Pyer Moss RIP

plus J.Crew Always, The Run-Through and Marc Jacobs SS23

Feb 5

Clockwise from Top.

What Happened to Pyer Moss?

We have written a lot about Kerby Jean-Raymond’s brand Pyer Moss: here, here and here, for some recent examples. The Cut has a big piece on what’s been going over there:

There is no Pyer Moss boutique. The clothing celebrated on the runway was mostly not available to anybody who didn’t have a celebrity stylist to pull it for them, and company insiders complained that quality control was so uneven that at times what was produced was too flawed to be sold. Jean-Raymond sometimes missed deadlines, didn’t always pay bills, started other projects, and alienated allies. He referred to Pyer Moss as an “art project” and seemed reluctant to make practical choices. Among the fashion insiders who had cheered his rise, there has been a growing feeling that he has wasted an opportunity to build something important.

Essentially, the brand is on hold until more funding comes, and KJR has seemingly squandered all of the attention he received over the past five years without translating the runway shows, magazine articles and goodwill into something more lasting.

There is no boutique, and most product available for purchase is currently on mark down. The brand site - link here - is really just a landing page at this point, with nothing available for purchase.

In the end, while failing commercially, it seems perhaps unfair that Pyer Moss had such high expectations. After all, fashion brands fail all the time. It’s just that KJR and Pyer Moss were seen as something bigger, representative of a new, socially-conscious generation meant to challenge the existing luxury players.

J.Crew Always

As the momentum behind resale and vintage continues, J.Crew is getting into the game. They have partnered with Thredup, and have a nice looking branded landing page with lots of vintage product available for purchase.

They have spent years sourcing some of these pieces, though the truly exceptional pieces are likely available only in-store. The beauty of a program like this is that older J.Crew pieces were exceptionally well made, and there is a huge demand for vintage Americana fashion like this.

The Girls and Boys selections are really great, and we’ll definitely be using this for Noemi. She has a vintage Patagonia puffer that she absolutely loves, and we like buying vintage for her as she is growing so fast.

Will also take this opportunity to shout out this Newton x J.Crew running shoe - bravo. We love an obscure collab. Brendon Babenzien, an avid runner and head of Men’s at J.Crew, is a known Newton lover, and he has brought them over to his new project.

The Run-Through

We are really enjoying the new Vogue podcast called The Run-Through:

A new weekly podcast featuring the most riveting news in fashion and culture. The half-hour show celebrates a spirit of discovery, from Vogue’s unique take on the big stories to elevating undertold stories from around the globe. The Run-Through will cover the latest on red carpets and runways, peer into political and cultural events, and note remarkable triumphs of style.

The old Vogue podcast wasn’t the best, but the newer version hosted by Chioma Nnandi and Chloe Malle is really fun.

This week’s episode is a really interesting discussion with celebrity stylist Kate Young, who breaks down what it really means to dress the stars.

Marc Jacobs SS23

The king of NYC fashion scene held his first show since February 2020, back at the Park Avenue Armory where he has traditionally showed his collections:

We were back in the Park Avenue Armory with Marc Jacobs for the first time in three years, and what a difference between tonight’s collection and his Karole Armitage-choreographed show of February 2020. Where that one was kinetic, a performance that took up much of Armory’s cavernous space featuring models and professional dancers in smart, colorful separates with the efficiency of American sportswear, this one was almost a requiem.

Always NYFW’s biggest draw, we are happy to see him back in action. This show was a tribute to the late Vivienne Westwood, a hero of Jacob’s who passed in December. The layering and craft in this show was outstanding, something we can appreciate on a 10 degree day like today.