Frank Ocean is the epitome of the ultimate modern day juxtaposition – enigmatic with an undeniably influential presence.
Estimated to be worth $13 million and having appeared in Time’s list of the 100 most influential people while in his mid-20s, Frank Ocean is a queer icon who continues to break down age-old stereotypes in his music and with his personal style.
While Ocean has characteristically stayed out of the public eye for a while now, he’s proud to announce what’s been occupying him this whole time: his very own luxury goods label, Homer.
Described by the Financial Times as “channelling the personality of Takashi Murakami and the graphic energy of ’90s club flyers” and to be honest, they hit the nail on the head with that one.
In the interview, Ocean was asked why he decided to call the brand Homer.
Ocean said, “Mostly because it’s five letters and the dotcom was available.”
He continued, “But also because Homer is considered the father of history and history is meant to endure – the same as diamonds and gold – and I know Homer used papyrus, but I’ve always liked the idea of carving history into stone.”
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Right now Ocean has debuted a 25-piece collection with prices ranging from $395, all the way up to $1.9m. As Ocean said, “I didn’t want our work to be any less expensive than Cartier.”
As per the Financial Times, Ocean’s foray into the world of “hard goods” dates back to 2019, when he secretly gathered a group of 20 craftsmen friends to his LA house to develop designs.
The purpose? To experiment with designs.
Ocean said, “We had everyone from horticulturalists to electrical engineers and architects, carpenters and metalworkers. We made tables and chairs, wired the lighting, then started working on other things for the house.”
Having constructed pieces like makeshift seating and concrete/mattress-foam lamp, it was the creation of a deadbolt that led him to the idea of creating jewellery.
He continued, “We worked on a deadbolt that was soft resin on the outside. It is a simple object, and the key and mechanism are banal and ordinary, but really detail-oriented. It ended up being quite beautiful.”
But for the Channel Orange artist, it’s not all just about shiny, pretty things.
“It’s never lost on me that my surname is a by-product of slavery in the US,” he said.
“It’s never lost on me that I don’t have access to my real name. I can’t trace my heritage back that far, which is why I am interested in creating things that are mine, stay mine and belong to my family. Things that I can pass on.”
Ocean has made shopping the brand an exclusive endeavour for now, as you will only be able to buy pieces from the Homer store in New York.
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