Meet Homer, Frank Ocean’s Independent Luxury Accessories Brand. Frank Ocean pays homage to the Greek poet in his latest non-musical project.
Frank Ocean has officially made a breakthrough in fashion with the launch of Homer, his independent luxury accessories brand. A moniker that serves as an homage to the Greek poet behind Iliad and Odyssey, Homer has been three years in the making and is the latest non-musical project from Ocean, whose creative output has been tremendously sporadic over the past several years.
“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,” Ocean explained.
Homer’s first collection was unveiled via catalogue.
While Ocean is aware of the rare presence of independent, Black-owned jewelry brands in the luxury industry, he expressed that currently, the fashion industry is opening up more opportunities for Black people. “There are possibilities for Black people now that weren’t always there for us” he stated in an interview.
For its debut, the brand unveiled a sleek collection of printed silk scarves and fine jewelry pieces made with 18K gold, recycled sterling silver, hand-painted enamel, and American lab-grown diamonds. Designed in New York and handmade in Italy, all pieces of the collection have a price range between $395 to $1.9 million. According to Ocean, the designs were inspired by “childhood obsessions” and “heritage as a fantasy”.
Homer’s first collection was unveiled via catalogue
These inspirations were reflected in the collection that exudes a balance of playful quirkiness and classic elegance, with some pieces offering iterations of child-like toys in bright and exuberant color tones, whereas the others boast a sophisticated taste with refined bands of gold and silver. Meanwhile, the collection’s silk scarves feature a signature plus-sign print in an extensive range of color palettes from cadmium red, lobster blue, infrared orange, clover green, acid yellow to blue.
Homer’s first collection was unveiled via catalogue.
The full collection can be viewed in a 160-page catalogue designed and photographed by Ocean himself, with additional campaign imagery shot by frequent collaborator, Tyrone Lebon. All pieces in the collection can be purchased via in-store appointments requested at the brand’s website. Some walk-up appointments are also available at Homer’s flagship store located at 70-74 Bowery Street in New York City. (Text Sharrona Valezka)