Special Feature | the future of digital fashion

published in enya Fashion Queen issue #183, find the original interview in Chinese here; cover photo © 2022 Gucci, all rights reserved

Not only attracting attention and complaints from fashion brands, the million dollar worth digital version of Hermès’s Birkin bag is solid proof that NFT (non-fungible token) is changing our reality from the virtual world. 

Last year at Art Basel Miami, Mason Rothschild, a Los Angeles-based digital creator, launched the MetaBirkin, a digital collection inspired by the iconic Hermès handbag. His accessory has the same silhouette but is covered in fur and colorful patterns. It not only attracted the brand’s attention, but also reportedly received a cease-and-desist letter asking the marketplace to stop selling the NFTs. Meanwhile, photos of Elon Musk wearing a pair of Cyber Sneakers spread like wildfire across the internet and drove attention to RTFKT Studios who created the digital footwear. The market of crypto-clothing is booming with one virtual pair at a price of $123,000 dollars. With more and more people hopping on the trend of NFT, brands are now stepping into the world of digital fashion, a place where reality and virtuality are merged as one. 

Last May, in celebration of Gucci’s centennial, creative director Alessandro Michele and award-winning photographer Floria Sigismondi co-directed the house’s first NFT fashion film inspired by its recent Aria collection. The film was a part of an online auction at Christie’s with all proceeds donated to UNICEF USA. A few months later, in August, Burberry announced its partnership with Mythical Games to launch its NFT collection in their flagship title, Blankos Block Party. The multiplayer game features digital vinyl toys Blankos, a limited-quantity Burberry Blanko—a shark named Sharky B—and its own branded in-game NFT accessories to ensure the toy’s uniqueness and rarity. Meanwhile, to celebrate its 200 years, Louis Vuitton also introduced LOUIS: The Game, a phone app that follows the journey of Vivienne to collect 200 postcards to commemorate the birthday of Louis Vuitton. Most notably, there are 30 embedded NFTs for players to find throughout the game that can only be collected through playing and cannot be sold.

For its Men’s AW22 fashion show, Fendi decided to enter the metaverse through a partnership with global digital asset management platform, Ledger. Combining the Italian luxury house’s timeless style with the most forefront technology, the crypto currency wallet successfully bridges reality with the digital world. “It brings the two worlds together,” stated Silvia Venturini Fendi, “It’s something we have to learn little by little, all of us.” In February, Gucci collaborated with SUPERPLASTIC to kick off the three-part SUPERGUCCI series. Not only did it feature ten unique NFTs each accompanied by a handmade Italian ceramic sculpture, but it’s also covered in the iconic Gucci monogram patterns. In the same month, Prada joined forces with Ubisoft’s Riders Republic. The players of the game are now able to wear the Prada Linea Rossa collection while competing in a wide range of sports in the game. And lastly, ever since Demma Gvasalia took place as the creative director of Balenciaga, the Spanish luxury fashion house has been incorporating technology and virtual reality into its fashion shows. From the video game Afterworld: The Age of Tomorrow that’s set in 2031, to the appearance of futuristic, robotic masks in its SS22 collection, Balenciaga has successfully marked its place at the forefront of digital fashion. 

The Wall Street Journal once described NFT as a cultural phenomenon. With brands joining the trend of digital fashion, it is safe to say that NFT is changing our imagination of virtual reality. These non-fungible tokens serve as certificates for the digital products we purchase. Even without the actual clothing or sneakers, we can still post a selfie with these products to coin our ownership. According to the research conducted by management consulting company Bain & Company and online luxury fashion retail platform Farfetch, digital interaction with consumers has become increasingly important for brands nowadays. The examples mentioned above show that the purpose of NFT is to connect our reality with the digital world. During the process of merging fashion, creativity and technology, we can redefine and further extend the meaning of brand culture. 

On Social Media and Fashion Retail Platforms 

In the wake of the pandemic, consumers no longer visit the stores physically anymore. Not only did it hit the sales of department stores, but it also made businesses realize the importance of digital platforms, both fashion retail and social media. From Farfetch, Net-a-porter, to Mytheresa, these luxury fashion retail platforms have slowly become one of the most common ways millennials shop. In 2017, LVMH joined these luxury platforms and a year later, Celine became available on 24 Sèvres, a French fashion retail platform, as well. Social media has also provided young trendsetters with the opportunity to share and look for inspirations. It has become a platform for celebrities, influencers and KOLs (Key Opinion Leaders) to share their daily outfits and personal styles, creating a more impulsive and emotional mode of shopping for consumers. The same trend also applies to brand marketing. By making use of social media where celebrities and influencers can integrate the latest items into their posts, luxury fashion is no longer just for a targeted group of customers, but becomes an online exchange of personal styles. This sharing of styles then smoothly leads to the increase of consumer purchasing power. Brands are now able to collect feedback from young consumers, while sharing and testing the popularity of their latest collections. One of the most surprising examples is most definitely The Row’s transformation. When the pandemic first hit two years ago, the Olsen twin’s minimalist brand faced its worst financial crisis, with rumors of large-scale lay-offs going on in the company. While the minimalist style is gradually gaining popularity on social media, we can’t help but wonder if The Row’s financial crisis is proof of the isolation of minimalist fanatics? Or is it marking a trend that is on the rising? From Kendall Jenner’s mirror selfie Instagram post with the caption “The Row head to toe,” to the brand seemingly becoming a new celebrity status label, we see how social media actually helped the minimalist trend gain its popularity worldwide in a two-year meantime. The way Kendall’s outfit sparked a worldwide imitation effect showed celebrities’ social media influence on fashion and fashion trends. Looking at Bottega Veneta under Daniel Lee’s lead, perhaps the lowkey minimalist fashion is not entirely an act of silence. With the rise of the digital world, what is the future of digital fashion? Just like what Silvia Venturini Fendi said about the partnership between Fendi and Ledger, “It is an exciting first step in [a new] direction. Who knows where it might take us?!”