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" If I'm going to be the black designer, I'm going to tell it my way. "

Kerby Jean-Raymond

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" We need to think forward and keep making America greater. Not that old America, again. "

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" Systemically, there hasn't been an oppression more overt and long-lasting than economic oppression against black people and minorities in this country. "

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" All it took was one conversation to know that Reebok was the right home for our team. "

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" I grew up in East Flatbush, Brooklyn. At the time I was growing up with my father - before it was gentrified - it was a very rough neighborhood. He felt that if I got into or started embracing the rap culture, I would be one step closer to being on the streets. "

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" We're constantly having to go head-to-head with the Bernie Madoffs of the world who just want more and more money. "

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" Think about how much fashion profits from black culture and how underrepresented we are in the industry. If you insist on using black celebrities to peddle your merchandise and add a cool factor to your front row, it is indecent to not care about the plights of that person's community. "

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" In my shows, I always try to incorporate music because it's the most natural way to set a tone. So if I want to do a show about depression, I use the opera. If I want to do a show about greed, I use spoken word. If I want to do a show about the injustice that's taking place in the world, I might play Sam Cooke. "

Kerby Jean-Raymond

" I grew up thinking my father was tacky. There was no color coordination. It was whatever was cool. 'These sweatpants are cool. I'll wear them with these shoes that are cool.' He had less inhibitions. I wasn't respectful of his swag then. "

Kerby Jean-Raymond

" I hope that people who don't believe depression is a real thing will stop calling people crazy, because that's dismissive and not a medical diagnosis. "

Kerby Jean-Raymond

" All my collections are based on something I like or something I'm dealing with. They are always deeply personal. "

Kerby Jean-Raymond

" I've always felt like an outcast. My aesthetic is very high-end, but I still get classified as streetwear. There's really no other reason for than other than my age, the way I look, and where I'm from. "

Kerby Jean-Raymond

" Music has always been my first love, and I appreciate how a great musician can bring awareness to tough issues through their work. "

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" A lot of us who are creative and have all these great ideas just don't have the money to do it. "

Kerby Jean-Raymond

" There were times when gangs would approach me, but my father was way stronger than them. They would come make threats and stuff, and I was like, 'You don't know the opposition I've got upstairs. I'm not scared of you.' "

Kerby Jean-Raymond

" I design for social media. My customer reads blogs, is on social media, so I design with contrast in mind. An all-black shirt looks good on the shelf but not online. "

Kerby Jean-Raymond

" One of the things about runways that I hate is that you can't accommodate so many people because you don't have those in-and-out privileges where people can come and go. "

Kerby Jean-Raymond

" The world absolutely needs your voice. "

Kerby Jean-Raymond

" The way I was raised, you get a new pair of sneakers when the old one gets messed up. But when I got to high school, I started dating girls and trying to fit in, and I realized everybody was collecting Jordans. When I would get my paychecks, I wouldn't even take money. I would just trade them for sneakers. "

Kerby Jean-Raymond

" I was going to college on a full scholarship. I graduated summa cum laude. I was always on the dean's list. I was never a kid that started any kind of trouble. "

Kerby Jean-Raymond

" If you're on the fence about speaking your truth or sharing your world with a greater audience, don't be. We need each other badly. "

Kerby Jean-Raymond

" Our first fiscal year, we were profitable. "

Kerby Jean-Raymond

" Financing is always the hard part, especially if you don't have friends or family to back you, which was my case and the case for most designers. "

Kerby Jean-Raymond

" My dad was always so strict that I was scared to speak to him. Haitian parents are very, 'This is adults' business; this is kids' business.' "

Kerby Jean-Raymond

" I played baseball, was on the basketball team in high school, did crew at Hofstra, and randomly played ultimate frisbee, too. But none of the organized teams I was on were anywhere near as competitive as the games on the street. "

Kerby Jean-Raymond

" My dad used to give me old electrical equipment that didn't work anymore, and I'd put things together. I think that's why I like to mix things that don't belong. "

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" You have these megabrands who make most of their money off hip-hop culture. Where were they in the time of need? "

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" I don't know which was the first love - music or fashion. "

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" America is a flawed land but a great one indeed. "

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" Nobody can shut the door in your face if you own the door. "

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" We don't need to go back in time and make America great again, because really, America was only great for certain people. "

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