Kerby Jean-Raymond Runway Collection Inspired by Politics

The Pyer Moss Runway collection was politically-fueled by people like Bernie Madoff and Bernie Sanders – the two extremes of capitalism. The designer Kerby Jean-Raymond is well-known for his activism both on and off the runway. The collections is based on how the designer and young people feel, caught in the middle of extreme socialism versus ultimate capitalism.

It was no surprise when the Pyer Moss show came out with a collection based on politics including a performance by Cyrus Aaron a spoken word artist. During the show, the spoken word artist talked about economic issues, while the music in the background included a choir singing and cash registers ringing.

Jean-Raymond uses the runway as a point of activism to deal with the systematic oppression and long-lasting economic divide in America. The collection takes the stereotypical Wall Street businessman and deconstructs his “uniform.” Kerby takes clothes that you would wear to work or squash and inverts them to make a statement.

The masculine name Kerby is taken from the Old German name that means “settlement by a church”. There are many versions of this name, from Kerbie to Kirbey, and it has been used as both a female and masculine name over the years.

The name became popular after the baseball player Kirby Puckett hit the field. Since then there have been many notable people with the given name Kerby, from the American historian Kerby A. Miller to the Filipino basketball player Kerby Raymundo. Now the list will include the designer Kerby Jean-Raymond.