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The New York City-based jewelry designer Alex Moss is one of the very few of his generation to have broken into quite possibly the most fiercely gatekept industry. You can spot his chunky AMNY diamond creations adorning everyone from A$AP Rocky to Drake and Hailey Bieber — the same cohort he also draws inspiration from.
When Moss isn’t too busy bejeweling some of the world's ultimate tastemakers, the Toronto native is quick to lend his deep expertise on his craft, as with an advisory role at the American Museum of Natural History's 2025 “Ice Cold” exhibition, which explored hip-hop’s relationship with gemstones.
Anyone this well-versed in both the past and present of pop culture — and its most investment-worthy accessories — no doubt gets highly specific when it comes to his own wardrobe and style. So, we asked Alex Moss to share how he chooses what to wear in the morning, when he got his most treasured garment, and why styling jewelry really is no different from styling fashion.
What do you start with when building out an outfit? (Top vs. shoes, or general vibe, etc.)
Back in the day, it would be centered around the shoes. I'm from the real sneakerhead era. But fashion has changed a lot since then. Now, I'll walk in my closet, and it's like, how do I feel today? Do I feel like being Euro soccer chic? Am I going to go for a dark, grim look? Am I going to feel like a Zuckerberg today and just put on Margiela jeans and a white T-shirt?
It all comes together at once depending on the vibe I'm going for that day. It's not like, I'm going to pick this top. When I got dressed today, I was like, Okay, I feel like doing the soccer streetwear style look — this jersey, these jean shorts, these shoes, white socks without a logo, slick my hair back. I'll put it together really fast.
Who’s the most stylish person you grew up around?
Definitely my dad. He’s always been the best-dressed. In the early 2000s, it was that Dolce Gabbana jeans/dress shirt shit before it got popular. He’s the one who introduced me to Chrome Hearts. This guy was wearing fucking Chrome Hearts in the 2000s! He was really into the glasses.
Now he’s in his suit era, but it’s cool suits. He got this YSL suit where the pants are almost bell bottoms. He had his Brunello era, which was sick. It was mad plain, but he looked like this rich Italian mobster. He has a lot of different eras. There was the sportswear era; I used to go to his closet and take a Louis V duffel bag and bring it to school.
He’s very age appropriate, which I feel is important to fashion. And he always influenced me, style-wise, to try to look your best, that your appearance is important. I would always notice him compared to other dads, and I’d be like, “Man, this guy looks so much cooler. I gotta look like this when I’m older.”
How do you personally approach wearing jewelry — do you have a daily go-to stack?
No, I look at jewelry like fashion. I think other people need to as well, where it's like, you wouldn't wear the same T-shirt and pants every day in the same way. It should go with your outfit or your mood or how you look that day. It shouldn't be the same stack, the same shit. I switch it up depending on the day. Sometimes I'll wear two AM [Alex Moss] pieces. Sometimes three. Sometimes I'll put an owl on. Very rarely, I'll wear small delicate stuff. Jewelry's like a superhero cape, so it depends on the mood.
Is there a particular piece you reach for most often?
When it comes to jewelry and hardware, I'll only wear my own stuff. So I don't wear a watch, because I've never formally worked on a watch with anyone yet. But I have this big diamond Cuban bracelet with my AM lock on it, which goes on my left wrist. That's what I wear every day, no matter what. People will mistake it for a watch.
What garment have you owned the longest?
For my 12th birthday, my mom went on a trip to New York, where she went to the Bape store — this is when Bape was the sickest thing ever, in what would have been 2004 — and got me a real Bape T-shirt. I can still fit into it to this day. Back then, it was a little baggy; I was a big kid. Now it fits more normal. That's a real Bape shirt. Now it's not real Bape anymore because Nigo left. But when Nigo was running Bape, that T-shirt was really important to me.
What item or garment do you regret getting rid of?
I had the first-ever batch of Off-White x Chrome Hearts orange patch denim. When I first got those, I wore them a lot; I remember taking a really cool fit picture that went viral. But I didn't have that much money back then, so for me, it was this thing that was really expensive and I already got my looks off, so I got rid of them. I don't really regret anything I’ve done, but if there was one instance where I’d say, "Fuck, I should have just kept this pair of pants,” it would've been that. I don't wear Chrome Hearts denim, but I'd rather just have that piece in my collection because I just felt like it was part of an era.
We’re in the last months of peak wedding season. What’s your approach to dressing as a wedding guest?
I think the most important thing is that you have to look appropriate. Going to a wedding, in my culture at least, is a very respectable event. It's not prom. It's not a fucking fashion show. You have to be dressed properly. So you need your black tuxedo, you need your black tux shoes, you need your white shirt. It's not about making a statement. You go to be a guest. You’re supposed to complement the stars of the show, which is the bride and the groom. You go there for a fashion show, that’s clown activity. No respect!
Tell us about your everyday bag.
My everyday bag is an all-black Goyard — the mini duffel. I throw everything in there and bring it to work. If I travel, I have this backpack that Virgil did — the Louis Vuitton Trio Backpack, M44658. I bought it for my birthday in 2019, and I religiously use it every time I travel. It’s almost like a good luck bag. But it’s almost falling apart; I gotta find a new one.
Tell us about your favorite pair of jeans.
Right now, it's a pair of Margiela jeans. But then another another day, it'll be a baggy pair of Brian Jimenèz; Brian makes good pants. I was really wearing a lot of Rick Owens jeans, too. Anyone who’s in fashion will tell you they can't pick a single favorite pair. Impossible!
How particular are you about taking care of your clothes?
You know those Japanese videos where everything’s all perfectly folded? I'm like that. My mom taught me how, and I also used to work at clothing stores, so it became a thing. I can fold a T-shirt perfectly. When I pack, it looks like a robot packed the bag.
What goes on your face in the morning, and what goes on your face before bed?
Water, and water. I'm a strong believer in skincare being a byproduct of your overall health. If you're highly hydrated, if you're active, if you're happy, if you get enough sunlight, your skin will look good. You don't need to use a hundred products; all this shit, I think it's a crock of shit. It's just another way to make money off consumerism. My grandma and some of my family members, they’ve done the old school thing where they just eat. They're healthy, they're happy, they're in the sun, and they look good. It radiates off their skin. Tell me I'm lying.
I have some friends like J-Hope — when I see this guy in person, his face looks like glass. It's perfect. I'm sure there are products that'll enhance it, but I think the foundation should be water, happiness, an active lifestyle, a little bit of sunlight, and eating good.
What about the rest of your grooming routine — anything extra?
I shave my own face, which is kind of weird because sometimes I'll talk to guys about it, and they can't shave their own face. But I don't really need to go to the barber that often because now I’m growing my hair out, and I can line up my own face. Especially with the goatee, you gotta get the perfect line down with it.
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