Chrome Hearts

Richard Stark and John Bowman began making leather jackets in a Los Angeles garage because they could not find ones they wanted to wear; Leonard Kamhout, a sterling silver jeweler, joined shortly after. Bowman and Kamhout left after a falling-out in 1994, and Richard Stark and his wife Laurie Lynn Stark kept control.

By 2020 the company occupied three blocks of Hollywood: a 250,000 square foot campus with 13 buildings and eight factories, according to Complex. Wikipedia puts the Los Angeles production site at more than 1,000 staff as of 2021.

The core is silver, gold and diamond accessories, with eyewear, leather goods, clothing, furniture and kitchenware alongside. Complex said denim adorned with leather crosses and trucker hats are probably among its most widely recognizable items, and noted non-clothing goods such as a $6,000 toilet plunger.

The brand has an unusually long list of collaborations, including The Rolling Stones (2002), Comme des Garçons (2007), A Bathing Ape (2009), Rick Owens (2010), Virgil Abloh capsules (2015 and 2016), Bella Hadid (2017) and Baccarat (2021).

Chrome Hearts' logo is a cross with the brand name on a circular ribbon. The Fashion Law reported in 2021 that the company held more than 225 US trademark registrations, with Celtic crosses, fleur-de-lys and horseshoe designs among its icons. In 2020 HYPEBEAST noted its horseshoe graphic has a Celtic cross in the middle, which a Fashion Nova version replaced with a rose. The Fashion Law reported in 2023 that it claims rights in design-only marks including the Cemetery Cross Patch and CH Cross. Complex mentions its silver dagger hardware on custom Air Jordans and Rolex watches.

We could not find an official explanation of what these symbols mean, so we do not offer one.

Chrome Hearts lists authorized retailers in Japan (Dover Street Market Ginza, United Arrows), the US (Maxfield Melrose and Maxfield Malibu, Hirshleifer's in Manhasset, Nuages in Aspen, Riccardi in Boston) and Joy Fashion in St. Moritz. Wikipedia also says it is sold in luxury malls such as Bergdorf Goodman, Isetan, Prince's Building and Selfridges.

Access is limited. Coveteur reported in June 2026 that boutiques are by appointment, online drops happen only a handful of times a year, and stock stays very limited even with an appointment. The picture has shifted: Complex reported no official e-commerce presence in 2020, apart from resale listings, while a '1988' hoodie was offered as a pre-order on the brand's own web store in April 2024.

We could not find a current official price list. Press gives a few anchors: a 1988 hoodie on pre-order for $550 (April 2024) and $1,750 for denim adorned with leather crosses (2020). Coveteur gives a starting price of $1,000 for T-shirts in a profile of a reseller who sells only Chrome Hearts.

Chrome Hearts is a private company co-owned by Richard and Laurie Lynn Stark. A 2018 HYPEBEAST Magazine interview says it is headed by the Starks and, more recently, by their eldest daughter Jesse Jo Stark, and mentions no outside investors. The Fashion Law, citing WWD, reported that the company sold 10 percent to a private equity firm in 2019 for $150 million, implying a $1.5 billion valuation; the buyer was not named. In 2014 Business of Fashion reported that Chrome Hearts took a minority stake in knitwear label The Elder Statesman.