Talk about ‘art for progress!’ Label Pyer Moss has left a strong impression at their New York Fashion Week debut on September 10, with what many believe to be one of the most “powerful” showcases ever.

Photo Credit: Pyer Moss

The much buzzed-about menswear label has recently branched out into womenswear. Last week’s NYFW was Pyer Moss’s way of introducing this new foray for the label to the world. Instead of presenting themselves with frills and fantasy, they’ve allowed current events to penetrate their work, bringing the ‘Black Lives Matter’ movement to the forefront.

And from the overwhelming response online, it seems as though the politically-charged gamble has worked!

After the jump, find out more about this challenging and nerve-striking event.

Pyer Moss used their platform to address racism and police brutality head on, incorporating thought-provoking symbols on fashion pieces, including blood splattered sneakers and gun-holster accessories. There was also a 15-minute video presented to the audience before the showcase, featuring various horrific deaths of unarmed men and women who died at the hands of the police.

Police brutality and institutional racism are hot-button topics that founder and creative director Kerby Jean-Raymond, 28, wants people to be more aware of. Personally, the designer has experienced 12 gruesome stop-and-frisk encounters with New York law enforcement between the ages of 12 and 18.

Founder/Creative Director Kerby Jean-Raymond. Photo Credit: Getty 

Jean-Raymond says that the showcase was not meant for “shock value.” Instead, the Haitian-American from Brooklyn decided to use the fashion stage in order to “take a stand on something that is important” to him, he tells Huffington Post.

Photo Credit: AP

Photo Credit: Pyer Moss

Style elements like red and/or white bands around necks referenced the horrific murder of unarmed man Eric Garner, while blood stains down the back of some blazers pointed to the brutal slaying of unarmed man Walter Scott, who was gunned down by police in South Carolina.

Photo Credit: AP (left); AFP/Getty Images (right)

Watch the entire video below for more insight into this electrifying showcase.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nqyX5UpzUf0

Jacqueline Colette Prosper, yummicoco.com