'I Had a Massive, Divine Experience': How the President of Fashion Great Yves Saint Laurent North America Was Saved at a Promise Keepers Event

Lindsay Elizabeth : Aug 14, 2019
Faithwire.com

"I began weeping uncontrollably. I was not a crier, and I heard a voice whisper to me, 'I'm the answer that you've been looking for.'" -Brant Cryder

(New York, NY) — [Faithwire.com] In a recent interview with Pastor Levi Lusko, Brant Cryder, the president of Yves Saint Laurent North America, shared how finding God fueled his love for both fashion and people. (Image Source: Youtube /Levi Lusko /via Faithwire)

Cryder appeared on Lusko's YouTube channel in his series called "War With Friends," where he interviews his friends while playing the card game War.

Cryder, who has been the president of Yves Saint Laurent North America for the past 10 years, shared with Lusko how he found God at a Promise Keepers event in 1996, after spending years "searching" for something to fill the void in his heart.

"I kept looking for an answer, and I would find a friend group, but my thirst wasn't quenched," Cryder shared. "Ironically enough, when I had an encounter with Promise Keepers in Denver, Colorado, I had a massive, divine experience."

He explained how he would go to music festivals, and raves and they would temporarily fulfill him, but when the sun would come up that feeling of emptiness would still be there.

"I was standing on the field, July 1996, the sun was setting behind the white horse," Cryder said, setting the scene. "I began weeping uncontrollably. I was not a crier, and I heard a voice whisper to me, 'I'm the answer that you've been looking for."

At that moment, he gave his life to God, not knowing how it would be changed forever.

"I gave my life over to God at that point, and it changed my life forever. I went on this radical pursuit of Him, and that's when it started for me," Cryder shared.

"What I love so much about it," Lusko responded, "is that it wasn't like now that I've met Jesus, the fashion passion has to go away because that was the trajectory, and love and a natural ability that you fostered, that now only got better with Christ. Here you are now, from growing up in the Midwest to working at Abercrombie, to leading Yves Saint Laurent, and to think about the impact and influence you have."

"It didn't mean, now that I have Jesus I have to get a job at a Baptist church, and all of that goes away," Lusko added, speaking about Cryder's career in fashion.

Lusko explained that he has a passion for Christians living out their faith, and their Christ-centered missions in all walks of life, whether that be in a ministry-career, or in a career like Cryder's.

"There was a concern at the very beginning that I would get saved and join the team of 'paint the town beige,'" Cryder explained, meaning that he did not want to become boring in his faith.

"I found that even before I really had a relationship with the Lord, I knew it was not about painting the town beige," he added. "Even before I got to know Him, I found Him to be so wild, powerful, strong, and unabashed. I found His pursuit of me, of us way more real, passionate, tactile, and multi-dimensional, than beige."

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BCN NOTE: Cryder's LinkedIn bio reads as follows: Brant Cryder is the President of Yves Saint Laurent North America. Before rejoining the Gucci Group in his current role, Brant spent the past 12 years with the Prada Group following his time at both Saks Fifth Avenue and Armani.

He has four wonderful children: Ellie, Baylor, Hudson and Beckett with his lovely wife Mary. He studied Business and Communications at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio. Brant is also a distinguished DJ who has played at major parties, events and fashion shows in Bali, Italy, LA and NYC. He has appeared at numerous speaking engagements in relation to the fashion industry including CCC Manhattan and Paradox.

Cryder has a very strong heart to encourage, motivate, and lead people into an increased understanding of their call, identity and destiny. Subscribe for free to Breaking Christian News here