And the CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund Winner Is…

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"If you are just learning about Pyer Moss, we forgive you," reads the back of one of the label's T-shirts. Now that Pyer Moss has officially won the coveted CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund Award, designer Kerby Jean-Raymond might be tempted to say this phrase ad nauseam.

While industry insiders have been paying attention to Pyer Moss for a while now—thanks, in part, to Issa Rae and Tracee Ellis Ross wearing the brand on major red carpets—this award is about to take it to the next level. As the winner, Jean-Raymond will receive $400,000, while Bode and Jonathan Cohen will each take home $150,000 as runners-up. 

In a September 2018 interview with Garage magazine, Jean-Raymond explained what he seeks to achieve with his brand. "I want to show that black can be beautiful and not just sensationalized,” he told Garage. "Not always tragic, not always 'for your entertainment.' It can exist on the sole purpose of us being us, and that's what these kids represent." He also underscored the importance of casting models who don't fit the norm. He told Garage that he casts "people that look like me, people that look like my friends. People that are overlooked in normal bookings."

The award was announced at a Kim Crawford Wines–sponsored dinner, where Jean-Raymond mentioned Anna Wintour's kindness and generosity in his speech. Scroll down to revisit some of Pyer Moss's best fashion moments thus far, and stay tuned for plenty more to come. 

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On Issa Rae: Custom Pyer Moss jumpsuit 

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On Tracee Ellis Ross: Pyer Moss suit 

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Erin Fitzpatrick
Senior News Editor

Erin got her start as a Who What Wear intern over 12 years ago—back when the site only published a single story per day. (Who What Wear has since increased that number twentyfold.) She graduated magna cum laude from USC, which is how she ended up moving to Los Angeles from her hometown of San Diego. In college, she also interned at Refinery29, where she was promoted to editorial assistant and then assistant editor. After nearly three years at R29, she came back to WWW in 2016, where she currently holds the title of senior news editor (as well as the unofficial title of resident royal expert—in case you haven't noticed her numerous Meghan Markle and Kate Middleton stories). She spends her days trying to incorporate her idols, Anna Wintour and Roger Federer, into as many stories as possible. Outside of work, she loves tennis, classic rock, traveling, and smothering her dog with affection.