In a move that will juice Chinese fan culture, Pharrell Williams’ digital-first auction platform Joopiter today unveiled the Jackson Wang Metamorphosis: Athlete – Musician – Designer sale, which runs June 18 to 25.
Lots feature stage-worn outfits from Wang's recent Magic Man World Tour, including custom Louis Vuitton pieces designed by creative director Williams himself. Other personal items being auctioned include fencing gear from his days as a youth fencing champion, alongside diamond jewelry creations by his hyped streetwear brand Team Wang.
“We are thrilled to present this celebration of an artist who has reached the highest level of accomplishment in sports, music and fashion,” said Caitlin Donovan, Head of Global Sales at Joopiter.
Many talents#
There are few C-pop stars who rival the global fanbase of Wang. A sought-after luxury house ambassador with an Instagram following that surpasses 30 million, the Got7 boy band member’s Chinese name Wang Jiaer (王佳儿) has 23.3 billion reads on Weibo.
Additionally, Wang’s team presents a unique opportunity for one lucky bidder to experience behind-the-scenes access to his upcoming music video shoot. Joopiter has also officially collaborated with Team Wang on a limited edition line of clothing and accessory merchandise, already available to pre-order.
“All of these items are very meaningful to me,” Wang said. “They may appear to be very different, but they all represent the same mindset. To me, the only difference among these chapters of my life would be the skill sets; what remains the same is the emphasis on creation.”
A record-setter?#
As Joopiter explores various categories of luxury collectors – it recently held a car auction – Williams evidently understands the power of fan culture firsthand. Two years ago, the esteemed creative polymath auctioned 52 of his personal belongings through Joopiter.
Other houses have hosted auctions of belongings from stars, like Sotheby’s Freddie Mercury sales that saw over $15 million spent, or Christie’s’ Elton John sale, which took $20.5 million, both in 2023.
Celebrity auctions evidently perform well, yet Wang’s is set to fly due to China’s notoriously hysterical fan culture. The C-pop craze, for one, has surged due to heightened nationalism among younger Chinese generations.
Joopiter markets itself as “honoring rare cultural artifacts,” continuing to champion contemporary culture and the new generation driving it.