It’s kind of easy to tell a story when Cher is one of the protagonists. Even so, Chrome Hearts literally stole everyone’s since 1988 when a young Richard Stark had the idea of selling a customized biker leather jacket for $5,000 USD. Same price for a Birkin bag, back then.
More than numbers, and trust me we are talking about more than a billion dollars here, Chrome Hearts is a synonym of style, personification and elevated groundbreaking taste. Why is that? It’s simple. A whole 90’s rebel aesthetic still current nowadays took over accessories, clothing, jewelry, furniture and even toys for kids.
From the very beginning Richard alongside Laurie Lynn, his wife and their three kids, had it very clear. They were not looking for exclusivity or celebrity status, but a life full of art and names connected to the unique vision they still have today.
Luxury came all along the way, when celebrities like Drake (who they have sold jeans for over $69,225 USD), Nicolas Cage, The Weeknd and their beloved Bella Hadid started to not only wear the brand but advertise it without marketing. Indeed, they do not pay for campaigns, stage runway shows, or even own an e-commerce website. A living proof that you do not need the internet or a successful social media page to sell, if you ask me.
Beyond working with recognised celebrities and collaborating with supermodels like the Hadid sisters, or creating a hoodie collection with Drake, or having the coolest fan, the late Virgil Abloh; the brand has reached an untouchable status with fashion moguls like Comme des Garçons’ Rei Kawakubo, Rick Owens and even Karl Lagerfeld, who’s iconic sunglasses were never taken off of his day-to-day look. If his sunglasses were not Chanel, they were Chrome Hearts.
You got it right. Influencer Marketing existed before influencers did. And you can tell, they were pioneers by doing all this, and yet they managed to get their bills paid, and extravagant numbers. All in.
But what is it? What do they have that makes them irresistible?
We can divide the answer in three:
The first one is the similarity to the biggest category in fashion: Couture. They customize clothing and accessories only for the people they want. Only for the celebrities they want, and of course, looking at the prices, you can bet the quality of each product and their uniqueness, is similar to Haute Couture, but in a very Harley style.
The second one, product shortage. They don’t sell online. There are more than 35 stores where they do offer their products, but in a very curated and small quantity way. This has worked perfectly in the past with Hermès’ Birkins and Kellys, and still, their products are not always available for purchase and not all of them are made for everybody.
And last but not least, a rebellious brand DNA. You can spot this through their designs, their materials, their symbolism, their savoir-faire. But most of all, they go against the fashion system itself. No seasons, no fashion weeks, no rules to create. Just garments that speak for themselves, and by following that statement, speak for the people who buy them.
As you can see by now, it seems easy, but it’s not. Unless your creativity reaches these standards. The ones that mix quality, own the prices in the secondhand market up to 6 figures and most importantly, they don’t know what trends mean, and do not care at all. That’s where their inner reason for success is, that’s where their inner hearts are. Evolution.
By
THE J-NESS