Inside Pharrell & Sarah Andelman's Powerhouse JOOPITER Auction
JOOPITER, Pharrell's auction house, is gearing up for what may be its biggest sale yet. Following two prior drops of gems both personal and literal, JOOPITER's next sale brings in colette curator and jack-of-all-trades Sarah Andelman to oversee a sale of soon-to-be cultural artifacts.
Andelman, who's also the founder of creative agency Just an Idea, is a big deal, to say the least. Her impact on fashion isn't measured in mere dollar signs but intangible connections.
She's one of the reasons that Pharrell's Chanel collaboration exists, for instance, having fostered a remarkably deep relationship with the legendary fashion house. Andelman has also boosted the visibility of young artists throughout her own career, bringing then-burgeoning artists like KAWS, Kevin Lyons, and Futura to Paris with various colette-related activities and collaborations.
Andelman and Pharrell's JOOPITER auction, appropriately titled "Just Phriends," goes live on June 19 via JOOPITER's website, the day before Pharrell debuts his first-ever Louis Vuitton collection.
Everything will be available for the public to view during Paris Men's Fashion week from June 20 to 24 and, of course, there'll be a gift shop offering limited edition merch to attendees.
For "Just Phriends," Andelman and Pharrell have sourced over 50 distinct lots from the world's most in-demand creatives, some new, some never-before-seen, and all utterly unique.
Precious pieces are on hand from Chanel (adidas sneakers); Hajime Sorayama (shark sculpture); Off-White™ (colette Air Jordan 1s); MSCHF (a miniscule Louis Vuitton handbag); Lewis Hamilton (F1 helmet); Daniel Arsham (eroded keyboard); Tiffany & Co. (a special pendant); Invader (crystal-encrusted camouflage painting); Louis Vuitton (one of Virgil Abloh's mannequins and a monogrammed kite); and Richard Mille (unique RM 65-01 watch).
Some of the wildest bits deserve special mention: KAWS contributed an Moonman trophy created for the MTV VMA awards, for instance, NIGO's Human Made offered up a pair of shorts worn by controversial boxer Gervonta Davis, and famed designer Jean-Charles de Castelbajac custom-made a jacket out of nothing but teddy bears.
Perhaps the wildest item of them all is THE SIMPLE THINGS, an artwork co-created by both Pharrell and Murakami that sold in 2019 over $2.7m. It'll be on display for the first time to coincide with the launch of the Just Friends JOOPITER auction.
Guests who're in Paris for Fashion Week can stop by an IRL exhibit of several Just Phriends lots, which will be on display near a special gift shop that'll offer exclusive merch, including one special Billionaire Boys Club T-shirt.
And, if you're in Paris, consider sleeping next to all those "Just Phriends" lots! That's right, there's an AirBnb listing to stay inside the auction space.
“I’m very honored by Pharrell’s invitation to write a new chapter on JOOPITER’s platform. We have known each other for such a long time now, we have so many great souvenirs of collaborations at colette," Andelman said in a statement.
"For this unique auction, I immediately thought of bringing together the artists and designers who have a history of working with Pharrell, but also a new generation of talents I love and find relevant in today’s culture, that’s why it’s called 'Just Phriends.'”
Previously, JOOPITER sold off rare trinkets from Pharrell's personal collection and exquisite jewelry curated by Lorraine Schwartz.
It's pretty wild that Pharrell and Andelman are planning this huge sale to coincide with Paris Fashion Week, as there's already so much Pharrell going on throughout.
From his latest adidas Samba collaboration to the long-awaited debut of Pharrell's aforementioned Louis Vuitton menswear collection, what a time to be alive. For Pharrell, that is.
This article was published on May 31, 2023, and updated on June 16
