Frank Ocean drops Homer luxury label

Future. Frank Ocean launched a new luxury brand, dubbed Homer, that is meant to compete with Cartier, Prada, and Gucci. It’s a bold (and probably expensive) experiment, but one that seems to have been given the same care and time as an Ocean album — just don’t expect new music any time soon.

Chanel Orange
Frank Ocean may not have another album ready, but that doesn’t mean he hasn’t been hard at work.

• The musician unveiled a new, independent luxury brand called Homer (named after the Greek author of the Odyssey and Iliad epic poems).
• It’s debuting with 25 new pieces, including Italian-made jewelry and silk scarves, with diamonds made in Homer’s own lab.
• It also has an upcoming collaboration with Prada — a favorite brand of Ocean’s.

If you want to cop something from the label, you’ll have to trek over to Homer’s flagship store, located in the Bowery neighborhood in New York City (by appointment only) or message the brand on Signal.

Drips and drops
Ocean wants Homer to be viewed as a high-class item. “I didn’t want our work to be any less expensive than Cartier. Selling a diamond necklace for $1.89 million definitely ensures that.

Partnerships between hip hop artists and luxury brands (and fashion in general) have become a dime a dozen, with strong financial results. Just last week, Rihanna became a billionaire thanks to her ownership stake in Fenty Beauty (which was formed under the LVMH luxury house).

By going at it independently, Ocean is building something from the ground up in order to take full advantage of the upside — a similar move to when he released his second album, Blonde, on his own instead of through Def Jam (which he had a deal with at the time).