A Reebok ad is seen in New York's Times Square -- the company has hired Haitian-American designer Kerby Jean-Raymond to create a new fashion line. — AFP Photo

NEW YORK — Acclaimed Haitian-American designer Kerby Jean-Raymond will create a new fashion line for Reebok, his label announced Tuesday, as the struggling sportswear manufacturer seeks to revive its brand.

Jean-Raymond, whose work has highlighted police brutality against African-Americans, will serve as artistic director of a new division called Reebok Studies, Pyer Moss said in a statement.

Jean-Raymond rose to fame at New York Fashion Week in late 2015 when Pyer Moss's spring 2016 collection took inspiration from the Black Lives Matter movement, which campaigns against racism towards black people.

He is considered one of the best fashion designers of his generation and his designs regularly feature references to African-American culture and the community's role in the history of the United States.

Reebok, a subsidiary of German sportswear giant Adidas, has teamed up with several high-profile designers over the years including Victoria Beckham and Demna Gvasalia, now with Balenciaga.

The tie-ups have come with the growing "athleisure" trend, which has seen sportswear take over the fashion landscape.

Reebok's turnover fell 3.0 per cent on-year in 2018, data showed in March, continuing a struggle for growth that has persisted since Adidas took it over in 2005.

It has been collaborating with Jean-Raymond since 2017. — AFP