If you could legally loot your favorite designer label, would you do it? Well, Pyer Moss is giving shoppers the opportunity to do so; this week, the fashion brand surprised fans with the announcement of its “Loot-out” sale.
On December 21 and 22, Kerby Jean-Raymond’s label will host a special sale of its unreleased archival inventory at an undisclosed location in New York City. Unlike other luxury brands’ sample sales, Pyer Moss is giving shoppers the option to purchase a 1-minute ($100) or 5-minute ($300) time slot ahead of the sale. Once purchased, consumers will arrive at their designated time slot and grab and put on as many items as they can during their designated time. Once their time is up, whatever they have on is theirs to keep. According to the brand’s website, the sale will include unreleased apparel, footwear, archival collections and collaborations, runway samples, prototypes and accessories.
“To celebrate its 10th year, Pyer Moss will host its second-ever sales event in a decade: a looting. The loot-out draws inspiration from the luxury fashion industry’s global decline, the burgeoning of dupe culture, and the recent looting sprees in luxury stores across America,” explained an automated voice in a video posted on the brand’s Instagram. “This innovative sales event offers a unique and exhilarating shopping experience. […] Phones and cameras will not be allowed inside the venue. Haters and police are not welcomed.”
In addition to the sale’s unique format, the announcement surprised the fashion world, as Kerby Jean-Raymond has maintained a low profile as of late. Since stepping down as Reebok’s global creative director and releasing his last collection in 2022, the Pyer Moss founder made headlines earlier this year when New York Magazine’s The Cut released a controversial article about the designer’s career. Unveiling alleged details about the fashion trailblazer’s business operations, Jean-Raymond’s name rose back up to the mainstream, yet he maintained his silence.
With the upcoming “Loot-out” sale, it’s unclear if this event marks the end or a new beginning for Pyer Moss. Regardless of what the future holds for Jean-Raymond and his brand, the designer is staying true to his idiosyncratic approach to fashion.
The 2024 Pantone Color of the Year is the surprisingly flattering “peach fuzz“
Much like “The Wiz” could declare a new color and all of Oz would instantly follow suit, Pantone has declared “peach fuzz” the color of 2024.
The color was chosen in the hopes that it would “bring people together,” Laurie Pressman, Vice President of the Pantone Color Institute, told Vogue.
Pressman said, “The color needed to express our desire, to want to be close to those we love, and the joy we get when allowing ourselves to tune into who we are and just savor that moment of quiet time. [It also] needed to be a color that’s warm and welcoming … [and] conveyed a message of compassion and empathy, one that was nurturing, whose cozy sensibility brought people together and elicited a feeling of tactility.”
The jury is still out on whether this color will have the impact Pantone hopes — or be interpreted as a universal unifier. For some, it may evoke the biased “flesh” tone that was once pervasive, from Band-Aids to crayons to pantyhose. However, from bridal to runway, quite a few have already begun to find style inspiration from the nearly universally flattering warm light orange shade. The shade appeared in several Spring/Summer 2024 shows, including Black-led luxury label Balmain. It has also recently been seen on a handful of Black celebrities on the red carpet, including Zoë Kravitz and The Rock. We can’t wait to see where else the color will appear in the new year!
DAP is back at Gap
This week, Harlem native and trendsetter Dapper Dan reunited with Gap for yet another capsule collection, just in time for the holidays. The new Dap X Gap collection features a new set of hoodies in four different colorways, track pants, baseball hats, tote and a logomania-inspired scarf. Additionally, in honor of the holidays, Gap extended its collaboration with Dapper Dan to include BroSis, a Harlem-based organization uplifting youth through social justice. Reflecting the brand’s commitment to community empowerment, Gap donated $100,000 to the nonprofit and included co-founders Khary Lazarre-White and Jason Warwin in the Dap x Gap campaign.
Click here to shop the collection
Tennis star Venus Williams reimagines the iconic tennis bracelet
Tennis champion Venus Williams has teamed up with Reinstein Ross Goldsmiths to create an unmatched jewelry collection. For her first jewelry line, Williams and the jewelry retailer announced the launch of the Diamond Match™ collection, redefining the look of everyday jewelry.
