Jahleel Weaver’s pocket watch no longer keeps time. At least, not in the traditional sense. (With every wear, he’d have to reset it.)
For Mr. Weaver, though, the piece symbolizes something more meaningful: his decade-long career, from freelance styling assistant, to styling for Kylie Minogue in Australia, to deputy creative director of Fenty LVMH, to lead stylist and creative director of Rihanna and lead stylist of Dua Lipa.
The watch itself has evolved, too. What began as a vintage Rolex Datejust is now a custom Chrome Hearts wallet chain with a Rolex Datejust face attached. Mr. Weaver explained how a continued transformation has kept this piece of jewelry as aesthetically fresh as it is timeless. This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.
Tell me about the one piece of jewelry that speaks to who you are.
It would definitely be a custom Chrome Hearts Rolex wallet chain that I had made with Chrome Hearts, maybe five or six years ago.
It started as the first expensive purchase I made when I got my first solo client as a freelance styling assistant. I bought myself a vintage Rolex Datejust. I’d been assisting for maybe two and a half, three years. And I was approached to work with Kylie Minogue, to style her for [multiple events and TV appearances that year]. This was early 2014. And I remember going to Australia, working with her, and I felt like, Wow, I’ve only been doing this for two and a half, three years, and I have a client. I wanted to do something special, because I felt very proud and very excited, and grateful for the opportunity. I bought it at a vintage jewelry store here in L.A. called Craig Evans Small. I wore that watch for years.
How did it go from watch to wallet chain?
I saw that Chrome Hearts would customize Rolexes. They basically just changed the band of my watch into a Chrome Hearts bracelet.
Then I kind of got over wearing that for a while. I always wore a wallet chain, and I just randomly asked them: “Hey, can you guys take this and then put it on a wallet chain?” It’s always such a talking piece whenever someone sees it.
Do you wear it every day?
As long as I have a belt loop, I’m wearing it. It definitely doesn’t work. It’s really just about the piece itself. It’s never been about function.
How do you approach jewelry for the clients you work with today?
I think Rihanna is very unique, in that she loves so many different styles of jewelry. She can go from deco to something Indian-inspired, or actually Indian jewelry, and something modern, or something like a diamond watch, and mix it all together. And it seems so natural. And I think that is a big part of me as well. I’m wearing an Edwardian cross with a Chrome Hearts wallet chain. Things that don’t make sense.
How would you feel if you lost your wallet chain?
I would be devastated. Honestly, because it’s been with me in different stages for over 10 years. I try not to get too hung up on material things that come, they go, but it would take me a little while to accept that one.
Do you want to pass it down someday?
I would pass it down, but I don’t plan on having kids. My younger brother has the most beautiful twin boys. Just the loves of my life. But there’s two of them. So it makes it tricky.
Where do you think you got your sense of style from? You could pass that down to them.
My mom’s from Panama, and I’m first generation. And it was always very important how we presented ourselves and how I looked. I was a young boy, getting manicures, just making sure I wasn’t rough around the edges. And I enjoyed it, and my mom enjoyed getting dressed up. And I think that obviously spilled over to me as well.
I have three uncles, and they just took such pride in getting dressed up and smelling good and looking good. I can picture my uncles ironing creases in their pants. My family in general, they always took such pride in getting dressed up, and definitely got passed down to me.
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