Inside Pharrell's 'Son Of A Pharaoh' JOOPITER Auction House

Source: Keenan “HIGz” Higgins / Reach Media

For the past two decades and counting, Pharrell Williams has been one of the most stylish men in the entertainment industry. Whether it’s in music videos — The Neptunes, N.E.R.D. and his solo work all hold up as fine examples — or just by way of making bespoke pieces for himself with some of the top fashion designers across the globe, Skateboard P has amassed a wardrobe that can be challenged by no one – yep, even that guy. That was proven as fact last week in New York City when the music mogul took over SoHo for a weekend-long auction house called JOOPITER that saw him putting up for sale some of his most prized grails collected over the years. We’re talking gems! https://www.instagram.com/p/CjF34ZBKCEu/?hl=en The one-of-a-kind items were on full display for attendees who could attend in-person. Some of the rarities included many of his personal collaborations with Jacob the Jeweler, Swarovski-covered Stan Smiths in a handful of flavors, his Princess Anne High School varsity jacket from the early days in Virginia Beach an even the striped polo shirt he wore in the “Lapdance” music video, just to name a few standouts.

According to the official description of JOOPITER, Pharrell envisions it as a “global, digital-first” auctioning experience. The site will operate for collectors, curators and creatives in search of the most rare items, or as they so eloquently put it, “cultural artifacts.” Pharrell’s exhibit in specific, aptly titled “Son Of A Pharaoh,” aimed to not only bring those familiar with the pieces together but also give those who might’ve discovered him post-“Happy” a chance to understand why he’s so revered in urban culture. Here’s a more detailed description of the experience below, via his official website Foreword: “Son of a Pharaoh captures the energy of modern culture. It provokes us to answer what we value and why. It seeks to alter the trajectory of how we collect, what we collect, and who the sellers and buyers are. By creating an environment that challenges representation, ownership and taste, Son of a Pharaoh pioneers the modern collecting economy. This economy is less about having money to buy things, and more about having the taste to know what to buy: it’s about showing a set of values and ethical intelligence through spending. Son of a Pharaoh shows us that every artifact is a community. It brings creators, curators and collectors together, and creates a new model for commerce, with the goal of making a more visible, vibrant and robust culture. It celebrates experiences, people and places, and gives them meaning and significance beyond their original context.”

We took the weekend to check out the limited run pop-up in NYC, and seeing everything up-close really shows how Pharrell not only owned a lot of grails but actually wore them enough to have a live-in look. His famous Chanel-customized Timberland boots, which as legend goes actually resulted in him meeting the late Karl Lagerfeld, were worn-in to perfection. A ring on display even featured a noticeable blemish on the stone that normally would’ve devalued it; because it’s a crack made by Pharrell, it becomes “custom.” JOOPITER officially opens online for bidding on October 20 with “Son Of A Pharaoh,” and is set to continue with future rarity auctions. Get ready for the hype!