Pyer Moss designer Kerby-Jean Raymond and luxury group Kering have put their heads together to create ‘Your Friends in New York’—a platform for discovering what’s up-and-coming.
The platform was designed to empower and highlight the next generation of innovators in fashion, music, art, philanthropy and wellness. The purpose of the venture is to disrupt how consumers interact with new talent and innovators.
Your Friends in New York—YFINY—consists of an event and experiences arm, an incubator inspired program that helps diverse emerging designers grow, philanthropic initiatives, and, of course, merch! The platform will also focus on pressing social issues in local communities, including mental health and public housing.
The idea was to originally launch in March 2020, but alas the global pandemic put things on hold.
In a release, Raymond said, “It is important to me to create and work on ventures that are future forward, involve the community at large and that will continue to help others grow in the fashion and art space.”
François-Henri Pinault of Kering aded that he was struck by the award-winning designer’s unique perspective on creativity, innovation, business, and social issues.
“What struck me immediately was his willingness to invent a new, singular model, freeing himself from the usual constraints of the fashion system. It was only natural for Kering to support this project that seeks to empower new artistic talents, to encourage the diversity of creativity and to give a voice to the younger generation of innovators,” Pinault said.
The platform will also be the “connective tissue” to bring brands and the creative community together for multi-day events, including future Pyer Moss fashion shows.
Raymond had initially planned to showcase a film revealing his new collection at a drive-in movie theater during New York Fashion Week, with a secondary screening happening simultaneously in L.A. However, the team decided to postpone and focus on other initiatives.
Subscribe to our newsletter and follow us on Facebook and Instagram to stay up to date on all the latest fashion news and juicy industry gossip.
