Frank Ocean Launches Luxury Fashion Label ‘Homer’
It’s been very difficult for the public to keep an eye on Frank Ocean, but it seems that, for the first time in a very long time, he has come to us. Over the last couple of days, he has announced his latest project ‘Homer’, an independent luxury fashion company exclusively managed by Frank Ocean himself. Homer, which represents “carving history into stone”, has showcased its first catalogue with over 84 pages of unique fashion products, including 25 luxury jewellery pieces as its first sequence of products to sell for the brand. Their prices range from approximately $435 to around $1.9 million for a single product, with the most expensive item labelled the “sphere legs high jewellery necklace”, according to Harper’s Bazaar.
Frank Ocean’s childhood obsessions are one of the main influences for this collection, which stems from his adolescent fantasies and ideas of heritage. Handmade in Italy, the products feature 18k gold, recycled sterling silver, and American lab-grown diamonds. As well as traditional jewellery, the collection also debuts silk scarves - bound to make an appearance on everyone’s wish lists after Ocean’s significant participation in the babushka trend of 2019. Overall, this collection is incredibly exciting for such a new designer, who has only previously worked with other fashion houses such as Prada’s 2020 menswear campaign.
To add to this collection’s unique selling point, it is only being sold in-person at one destination: the shop opens exclusively to buyers in New York, where the flagship store is located in the heart of the city’s jewellery district, on Monday 9th August. There will be minimal walk-up appointments and pre-bookings that can be made on their website, with the hope that many will meet Frank Ocean on the day of their official launch to the public.
In an exclusive interview with the Financial Times, Frank Ocean spoke about his inspirations as a child for the brand, and how his parents played a pivotal role in his fashion exploration: “My mother was into jewellery, but in a low-key Princess Diana kind of way. My godfather was into guns, but he was also into cars, and he bought luxury lifestyle magazines which I became obsessed with. They became a form of play for me as a child. It was the furthest thing from my actual life at the time, and I began plotting ideas and a life in that universe.” These ideas have been in the development stages for nearly three and a half years, a form of iconoclastic findings which parallel his confessional music. Heavily inspired by the 90s, the products are colourful and bold, drawing clear child-like influences with their brightly coloured enamels.
It’s clear that with his vision and understanding of his status as a celebrity and designer, Ocean can deliver in terms of uniqueness and talent. His ability to carve such a distinctive path in his musical and artistic career is inspiring for many upcoming queer artists who want to delve into different sectors of the business (alongside his music and foray into fashion design, Ocean launched a series of queer club nights called PrEP+ in NYC in 2019). We look forward to seeing more collections from Homer and are excited to see how Frank Ocean can excel further as a successful business entrepreneur.