Chrome Hearts bets on life-long collaborations

There’s something fundamentally Warholian about what the Los Angeles-born brand Chrome Hearts does: take an object and transform it into a work of art.

Yet while Warhol is famous for working with lowly soup cans, Chrome Hearts is more likely to modify caviar tins. It takes pre-existing luxury indulgences, ranging from pendants to champagne flutes to vehicles, and adorns them with biker-meets-rockstar accents and accoutrements such as black leather, heavy silver or gothic cross motifs. The process turns these items into collectibles, with price tags of four, five or even six digits.

Meet the most unapologetic — and enigmatic — American lifestyle label you may not yet have heard of. Chrome Hearts is one that marches entirely to the beat of its own skull-wrapped drum.

Its unique spirit can be felt across its entire operations. One of the most evident is in the length of its partnerships; while a majority of collabs stay on shelves for a season or two (if they don’t sell out quicker than that), Chrome Hearts’ approach is long term and less sensationalised. See, for example, its decade-long venture with the French fine crystal maker Baccarat (if you go to a Chrome Hearts store, ask for an espresso and it will probably be served in a Baccarat shot glass). Its newest, with the Japanese pearl specialists Mikimoto, launches this month. 

“I love authenticity. With crystal, you think of Baccarat. With pearls, you think of Mikimoto. It’s totally classic and timeless,” says Laurie Lynn Stark, Chrome Hearts’ co-owner and matriarch, over a Zoom call from Los Angeles. “Some people say, ‘Why do you work with these traditional companies? Baccarat is the stuff our grandparents use.’ I’m like, ‘Have you seen the chandelier we made?’” Finished with all-black crystals, it’s hyper-lavish and extravagantly baroque. Made-to-order pieces start at $300,000.

Its latest endeavour sees the traditionalism of Mikimoto’s medium merged with Chrome Hearts’ unwavering bite of the anti-establishment. Think your grandmother’s pearls but anchored by Roman cross pendants, or affixed to earring bases in sterling silver forged in the shape of hearts, or woven intricately into ornate, silver-flanked chokers. 

Founded in 1988 by Richard Stark, Chrome Hearts has grown to 30 stores worldwide, selling mostly casual ready-to-wear, jewellery, decor items and more. Stark met his wife and business partner Laurie Lynn in the 1990s when she reportedly placed an order for a set of leather swimsuits. She, Richard, and their three children — Jesse Jo, Frankie Belle and Kristian — are all equal co-owners of the company. 

Chrome Hearts is in the Chrome Hearts business only. It plays its own game.

Based in Hollywood and with a prescient eye for celebrity alignment, Chrome Hearts has long been part of the pop culture conversation. American actress and singer Cher and members of the Sex Pistols count as early clients. These days, the brand’s A-list roster of clients and confidantes runs as deep as any big-budget corporate luxury brand’s: TV star and mogul Kim Kardashian regularly wears custom Chrome Hearts dresses (the Kardashians are also often seen on their eponymous Hulu show walking their children in bespoke Chrome Hearts baby strollers). Myriad athletes wear Chrome Hearts in their “tunnel walks”, game arrival rituals in which fashion has taken centre stage. The musician Drake even owns a custom Chrome Hearts Rolls-Royce Cullinan SUV — “one of the most extravagant things we’ve done,” says Laurie-Lynn.

“The rock ’n’ roll, rebellious attitude lives on,” says the stylist and creative director Nicola Formichetti, when asked what makes Chrome Hearts so uniquely appealing. “The brand has evolved but they’re really true to themselves. It’s quite glam, really. And now, it’s so embraced with today’s kids and youth culture.”

Chrome Hearts is decidedly not online, with only a limited ecommerce business. Physical retail is its bread-and-butter, and the US and Asia (particularly Japan) are its top-selling markets. The brand owns a majority of its stores, unlike its luxury peers, which typically rent, and intentionally does not hold large amounts of stock. There’s an undercurrent of scarcity with all things Chrome Hearts, and needing to be in-the-know or well connected to acquire it. Most people become acquainted with the brand through its smaller necklaces, rings or T-shirts. The Starks declined to share annual revenues, but say that year-on-year sales growth has been “significant”.

Chrome Hearts remains independent and privately owned. Asked about a future buyout, Richard, on a different Zoom call, says: “I’m never not thinking about it because it’s just a natural thought.” But, he swiftly adds that “I’m not really interested.” One thing is resoundingly clear: it is the elders’ intention and hope that their children will inherit and continue to run their operations.

Currently Jesse Jo works on the designs; her signature “Sugar Jones” boots took six years to perfect, and she has recently made custom concert dresses for Dua Lipa and Doja Cat (Jesse Jo is a musician, as well). Frankie Belle owns a swimsuit company, Dipped in Blue, which has a partnership with Chrome Hearts. And Kristian is based largely in St Barts, working on real estate.

The Mikimoto collaboration — Jesse Jo’s idea and project — is a good example of the torch-passing that the Stark parents are keen on. “The brand resonates with me. I remember it from my childhood. I always just thought it was special and beautiful, and that it represented its place,” Jesse Jo says. “When I went to Japan, I’d bring my mom Mikimoto presents.”

As Richard sees it, there is no limit to the kinds of partnerships that Chrome Hearts will engage with. “I’ve always said Chrome Hearts does every single thing in the whole wide world. We just haven’t been around long enough to do them all, yet.” But only when it makes sense, adds Laurie Lynn, noting that “We’re not a, ‘Oh my God, we have to meet this quota’ type of company.”

“The art never stops and there are always ideas and things to make,” concludes Richard. “Chrome Hearts is in the Chrome Hearts business only. We do whatever we want to do. It plays its own game.”

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