Pyer Moss is back. Not with a new collection or his famously spectacular fashion shows but with a fresh series of “loot outs”.
A sales method first tested at the end of last year in New York, the loot sees the brand offer fans the chance to grab unreleased collections, archival pieces, and samples through a fabricated looting.
Announced through a video on the brand's Instagram page, the two latest lootings are happening in Atlanta and Los Angeles. Although the rules are a bit different from the first one in New York.
Instead of having the option of either one minute or five minutes to take what you can from the store, this time everyone has a three-minute time limit to grab and wear as much stuff as they can.
The list of restricted items not allowed in the venue, according to the announcement video, is: phones, cameras, haters, and members of the press (I guess there goes my chance of attending). Also, the exact location will not be announced until 24 hours before the event.
All this comes with a price tag of $200 — tickets are out now on Pyer Moss’ website, if you want to get involved — and you get to go home with all the clothing that you can physically get dressed in within the three minutes.
The “innovative sales event,” as the light-hearted, frankly hilarious announcement video describes it, is a big piece of news to come from a brand that’s been very quiet recently.
Founded by Kerby Jean-Raymond in 2013, Pyer Moss quickly gained critical acclaim.
In 2015 Jean-Raymond was named in the Forbes 30 Under 30 list, in 2018 he was the winner of the CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund, and in 2020 he was crowned the American Designer of the Year at the CFDA Awards.
His weaving of black narratives and strong political messages in his collections were among what made him an important name in the industry.
Pyer Moss' runway shows were powerful, its continued collaboration with Reebok well received, and it is the first black-founded brand to be invited by the Chambre Syndicale de la Haute Couture to show a collection.
The momentum that was built with Pyer Moss did drop off, however. And details of why it all went quiet with the brand were exposed by an article in The Cut, where it was revealed that the majority of staff were laid off at the end of 2021 and that there’s lots of old stock still sitting in its offices.
When the first looting sale was announced, we were left unsure on how to feel. Now, with a second wave of sales coming up, it’s still a pretty wild concept to get your head around.
However, this news combined with the release of a Pyer Moss x Canada Goose collaboration last year does point toward one thing: the possible return of Pyer Moss and Kerby Jean-Raymond, one of fashion's most outspoken designers.
