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The very socially-conscious Haitian-American designer Kerby Jean-Raymond showed his FW18 collection this Saturday to a room full of people not knowing what to expect.

The mood quickly changed as soon as the spotlight hit, revealing a choir dressed in all white across three podiums. Their voices rose up singing tunes like “Alright” by Kendrick Lamar and a new version of “Born in the USA,” songs all chosen and curated by Jean-Raymond and the legendary R&B musician Raphael Saadiq.

The music alluded to the theme of the collection, which sought to highlight the overlooked African-American heroes in a predominantly white American history. The collection, titled, “American also,” reinforced the country's multi-ethnic history in a time where the divisions and racial disparities are highlighted more than ever. In addition to the collection's name being flipped into a graphic, other sayings like “as usa as u” also came into play.

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Garments were reminiscent of a timely Wild West aesthetic, outerwear pieces  were finished with contrast stitching and patchwork. According to the designer, the original cowboys were black and the term “cowboy” was a pejorative meant to belittle that group. These classic Western elements were reimagined with fresh fabrics and silhouettes bringing some modernity to the collection, which also saw the debut of a Pyer Moss x Reebok collaboration that told the same story in a much sportier way.

Jean-Raymond remodeled the classic DMX into a futuristic-looking basketball shoe. In previous interviews, the designer mentions wanting his own version of Yohji Yamamoto's Y-3 line for adidas, and this first effort goes hard in the paint. Standout items include a faux fur coat emblazoned with Reebok on the back, and the designer's continued reinvention of Reebok's most popular logos and motifs.

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As the show wrapped, the audience rose and gave it a standing ovation. It was truly a visible progression from Pyer Moss, and an ideal balance of socially-conscious ideals with forward-thinking clothing. If fashion can be a quiet form of wearable protest, Kerby Jean-Raymond is certainly crafting a welcome uniform for the movement.

Now take a closer look at the Pyer Moss x Reebok DMX Fusion.

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