Heir apparent of the Chrome Hearts dynasty, Kristian Stark, isnt' coasting on the leather cocattails of his parents. &nbsp;He's determined to take over the family business, and he's starting from the ground up.

At only nineteen years old, Kristian Stark is already a powerful force in the fashion business. He may not have thought the Chrome Hearts brand was &ldquo;cool&rdquo; when he was a tween, but as a teenager, everything clicked. Now, he&rsquo;s determined to fulfill his father&rsquo;s vision of making Chrome Hearts a business that lasts for 150 years. Kristian sat down with L&rsquo;Officiel Magazine in St Barth for a heart to heart.
Interview with KRISTIAN STARK by PHILIPPE COMBRES&nbsp;
PHILIPPE COMBRES: How did you start at Chrome Hearts? KRISTIAN STARK: My parents never pushed me to work for Chrome Hearts. They never put that on me. But one day, it clicked, and I just started loving it and wanting learn more and more about the business. I wanted to get involved. I designed a leather hoodie when I was 14, because I would ride on the back of my dad&rsquo;s motorcycle, and I didn&rsquo;t like leather jackets. I wanted something comfortable. So, I designed this hoodie, and it was radical. We put it in the stores, and it sold! I began spending more time developing and designing pieces that I personally loved, and really got to understand the process. More recently, I designed the Chrome Hearts Five Pocket leather pants, and they were a hit. From there, I started dabbling in everything. I love it. I want to continue my parent&rsquo;s legacy. PC: You were 16 or 17 years old when you created the St. Barth Chrome Hearts boutique. How did you do that? <span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-weight: inherit; letter-spacing: 0px;">KS: (Laughs) Yeah, it was crazy. It was so hard. There was a lot to do, and I was there for every step. I knew Chrome Hearts would fit in here. Our vibe matched with the vibe of St Barth. It just felt like home. I found the location, and I established a good relationship with the owner, who my dad also loved, so that helped. Dad and I saw this location, and we said, &ldquo;We have to call Mom.&rdquo; We just had an immediate feeling that this was a good move. We like weird shit, and this spot was perfect; a little separate, a destination.
PC: And you were instantly successful, right? <span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-weight: inherit; letter-spacing: 0px;">KS: Pretty much. I mean, people loved it. Everyone thought it was cool to have a new and different type of boutique on the island. And there were people that lived here that were super stoked because they were already customers at our other Chrome Hearts locations.
PC: What&rsquo;s next for you and Chrome Hearts? <span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-weight: inherit; letter-spacing: 0px;">KS: Every December, I design an exclusive collection for St Barth. I just completed my first line of sunglasses called Lord&rsquo;n Frames, based on vintage eyewear. I love designing, but I also love the business side. I love sitting in the big meetings and analyzing the numbers. I want to be a major part of Chrome Hearts. I don&rsquo;t know when, but one day my parents will stop working as much and as hard as they do now. And I&rsquo;m going to have to step up and take care of shit. But what&rsquo;s next? I don&rsquo;t know. We&rsquo;ll see...

PC: Do you think about how Chrome Hearts can move to the Metaverse? <span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-weight: inherit; letter-spacing: 0px;">KS: Definitely. I think about it every day, because it&rsquo;s super&nbsp;interesting, but it&rsquo;s not a huge priority right now. There are other priorities for Chrome Hearts.
PC: Tell us about your relationship with St Barth. KS: St Barth is gnarly. I grew up in Malibu, and to me it&rsquo;s similar. It&rsquo;s a local, small, beach town. And it&rsquo;s chill. I mean, everyone that comes to this island falls in love with it. If you don&rsquo;t, something&rsquo;s wrong with you. There are so many good restaurants here. I love Shellona for lunch and Kinugawa for sushi. Every beach is great here, but Flamands is my favorite. I don&rsquo;t know. There&rsquo;s something about it, I just love it there.
PC: You grew up surfing. Do you see how the oceans are changing, and do you want to get involved to help curb human impact on the environment? <span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-weight: inherit; letter-spacing: 0px;">KS: Yes, absolutely. I think my generation is definitely concerned with the world and how the climate is affecting everything and wondering what we can do to help. At Chrome Hearts we are changing a lot of our business models to become more environmentally friendly and to do our part.
PC: How does sustainability influence your design process? KS: It is a major part of the process for sure. My mom and I discuss the environmental impacts of my designs, and if a design isn&rsquo;t environmentally friendly, at&nbsp;the end of the day, we don&rsquo;t make it.
PC: Who are your heroes? KS: In the design world, I really look up to Matt [Digiacomo], the creative director of Chrome Hearts. He&rsquo;s a big inspiration for everything I do&mdash;even the way I dress is influenced by him. He&rsquo;s so authentic, and I love his whole vibe. But my hero is my dad. I mean, he&rsquo;s the best. He&rsquo;s THE guy. He&rsquo;s so chill, and I don&rsquo;t know, he&rsquo;s just a good dad, and I&rsquo;m so grateful for him.

Chrome Stark: Kristian Stark

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