“I was thrilled to partner with Reinstein Ross because of their commitment to creating pieces that are both brilliant and uniquely one-of-a-kind. For me, jewelry has always been more than just an accessory — it’s been a means of self-expression, both on and off the court,” Williams said in a press release. “The Diamond Match Collection encapsulates that essence. We designed each piece in this collection as a testament to the belief that fashion should not be about conforming to someone else’s idea of beauty but about celebrating your own. It’s about inspiring women to feel bespoke, to be unapologetically themselves, and to cherish their inner radiance.”
Through the partnership, Williams takes on a new title as the jeweler’s newest resident designer. Including 20-karat peach gold stud earrings, drop earrings, bracelets, necklaces and rings, the collection’s prices range between $2,800 and $25,000 and is available to purchase at ReinsteinRoss.com and the Reinstein Ross flagship in NYC.
Jerry Lorenzo’s long-awaited Fear of God and Adidas collab debuts
After a December 2020 announcement and some major redirection, the highly anticipated collaboration between the L.A.-based designer behind Fear of God, Jerry Lorenzo and Adidas has finally landed.
On Wednesday, Lorenzo dropped the first Fear of God Athletics, which includes apparel and footwear such as oversized goalie jerseys, fleece hoodies and sweatpants, bags, coats and multiple styles of athletic shoes. The entire line evokes a monochromatic futuristic streetwear vibe, with baggy silhouettes and muted colors like sage, black and white.
Speaking to Complex about the new line and collaboration, Lorenzo explained the delay was due to a change in direction. Initially, Lorenzo was tapped to revamp the German sportswear brand’s basketball division. However, more than halfway through his time working with the brand, the designer realized he wanted to focus on launching Fear of God Athletics with Adidas rather than focusing solely on basketball.
“I’m here to build something that hopefully will become a billion-dollar franchise for us and them,” he said.
Available now, the line ranges in price from $100 to $1,500.
Carol’s Daughter celebrates sisterhood and “The Color Purple”
“Peach Fuzz” may be Pantone’s color of the year, but Black Hollywood’s color of the month is purple. Leading up to the highly anticipated 2023 film adaptation of Alice Walker’s “The Color Purple,” Carol’s Daughter and Warner Bros. Pictures are teaming up to celebrate sisterhood.
“‘The Color Purple’ is a timeless story of resilience and empowerment, with an emphasis on community and belonging. Like the film, Carol’s Daughter has always celebrated the power of sisterhood and the unwavering support found in our tribes,” Carol’s Daughter Founder Lisa Price said in a press release. “This partnership allows us to continue to uplift our stories, our community and to champion the power of our magical sisterhood (and brotherhood), on and off screen.”
Ahead of its official release on Dec. 25, Carol’s Daughter’s “From Sister to Sister” campaign is not only offering special community screenings of the film but also hosting a sweepstakes for a chance to win a pair of tickets to see “The Color Purple” in theaters as well as a grand prize all-expenses paid girls’ trip for two to Essence Fest 2024.
Click here to enter the sweepstakes and shop Carol’s Daughter’s ‘Purple Bundle,’ featuring some of the brand’s bestselling products.
The Studio Museum in Harlem launches a new aesthetic and brand identity with a bash
The Studio Museum in Harlem has a brand new look and feel, just in time for the opening of its new location on New York’s West 125th Street. The art institution just debuted new branding, which includes a new typeface and website.
Thelma Golden, director and chief curator of the Studio Museum in Harlem, said in a release, “Just as our building will further enable us to serve our artist community, the dynamic brand and website will allow us to consistently communicate the work and ideas so central to our mission. Collectively, these efforts are rooted in the legacy we have established while strongly defining the Museum going forward, projecting our identity as a community-centered institution and globally minded place ‘Where Black Art Lives.’”
To celebrate, the museum hosted a bash with art, fashion, and media insiders. According to a release to theGrio, the guest list included Golden, actor Ty Jones, designers Tia Adeola and Brandon Blackwood, Teen Vogue executive editor Danielle Kwateng, Global Vice President of Brand Marketing for GQ/Vanity Fair/Vogue Soyini Driskell, and more.
W Magazine’s and Ralph Lauren’s Miami Art Basel celebration
This week marked the kickoff of Art Basel in Miami, and as industry leaders and stars gather to appreciate specially curated art exhibits, we at theGrio are admiring the fashion beginning to emerge from the festivities. One event with notable fashion moments was W magazine and Ralph Lauren’s private Art Basel celebration, where guests like Janelle Monáe, Taylour Paige and more served looks as they sipped cocktails and mingled.
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