The American artist Daniel Arsham, whose megahit “future relic” sculptures have made him a go-to hype doctor for the fashion industry, is launching a fashion label of his own. Objects IV Life, as it’s called, debuts with an inaugural collection of hardy outerwear, denim, and accessories including a pair of steel-toed work boots. The brand is a joint venture with Stefano Martinetto of the London-based brand incubator Tomorrow, which has also bolstered designers Martine Rose and A-Cold-Wall*’s Samuel Ross. Its inaugural collection debuted today at Kith’s Paris flagship and on the brand’s website.
“Objects IV Life is an evolving proof of concept, an endless work in progress, a tangible manifesto for change: you are the vehicle,” Arsham said in a press release, evoking the utopian spirit of other ethos-forward streetwear brands like Scott Sternberg’s now-shuttered Entireworld, and the work-in-progress spirit of Virgil Abloh’s Off-White. In his art practice, Arsham plays on the idea of pop culture and posterity; he renders artifacts of contemporary pop culture—like a Pokémon card or a DeLorean—in durable materials like concrete and resin to resemble classical marble sculptures, which are oftentimes pre-eroded with jagged pockets of pastel gemstones. The muted color scheme of his work informs Objects IV Life’s first collection (Arsham, BoF reports, is colorblind), which comes in cool, stony neutrals and pale pinks, blues, and greens.
Arsham, while not a designer by trade, has become a sought-after collaborator in the fashion world, working with brands including Kith (Arsham designed all of their stores), Adidas, Uniqlo, and LVMH hallmarks Dior, Rimowa, and Tiffany. These projects put him in good company with other blockbuster artists, such as Takashi Murakami and Kaws, who manage to maintain blue-chip standing in the art world and serious cred among fashion-savvy consumers at the same time. “The audience is really wide, from serious collectors to the kids,” Martinetto told BoF, saying that he believes Objects IV Life can scale to rival the cult status of brands like Jacquemus, Dries Van Noten, and Ami. “This is not a hype project.”
