Fashion designers, NFT launch and virtual fashion: Roksanda just released shoppable NFT while other designers start to foresee the potential of NFT in fashion

With the rapidly-growing NFT craze, fashion designers start to foresee the potential of NFT in fashion. Brands are now experimenting with NFTs during fashion weeks to attract new target audience for their shows.

As reported by Vogue Business, a fashion house that is always considered as a must-see at London Fashion Week, Roksanda, recently announced its partnership with metaverse innovation provider the Institute of Digital Fashion (IODF) and Clearpay to create a shoppable NFT. 

The NFT will be incorporated in the label’s demi-couture final look, which will add a new dimension to the Roksanda Autumn/Winter 2022 show on 21 February. 

The NFT, a sculptural gown in geometric print, will be available for AR try-on via an Instagram filter and sold in various versions on Roksanda.com. According to Roksanda, the initiative marks the first time an NFT has been shoppable on a luxury brand’s website in pounds, rather than in cryptocurrencies such as ethereum. 

The shoppable NFT is sold in a tiered system, ranging from £25-£250 for one of 500 3D garment renders. There is also a top tier where ten customers can purchase for £5,000 the 3D animation render along with the software files used to create the digital version of the dress, enabling them to wear the garment in the metaverse.

“There’s a real vision and aesthetic for what sits in the metaverse right now,” says CEO and co-founder of IODF Leanne Elliot-Young. “You expect something much more like a cyborg, full of metal. Working with a brand like Roksanda, which is more sophisticated and elegant, seems like a perfect opportunity,” she added. 

Other brands have also tapped into NFT. Eckhaus Latta in partnership with Ponyo Impact launched an EL10 NFT series of ten unique looks from ten different archival collections, illustrated by artist Leesongil. 

The NFT also gives access to its "Web 3.0 paradise" called Club Eckhaus Latta, replete with invites to member-only events, exclusives and future NFTs. Proceeds from the sale of Eckhaus Latta NFTs will go to bottomless closet, a charity that helps low-income women access professional clothing for job interviews.

Hugo Boss for its SS22 Russell Athletics show campaign produced an phygital (physical-digital) NFT jacket as a prize for winners of its #BossMoves TikTok challenge. Lastly, Copenhagen brand (Di)vision produced an NFT alien in collaboration with Adidas at its AW22 show last week.