Frank Ocean debuts new luxury company Homer
The luxury jewelry and fashion brand is releasing a limited collection available Aug. 9 in their New York store
Singer-songwriter Frank Ocean tends to stay out of the public eye in between music releases, so anytime the elusive star emerges with a rare public transmission, it is news in and of itself. That’s why when Ocean unexpectedly announced on Friday he is launching Homer, a luxury company “three years in the making,” his die-hard fanbase was ecstatic over the news.
The independent company, named in homage to “carving history into stone” is releasing an inaugural collection featuring vibrantly colored printed silk scarves and high-end jewelry handcrafted out of 18-karat gold, recycled sterling silver, American-grown diamonds and hand-painted enamel.
Homer pieces, which take inspiration from “childhood obsessions” and the concept of “heritage as a fantasy,” are all designed in New York and handmade in Italy.
Ocean, real name Christopher Edwin Breaux, took to his Instagram account @blonded to pass along a heartfelt message to his nearly three million followers.
“Hand on my heart, this project has kept my mind moving and my imagination turning throughout it all,” Ocean wrote on his Instagram Story. “All of my work now is dedicated to my family. Everything. My hope is to make things that last, that are hard to destroy, set it in stone. I’m so f***ing happy for everyone involved and I admire you and am proud of you and couldn’t have done it without you…This is three years in the making and there is so, so much I’m excited to share with all you strangers. Love.”
Accompanying the announcement is an 84-page catalog designed by Ocean and frequent collaborator Tyrone Lebon, a British photographer and filmmaker who directed the music video for Ocean’s 2016 single Nikes. The catalog is peppered with close-up photos of each item as well as pricing information, dimensions and product descriptions.
U.S. customers will only be able to purchase the limited collection in-person at Homer’s store located at 70-74 Bowery, New York, New York. Doors open Aug. 9, with store hours lasting from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday.
In-store visits are scheduled by appointment via the website, with some walk-ins also available. International customers can order Homer items by contacting the store via the messaging app Signal at +1 (212) 410 3300 after Monday, Aug. 9 at 10 a.m. Eastern Standard Time.
Homer’s website features soundtracking from Orlando, Florida-based rapper-producer 454, real name Willie Wilson, whose debut mixtape 4 REAL was released in March and is available on streaming services now.
Ocean’s last studio album Blonde was released back in 2016, receiving high praise from critics including being named the best album of 2016 by Time, and the best album of the 2010s by Pitchfork. Since then, other than a handful of singles and a relatively short tour in 2017, output has been scarce from the 33-year-old Long Beach, California native, who has not explicitly indicated plans to release a new full-length project anytime soon.
In the meantime, fans eagerly awaiting Ocean’s next musical endeavor can support his new luxury company by visiting www.homer.com.
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