JW Anderson is entering the metaverse with his very first NFT.
Helping launch fashion-focused NFT platform xydrobe, the designer will auction off a “hyper-realistic digital copy” of an “iconic” design, per a press release.
Existing information on xydrobe is sparse, given that the platform has yet to debut. Its profile on startup networking site F6S describes the business as an “NFT auction platform,” a kind of “Christie’s for virtual fashion.”
“xydrobe will be the only platform selling perfect 3D copies of already existing world-renowned luxury collectibles,” the company expounded.
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It’s anyone’s guess which JW Anderson design will be digitized and sold as an NFT.
Could it be Jonathan Anderson’s crochet cardigan, which went viral after Harry Styles donned it to a rehearsal last year?
Or perhaps it’s Anderson’s phallus-shaped keychain, an instantly recognizable offering from the brand.
It could even be the Pierce bag, a now-discontinued accessory whose rise in popularity defined a particular moment in street style.
JW Anderson is far from the first clothing brand to dabble in digital collectibles: this year alone, Gucci sold a short film celebrating its 100th-anniversary collection as an NFT, Louis Vuitton embedded hidden NFTs into its mobile video game, Burberry launched an NFT with Mythical Games and ASICS turned its sneakers into NFTs.
At one point, it seemed as if the NFT bubble might burst. Instead, the market is only expanding, spawning a new virtual novelty each day.
As an increasing number of fashion brands bring their wares to the metaverse, it’s not so far-fetched to think that one day, our virtual wardrobes might hold as much weight — and monetary value — as our IRL clothing.
