Tag Team

In the 2020s, Chrome Hearts is a name that looms large in fashion’s consciousness. The company that began life in an L.A garage three decades ago is today both a heritage design house and the silver-studded it-brand of the moment. Currently a firm favourite of global megastars Drake and Kanye West, the brand’s iconic goth-luxe look has graced the Instagram accounts of the world’s foremost fashion influencers and been namechecked as the title of a track by upstart rapper, Lil Uzi Vert. That exceptional staying power as a relevant fashion force can be attributed to Chrome Hearts’ owners, Richard and Laurie Lynn Stark. Having built their billion-dollar company from the ground up by through their unapologetic creative vision and aura of exclusivity, the Starks are now looking to their kids to inject a dose of Gen Z attitude. 

Jesse Jo Stark’s first design for her parent’s company was a patchwork leather bag, made at age 8. A musician in her own right, in 2017 her longstanding friendship with Bella Hadid, one of the most influential models of the decade, lead to the release of the virally popular Chrome Hearts X Bella collaboration. The full apparel collection infused the brand’s iconic embellished leatherwear with an on-trend streetwear vibe, enhancing the perception of Chrome Hearts as an essential, contemporary brand. Further capsule collections with Hadid followed, as did a line of rock’n’roll footwear designed by Jesse Jo, who was by now established as the company’s third in command having introduced her press-shy parents to social media’s network of influence. The Stark’s teenage twins Kristian and Frankie Belle have since contributed their own creative input, with a youthful energy that has driven a new generation of clients into Chrome Hearts stores across the globe. 

With vintage wear now a key driver of contemporary trends, Jesse Jo looks to the company’s historic collections for inspiration. She has recently reworked a pair of leather overalls originally worn by Cher, one of the company’s first and most significant celebrity clients. Today, style-savvy fans of the Chrome Hearts look can curate their wardrobes with a mix of a new and original vintage pieces. A vintage rarity, Tag Team is a classic Chrome Hearts sunglass originating from a 90s collection. The oversized white acetate frame channels old-school Hollywood glamour with Chrome Hearts’ signature embellishments bringing that iconic rebel-edge. The frame’s statement temples are woven with fine white leather and embellished with sculpted, sterling silver details depicting the company’s trademark cross and fleur-de-lis motifs. Those motifs are intricately engraved on the gold-plated bridge and end pieces, showcasing the flawless attention to detail that epitomises Chrome Hearts handcrafted eyewear line. 

Richard Stark founded Chrome Hearts with the intention of building a 150-year-old company. That clarity of vision has lent his every endeavour a sense of timelessness across three decades in the vanguard of fashion. As for Jesse Jo’s reworked leather overalls, Stark told WWD in 2019, “They are trendy when they’re trendy, but they’re overalls. That’s the fashion industry, that’s what Chrome Hearts isn’t in. Chrome Hearts is in the Chrome Hearts business.”