horseshow, ice cream, fire escape, hair rollers, refrigerator, bicycle, traffic light, chessboard, mop among many. The collection was a bold reminder that black excellence shines in everyday life.

While from a typical ‘fashion’ perspective people called out that the collection was less Couture and more Costume. While that does reflect the subconscious ignorance people have towards black work in general but also the immaturity to understand and accept a progressive view replacing the traditional archetypes. The Camp aesthetic was rather brilliant, Couture should be if it isn’t already more than dramatic ballgowns. Kerby summed it perfectly on Instagram ‘We weren’t there when they wrote the rules, so with all due respect, fuck your “tradition.”‘

While no designer black or not should be exempted from criticism. The social and cultural message here clearly overpowers the clothes. Which I believe is a great move; Fashion is basically clothes, Yes but it has the potential to be much more than that. Pyer Moss Coture did tread the fine line between fashion and art. People expect an old-school notion of couture to be showcased and they were disappointed when it was much more than that. Are we that incapable of exploring something new? Are we so resistant to change?

The show was held in Villa Lewaro in upstate New York, the former home of Madam C. J. Walker an entrepreneur, philanthropist, activist who was the first female self-made millionaire in the United States. Elaine Brown, an activist and former Black Panther chairwoman gave a powerful speech on Pyer Moss’s runway before the collection was presented. This collection was simply much more than clothes; it was representation, it was respect, it was a statement.

The Press release read “The stories we tell about each other about our own lives are about how grandma loved us with bible verses and lemonade, how bloodlines never defined who our aunts and uncles were, how the house was always big enough to take in everybody we loved. We hold stories of glory in our bodies. Black imagination is this world’s greatest technology.”

The clothes evoked emotion and search for meaning within. The horseshoe dress not only honors the invention but presents a rather beautiful silhouette in pretty powder blue. The lampshade look created with dangling crystals strands and the skin-fit dress was a stunning piece of work. Each look was not just some luxurious clothes but a story, an untold story.

The show closed with a fridge with colorful magnets spelling out ‘but who invented black trauma?’