Fashion can be political, or at least attempt to be, as Kerby Jean-Raymond demonstrated on his spring 2016 runway. The show started with a film recounting recent high-profile cases of police brutality against African-Americans and voicing the opinions of several personalities (Marc Ecko, Robin Givhan, Usher Raymond) on systematic racism. It was very impactful — perhaps setting expectations for the clothes way too high.
Both the men’s and women’s looks centered on hard-edged streetwear with futuristic undertones: utility dress shirts, asymmetrical overalls, kimono-style jackets, strapped biker jackets, netted leather trousers and track suits — none of which screamed revolutionary or groundbreaking. Nonetheless, perhaps Kerby-Raymond intended for this to be more about something bigger than fashion and materialistic distractions. It sure made the audience think.
