AMNY Founder Alex Moss's Golden Rule: Only Wear Diamonds He Made Himself

The diamond-encrusted Cuban bracelet on Alex Moss's left wrist, with its AM-lettered lock charm, often gets mistaken for a watch. The truth is the exact opposite—he's never worn a watch in his life, and the reason is simple: "I haven't officially collaborated with anyone to make a watch yet." For this New York jewelry designer whose work has been worn by A$AP Rocky, Drake, and Hailey Bieber, there's one hard rule when it comes to hardware: if he didn't make it himself, it doesn't go on his body.

This near-obsessive selectivity might sound like brand loyalty, but it's actually closer to how he approaches clothing. Moss says he doesn't wear the same stack of rings and bracelets every day: "You don't wear the same T-shirt and the same pants every day, so jewelry should shift with your mood and your fit too." Sometimes he layers two AMNY pieces, sometimes three, occasionally adding an owl-shaped piece, and rarely—just one delicate small item. In his words, jewelry is like a superhero's cape: it depends on who you want to be that day.

The Chrome Hearts Era of His Father

Moss was born in Toronto, and this philosophy of "figuring out who you want to be before getting dressed" traces back to his father. In the early 2000s, the elder Moss was already strutting around in Dolce & Gabbana jeans paired with dress shirts, back when that look hadn't caught on yet. What really planted the seed was Chrome Hearts—"this guy was wearing Chrome Hearts back in the 2000s, and he was especially obsessed with those glasses." Later his father entered a suit era, one pair of YSL suit trousers cut close to flares; before that was a Brunello Cucinelli phase, understated enough to look like a wealthy Italian mob boss; and even earlier, during a sportswear era, Moss would sneak his father's Louis Vuitton V-pattern clutch bag out of the closet to bring to school. "He always dressed in a way that matched his age, and I think that's something that really matters in fashion."

This observation also explains Moss's current career coordinates: he doesn't just design jewelry—in 2025 he also served as a consultant for the American Museum of Natural History's "Ice Cold" exhibition, which explored the relationship between hip-hop culture and gemstones. For someone who views street aesthetics and jewelry history together, it makes sense that he'd approach dressing with the same attention to context.

The piece that's stayed longest in his closet is a T-shirt his mom bought him from the New York Bape store for his 12th birthday. That was 2004, when Nigo was still at the helm of Bape, and that shirt "was once the coolest thing in the world." It ran oversized back then, but now it fits Moss perfectly. He adds his own footnote: "It's not really Bape anymore, because Nigo left."

The more awkward story involves the Off-White x Chrome Hearts orange patchwork denim jeans he ended up selling off—when the first batch dropped, he wore them every single day, even taking a fit pic that went viral. "Money was tight back then, and those jeans were expensive, plus I'd already gotten the photos I needed," so he sold them. He says he rarely regrets things, but if he had to pick one, it would be those jeans. "I don't really wear Chrome Hearts denim much anymore, but I wish I'd kept them—they belonged to a specific era."

In his everyday styling, Moss has long moved past the sneakerhead phase of "building the outfit around the shoes." Now he decides his style based on the day's mood: sometimes European football-pitch chic, sometimes all-black and moody, sometimes "Zuckerberg day"—a pair of Margiela jeans with a white tee. He rotates through denim, cycling between Margiela, Brian Jimenèz's wide-leg pants, and Rick Owens. "Anyone in fashion will tell you there's no way to pick a single favorite pair of jeans—it's impossible." For bags, he sticks with an all-black Goyard mini duffel for daily essentials, and when traveling he carries the Virgil Abloh-designed Louis Vuitton Trio Backpack, model number M44658, which he bought for his birthday in 2019. "It's basically my lucky bag, even though it's falling apart at this point—I should probably find a new one."

When it comes to dressing appropriately for wedding season, his tone suddenly turns serious: "In my culture, weddings are a solemn occasion, not a runway." A black suit, black dress shoes, and a white shirt are the baseline. "You're there as a guest—the whole point is to support the couple, not to stage your own personal fashion show. That's just disrespectful."