Art World
Virgil Abloh Is Auctioning Off Damien Hirst’s Eccentric Personal Wardrobe of Paint-Splattered, Zipper-Bedazzled Clothes
The clothes combine skulls with smiley faces. Fun!
Want to wear some clothing formerly in the wardrobe of Damien Hirst, decorated with classic Hirst imagery like medicine capsules and skulls? Well, now’s your chance.
Designer-artist Virgil Abloh is auctioning off one-of-a-kind biker jackets, shirts, sweaters, and suitcoats created by Hirst along with Los Angeles-based fashion designer Tetsuzo Okubo, who has added his signature touches (like upbeat slogans and smiley faces) to the clothing. Hirst wore a lot of the clothing in his studio, too, so they’re often spattered with paint.
The line is called Beverly Hirst Recycler, a riff on Okubo’s brand, Beverly Hills Recycler, which specializes in upcycled and customized duds.
Abloh’s platform, Canary Yellow, is auctioning off one item per day this week. Sorry to say, you’ve already missed out on a pixelated camouflage shirt that sold for $4,500.
With Hirst in the U.K. and Okubo in L.A., the project is perhaps perfect for the age of social distancing, with the artist shipping the jackets and shirts straight to the designer. Both agree on all the customizations before Okubo proceeds.
“What Damien and Tetsu have done is fully representative of the last 12 months,” Abloh tells L’Officiel. “Collaboration and creation don’t need to stop because the world was told to pause. In fact, I think it’s quite the opposite. This time has forced us to re-evaluate our connections, and work harder to form relationships, while giving us the time to educate ourselves and find new likes.”
Eco-friendly recycled clothing was already a hot trend in 2019, garnering coverage in Vogue Business, which pointed out that clothiers’ take-back programs even allow designers to profit from the same piece twice, and that the fashion industry was notorious for burning excess stock.
Take a look at some of the clothing from the line below.
Damien Hirst and Tetsuzo Okubo, upcycled clothing, available at Virgil Abloh’s website Canary Yellow.
Damien Hirst and Tetsuzo Okubo, upcycled clothing, available at Virgil Abloh’s website Canary Yellow.
Damien Hirst and Tetsuzo Okubo, upcycled clothing, available at Virgil Abloh’s website Canary Yellow.
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