Kerby Jean-Raymond Is Reebok’s New Vice President of Creative Direction
The designer and founder of Pyer Moss will spearhead the sportswear brand’s design strategy and global marketing initiatives
Kerby Jean-Raymond (Photo: Yuchen Liao/Getty Images)
In a boss move today, Reebok has named Kerby Jean-Raymond its vice president of creative direction, overseeing design strategy and marketing. With this appointment, the designer is able to extend his point of view and platform—one that merges fashion, culture, and social justice reform.
“I am thrilled to be evolving my role at Reebok and joining the leadership team as the head of creative direction,” said Jean-Raymond in a statement. “I welcome this opportunity to help invigorate the brand with new ideas, while also focusing on instilling a sense of social purpose into our work.”
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The Pyer Moss founder, who has been vocal in the movement for equality for years will continue the design work that prompted Reebok to extend a 2017 single collaboration with his label into an ongoing relationship with the sportswear giant. He will also spearhead Product with Purpose, a program that is part of the label’s commitment to United Against Racism.
“Kerby is a fashion visionary with a bold approach who has established himself as a leader and a passionate activist,” said Matt O’Toole, president of Reebok. “We are incredibly excited about the impact he will have on Reebok from a design and brand purpose perspective, and for him to bring his unique voice and direction to the Reebok brand more broadly. This is certainly a big opportunity for both Reebok and for Kerby—he understands the value of our rich heritage and iconic silhouettes and how he can build on that and take Reebok in an exciting and evolved direction.”
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This month, Jean-Raymond, along with Kering, further developed Your Friends in New York, a creative platform that aims to empower the next generation of innovators. He was also named American Menswear Designer of the Year at the 2020 CFDA Awards and Designer of the Year by Harlem’s Fashion Row. He has become a resounding voice in the fashion industry and plans to use his expertise to reshape Reebok.
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“To my Reebok fam, there’s a lot of work to do,” Jean-Raymond wrote on Instagram. “Can our mindsets collectively evolve to serve the future? Are we inclusive enough? Are we bold enough? Are we challenging tradition enough? Are we ready to unlearn? It’s going to be difficult. I’m ready though.”
This article originally appeared on Harper's BAZAAR US.