Good news, soon you’ll have some new Frank Ocean goods to place next to your Boys Don’t Cry magazine and your “Dear April” vinyl. The enigmatic musician has announced the launch of Homer, an “American luxury company,” whose first collection comprises fine and high-end jewellery pieces, plus printed silk scarves.
According to the press release the name Homer “represents carving history into stone.” It may be a reference to the influential Greek writer Homer or, in a much less likely case, an episode of The Simpsons where Homer gets involved with a secret society known as The Stonecutters. Either way, the pieces are handcrafted using 18K gold, recycled sterling silver, hand-painted enamel and American lab-grown diamonds — which are a more ethical alternative to mined diamonds. The intricate bracelets, chains, diamond-encrusted rings, and yes, even tongue rings, are handmade in Italy.
As for the inspiration behind the first batch of Homer designs, Frank cites “childhood obsessions” and “heritage as a fantasy,” which can be felt in the dice-shaped earrings, as well as whimsical cartoonish pendants in colors like “soba,” “cadmium red” and “canary.” They come to life and are on full display in a colourful catalogue photographed by Frank, himself, and frequent collaborator Tyrone Lebon. Coming in at an expansive 160 pages, the Homer catalogue, itself, might as well be a collector’s item. In it, Frank even teases an upcoming collaboration with Prada. More on that soon… we hope.
In the meantime, pieces from Frank’s first Homer collection can be purchased at their shop, located at 70-74 Bowery in New York City. It opens August 9 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and appointments can be made online at homer.com.
See a selection of our favourite images from the catalogue and get a glimpse into Frank Ocean’s new fashion project below.
