Brother Vellies & Pyer Moss Collaborate on Footwear That Honors Black Contributions to Popular Culture

Claudia Miller
·2 min read
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Brother Vellies and Pyer Moss are joining forces on a memorable footwear collaboration this season.

After years of friendship off the runway, designers Aurora James and Kerby Jean-Raymond came together for a collection that blends together the aesthetics and appeals of their respective labels. With options for both men and women, the Brother Vellies by Pyer Moss Footwear Collection debuts Saturday noon ET on PyerMoss.com and BrotherVellies.com.

The capsule features seven new designs ranging from sock booties to heeled sandals to standout knee-high silhouettes. The collection comes as part of the Pyer Moss Collection 3 that debuted during the brand’s September 2019 Kings Theater runway show; Collection 3 itself serves as one section of a three-part series titled “American, Also,” a tribute to the often untold stories of Black contributions to popular American culture.

The collection pays homage to Sister Rosetta Tharpe, the Black woman who created rock ‘n’ roll. One of the boots from the collection features artwork from Richard Phillips, a recently exonerated artist, as a celebration of Tharpe’s musical contributions.

Pyer Moss itself recently debuted its first in-house shoe, the Sculpt 1 — a design that was three years in the making. It has already sold out.

As for James, her eco-friendly footwear and accessories line Brother Vellies has become a major power player since its launch in 2013.

Handmade by artisans around the world, the brand’s designs feature traditional African practices and techniques in their craftsmanship. James herself took her influence as a Black business owner to the next level this year when she founded the 15 Percent Pledge, an inclusion initiative calling on major businesses and corporations to stock their shelves with at least 15% of products from black-owned businesses.

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