Frank Ocean drops much-hyped new project, ‘Homer’ – but it’s only available IRL
After years of winning over audiences with tender, deliciously queer bops, Frank Ocean has turned his focus away from music to the world of high-end jewellery.
Monday (August 9) marked the official launch of his luxury brand Homer, which opened its doors for the first time in New York’s Jewellery Exchange.
Currently, it’s the only place for die-hard fans to dig into his design debut, already heavily sought-after online.
Prices range from $395 to $1.9million, a decision which Ocean says was carefully-considered – “I didn’t want our work to be any less expensive than Cartier,” he clarified.
Inside Frank Ocean’s ‘Homer’ store. (Luke Liberia Moore)
Inside Frank Ocean’s ‘Homer’ store. (Luke Liberia Moore)
In an exclusive interview with Financial Times, the usually elusive musician opened up on everything from his childhood to his recent years of living and working in a makeshift design collective with fellow creatives in Los Angeles.
“We had everyone from horticulturalists to electrical engineers and architects, carpenters and metalworkers,” he said of the eclectic, multi-talented group. “We made tables and chairs, wired the lighting, then started working on other things for the house.”
Building furniture soon led to creating smaller, detail-oriented design pieces, which then encouraged Ocean to begin experimenting with jewellery.
The result is a mixture of luxury staples – gold rings, diamond-encrusted bracelets, all hand-crafted – and experimental, acid-hued pendants guaranteed to be seen on your Instagram grid within the next few weeks. The flagship location itself also borrows heavily from this aesthetic, centring slick, neon fixtures made from aluminium and urethane.
None of this should come as a surprise given the lauded unpredictability of Ocean, who immediately followed up 2016 album Endless – released to fulfil the terms of a record contact – with Blonde, an album borne of creative freedom which is widely hailed as his best work by die-hard fans.
When it came to creating Homer, Ocean saw this as an expansion of a wider mission statement: to create work which is built is to last.
“[I chose the name] because Homer is considered the father of history and history is meant to endure, the same as diamonds and gold,” he explained. “I know Homer used papyrus, but I’ve always liked the idea of carving history into stone.
See more from the official Homer catalogue below.
Homer catalogue, courtesy of Huxley
Homer catalogue, courtesy of Huxley
Homer catalogue, courtesy of Huxley
Homer catalogue, courtesy of Huxley
Homer catalogue, courtesy of Huxley
Homer catalogue, courtesy of Huxley
Homer catalogue, courtesy of Huxley
