With fashion week season coming to a close, brands must now look ahead as to how they can continue to tap into their customers’ spending power over the coming months — and it seems that a number are turning to Web3 to do so. For many, the next phase of their initial activations is in sight (after previously entering and dabbling in the digital world earlier this year) such as Charles & Keith’s evolution from accepting cryptocurrency payments to now releasing its first-ever collaborative NFT, and Christie’s’ long-awaited announcement of its official “Christie’s 3.0” NFT auction platform. 

Accessibility is also a huge theme right now, with more big names in fashion opting to integrate educational systems into their Web3 roadmaps (Rebecca Minkoff is set to offer its audience a series of online sessions to help consumers better understand the virtual space) and spotlight the importance of digital communities; Balmain’s “The Balmain Thread” club being one to note. Meanwhile in China, technological innovation is once again paving the way for evolution, as Pepsi transforms virtual wearables into IRL garments using recycled materials. The bear market may still be in full swing but, thanks to creative revolutions like these, it seems that fashion is still just as committed to embracing the next stage of the internet as ever.

As always, please keep sending your launches, projects, and exciting new developments to NFT@jingdaily.com.
 
Thanks for reading! 

- Bethanie Ryder, Metaverse Editor

THE BIG STORY
The French luxury footwear giant Christian Louboutin has officially entered the Web3 space with an NFT collection to celebrate its Paris Fashion Week extravaganza.

Are Christian Louboutin's 'Badge of Honor' NFTs Enough To Solidify Its Space In The World of Luxury Web3?

Chrisitan Louboutin has released its first-ever NFT as part of its Paris Fashion Week showcase. The luxury footwear group created the token in partnership with POAP (Proof Of Attendance Protocol) at the event: for guests to keep as a “badge of honor” after watching the showcase, which took place at the top of the Eiffel Tower. Onlookers from across the globe could also redeem the NFT by scanning a QR code featured at the end of the performance, which was available to watch via the brand’s social pages. 

While other labels have harnessed the power of NFTs to create exclusive token-gated experiences, POAPs on the other hand are an effective method of proving one's participation in an event, while also opening up benefits to future drops and upcoming announcements. The assets have rapidly become a “status symbol” within the world of virtual luxury as a means of memorializing a house’s collections and noteworthy occasions, as well as demonstrating the unwavering loyalty of their customers.

CHRISTIES

• Auction house Christie’s recently launched “Christie’s 3.0” — an on-chain auction platform for NFT art and exclusive drops, curated by the group entirely on the Ethereum blockchain. The world-leading company joins Sotheby’s in the metaverse, as players like these begin to recognize the value in digital provenance and look more towards Web3 as the key to protecting these artworks to pass on to the next generation of collectors. 

• Rebecca Minkoff has partnered with fashion and NFT marketplace Mavion once again on a 3,000-piece drop featuring unique NFT artworks and Minkoff bags. All 3,000 holders will be able to contribute to two physical handbag designs, but only 400 of the 3,000 are expected to receive a physical item. As part of the launch, Minkoff will also be offering virtual educational sessions on how to set up a crypto wallet, demonstrating the brand’s commitment to onboarding existing customers into the Web3 landscape.

• Hennessy has partnered with multi-hyphenate creative Veneda Carter for its latest exclusive 3D-animated NFT series. The limited edition drop, titled Hennessy Paradis Golden Edition, features a physical golden decanter priced at $2,500 (17,800 RMB) each, which is accompanied by an NFT that depicts an exotic desert landscape and the Hennessy decanter drenched in “golden-hour” light designed by Carter herself. The collection is distributed exclusively on BlockBar.com, the world’s first DTC NFT marketplace for luxury wines and spirits.

Could Pepsi's Physical Counterparts Hail The Future Of Sustainable Fashion In China?

Pepsi has debuted the physical replicas of its digital garments collection at the Spring/Summer 2023 MODE Shanghai Fashion Week. Running from 22–30 September, the event resumed with an offline edition (to celebrate the end of the Shanghai COVID lockdown) which saw the virtual outfits made tangible using recycled bottles as part of the brand’s sustainability efforts. The concept of turning online wearables into their physical counterparts —while remaining committed to ecologically-friendly materials — will most likely have landed well with onlookers, as well as proving that the idea that virtual clothing can be taken to new heights thanks to forward-thinking innovation techniques like Pepsi’s.