Chrome Hearts: The Anti-Luxury FashionBrand
One of the many elements of the fashion industry that only sometimes get discussed is the supply and demand of the industry. This topic gets brought up only when discussing things like fast fashion brands or Overconsumption, but it's only ever addressed from the consumer's point of view; rarely do fashion houses acknowledge stuff like this. However, Chrome Hearts is different from most fashion houses. As a matter of fact, in the 34 years the label has been around, there is still no brand quite like it.
Chrome Hearts is a Los Angeles-based luxury brand made by the Genius minds of Richard Stark, Leonard Kamhout, and John Bowman in 1998. While this was the original crew of founders, the brand is now co-owned by Stark and his wife, Laurie Lynn. The brand was born when Stark wanted to make leather clothing for himself to wear while riding his motorcycle, never even thinking about creating his fashion brand. Stark would go on to start selling his leather jackets to musicians; you've probably seen some of your favorite artists in CH and never realized it. People like Rihanna, Lil Uzi Vert, Billie Eilish, and even Cher, but that's later. The first significant artists to work with the brand were the punk rock band The Sex Pistols, bringing in crazy exposure and getting even more bands interested in working with them. Of course, to have all these people wanting Chrome Hearts, Stark wouldn't be able to do this all by himself; this is where Leonard and John come into play. John Bowman had already been working alongside Stark as the leather manufacturer for the two, and Leonard Kamhout joined the team as their Sterling silver jeweler. With all these bands wearing CH, eventually, more artists caught on to the label, and the fashion world also started paying attention to the trio.
Photo Source: Chrome Hearts
So, it was the early 90s, and the fashion world was ready to meet chrome hearts with open arms, but Stark wasn't into the idea of becoming a fashion mogul. Richard Stark is less of a businessman and more of an artist when it comes to people consuming his work. This is why the brand is so expensive; it is the same way painters put high prices on their work, and that's precisely how Stark sees it. "There's no game being played for the fashion world. To me Chrome hearts Has got nothing to do with the fashion world… we don't have seasons. I make them when I wanna make them because I wanna make them." He tells Japan Times. They would go on to call Stark "the Antidesigner" due to his hesitation to receive the CFDA Accessory Designer of the Year award in 1992. Japan found CH after Comme des Garçon's Rei Kawakubo showcased the brand's goods in CDG Aoyama flagship store. 1996 would come around, and the original crew who founded the brand would disband, leaving Stark and his wife Laurie in charge. This change would lead to the Fashion label fully becoming a passion project.
Photo Source: Chrome Hearts
Photo Source: Chrome Hearts
The natural progression of luxury fashion brands leads to the eventual commitment of meeting Retailer deadlines, spring/summer or fall/winter runway shows, and generally, it can seem like just making sure that product is being put out. The passion and love for creation can get lost when this happens. For most, that is. "Hardcore investment banker types — they couldn't deal with me. No way, [Chrome Hearts is] kind of heart-driven. It's not money-driven." Stark tells Vouge. You may ask yourself, "How do they get things done without committing to that normal luxury formula?" It's all family and connections. The Starks have friends and family help with production, teaching them along the way. For example, Laurie Lynn's mother handles the knitwear, her brother handles 3D molding, and a nephew handles logistics. Even the popularity the brand has amassed now can be attributed to the Stark children, Frankie Belle, Jessie Jo, and Kristian. They've used their connections to continuously push the brand and get new collaborations and opportunities underway. While a few authorized retailers sell CH, like Saks Fifth Avenue and Neiman Marcus, Due to the brand's exclusive nature of the brand, it's hard to find at places like that. The best way to ensure you can get your hands on some of their clothes is by going to one of the 28 Locations the brand has in Los Angeles, mami, New York, Las Vegas, etc.
There's a genuine love put into each piece that comes out from the brand that isn't seen in most. Does this way make it so that we see less of the brand when compared to others? Yes, but that sacrifice makes it so that the people who buy chrome hearts receive the best quality goods they could imagine. It makes you admire the collaborations they put out with other brands or musicians now. Knowing that these aren't just quick cash grabs but artists coming together to make something beautiful.
