Dover Street Market is one of the best places in Europe to find offbeat, stylish and surprising collaborations. We haven’t always loved everything (we wish Rei Kawakubo had never discovered the Beatles or Star Wars), but we do like this collaboration between Brooklyn-based artist West Lang and Bamford Watch Department. Lang grew up in New Jersey and made a name for himself with his meticulous pencil drawings of American Indians, shown at the ZieherSmith Gallery in New York. He’s since turned to painting, but the imagery hasn’t shifted territory: Johnny Cash, feathered headdresses, tattoos, Snoopy, pioneers and skeletons… For Bamford Watch Department – the decade-old company which commissions personalised versions of iconic sports watches – he has etched his signature grim reaper into the surface of five different Rolexes (including a bi-color Rolex GMT-Master II, a Rolex Submariner and a Rolex Milgausseach – each priced £25,000). As well as the grim reaper and skulls, there are images of roses and birds. While Lang’s lexicon is firmly rooted in retro Americana and biker culture, these Rolexes might well be seen as a statement on wealth and the modern USA.
bamfordwatchdepartment.com; doverstreetmarket.com; weslang.blogspot.co.uk