Pharrell on how luxury collectors have changed: ‘They’re walking in Yeezys’

Seoul, South Korea (CNN) — Near Seoul’s Gyeongbokgung Palace, a hotly anticipated auction is being brought to life by two global celebrities: American singer and Louis Vuitton men’s creative director, Pharrell Williams, and South Korea’s trailblazing K-pop star, G-Dragon.

The sale features dozens of items owned by G-Dragon – an avid collector of art, design and fashion – including works he created and customized himself.

Williams’ auction house, Joopiter, is hosting the online sale and an accompanying exhibition, at the Daelim Museum.

There’s a multicolor fur coat worn by G-Dragon on tour, a pair of sneakers he had embellished with Swarovski crystals, and portraits the 36-year-old rapper painted of Frida Kahlo and Salvador Dalí.

“His fanbase, and people who love what he does — they’re able to now get access to these things that were personal,” Williams tells CNN in the South Korean capital.

“I just like the idea that this guy has opened up his trove of things that were very close to him.”

G-Dragon — whose real name is Kwon Ji-yong — rose to fame in the noughties as the leader of K-pop megagroup Big Bang. With an eclectic sense of style, he became Chanel’s first Asian male global ambassador in 2016, and started his own fashion line, Peaceminusone.

Joopiter has collaborated with a slew of celebrities since Williams founded his “digital-first” auction house in 2022. But parting with treasured possessions isn’t always easy.

“Memories hold a lot of weight and possessions hold a lot of weight, and it’s not just because you possess them — but sometimes the weight of the memory possesses you,” says Williams.

“To see people go back and forth through that tug of war is always interesting.”

Often showcasing atypical auction items – from Chinese singer Jackson Wang’s fencing helmet to Williams’ own high school varsity jacket – Joopiter hopes to broaden traditional ideas of collecting, while enticing newer, younger buyers in the process.

“The traditional and institutional auction house, consumer and spaces could’ve been perceived as a bit stuffy,” Williams says of collecting habits in the 1990s, adding that the space has transformed from being a “narrow world” to one with broader tastes.

“Now that consumer (who participates in auctions) is much more curious about culture and subcultures.”

Speaking to CNN at the exhibition, Joopiter’s head of global sales Caitlin Donovan advises budding collectors to “collect what you love.”

“So, if what you love is sneakers, start at a lower, more affordable level, and start building,” she says. “The wrong attitude is going in and trying to become a collector.”

“I think it’s about amassing memories and things that make you happy, that you want to see on your walls and on your feet. That is how you build a really beautiful, special collection.”

She pointed to Joopiter’s inaugural auction — a sale of almost 50 items from Williams’ personal stash, that raked in over $5 million.

These items were all, Donovan added, “bought because they were a moment in time and that was why they had memories, not because they were something meant to be sold one day.”

The online auction “Nothing but a ‘G’ Thang: The Art & Archive of G-Dragon” runs until September 10. 

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