Because what Mr. Jean-Raymond, who has become a star of New York fashion, thanks to highly considered shows that take as their guiding principle the reclamation of the Black role in shaping American history, offered up was not just an argument for his own big ambitions as a designer of high fashion — for his desire to be “the next Prada, Bottega Veneta, Maison Margiela,” as he said in a call before the show. Though Mr. Jean-Raymond applied for official designation from the Fédération de la Haute Couture et de la Mode through the usual formal channels, his couture is not, and was never meant to be, ye olde French couture. It’s more like couture-ish. He doesn’t have, for example, a classic atelier: He put together teams he met in Los Angeles after a stint on “Insecure,” which included costume designers and the petites mains of Pixar and Imagination studios. (The runway pieces had to be shipped across the country on the kind of trucks that normally transport racecars.)

Source: New York Times July 11, 2021 19:18 UTC