your friends in new york

Kerby Jean-Raymond Unveils His New Fashion Group

The Pyer Moss designer announced Your Friends in New York, which aims to support designers of color.

Kerby Jean-Raymond, the designer behind clothing line Pyer Moss, has unveiled his new group, Your Friends In New York, dedicated to uplifting and financially supporting fashion creatives of color. The initiative is a collaboration with the French luxury brand Kering, as Vanessa Friedman from The New York Times reported. Eight designers have come together to work under the Your Friends in New York (YFINY) umbrella group.

The designers are Edvin Thompson of Theophilio, Anifa Mvuemba of Hanifa, Taofeek Abijako of Head of State, Raul Lopez of Luar, Nigella Miller of AFRA, Johnny Nelson of his eponymous jewelry line, Everard Best and Tela D’Amore of Who Decides War, and Geron McKinley of GIM Brand.

The group has a space together to work in an old warehouse in Industry City, Brooklyn. According to The Times, YFINY is dedicated to providing “infrastructure for the brands, including trademark protection, accounting, and even therapy.” For now, the designers are all New York-based, though senior director of YFINY Kethlyn White hopes to expand to include cohorts in Los Angeles, Hong Kong, and London.