50% of retail will use AR

Hello hello! Welcome to all our new friends! And to our current friends – thanks for coming back for this week.

This week we are covering…

📱 ZERO10 debuts 1st AR store

💅🏻 Metaverse Beauty Week set in full gear

👟 Hot web3 fashion drops from Adidas, Puma and more this week

🔥 Hot links

50% of brick & mortar retail will use AR [Link]

After a show of its AR try-on technology at Metaverse Fashion Week and noteworthy collaboration with fashion labels like Tommy Hilfiger and Coach, AR fashion company ZERO10 is launching its first prototype AR store to showcase the AR Mirror.

The finer details:

• The AR Store is set to deliver the functions and operations of a traditional retail store with an average 100-sqm size, and requires the AR Mirror, an iPad stand, a statistics screen, as well as some storage space.

• The AR Mirror, working in real time, can run complex computer vision models and render clothing in 4K resolution. It’s run by a supercomputer boasting 3D body tracking and multi-class segmentation features.

• ZERO10’s AR Store prototype is seen for the 1st time at European startup and tech event Viva Technology, from June 14-17, in Paris, France.

Why this matters for the future of retail stores: 50% of physical retail is expected to incorporate AR solutions or become AR stores in the next decade, prompted by customers’ desire to try new shopping experiences in-store.

Metaverse Beauty Week set in full gear

Online virtual worlds such as Decentraland hub, Spatial metaverse and Roblox, along with a physical location at Flannels London are coming together to host Metaverse Beauty Week on June 12 to 17.

Here's what to expect from this inaugural event:

• The event is backed by over 200 influencers from the participating brands and creative digital communities.

• Major luxury players such as L'Oréal and Estée Lauder Group are absent, and instead the focus is on mid-market brands Neutrogena, Lush, emerging labels like Lottie London and Essence, and eco-responsible brands like Valdé Beauty.

• Metaverse Beauty Week is open to all, allowing avatars to be customized and self-expression through "emotes." Creating a guest account is optional, though wallet connection is recommended for free items.

Cat Turner, CCO of Cult and Metaverse Beauty Week Co-Founder, harps on the event's goals of self-expression, escapism, and challenging traditional beauty standards.

Hot web3 fashion drops this week

Both established and digitally native fashion brands vie for attention this week with fresh new drops and collaborations:

• Adidas Originals collaborates with 20-year-old visionary artist FEWOCiOUS to launch the limited-ed, product-linked Trefoil Flower Mint Pass. This pass grants NFT holders exclusive benefits and the chance to acquire the Campus 00’s sneaker of the artist, who’s had a long brand affinity that started with a December 2022 installation during Art Basel Miami.

• PUMA teams up with NBA star LaMelo Ball and web3 lifestyle brand Gutter Cat Gang for the limited-ed MB.03 digital collectible, nicknamed GutterMelo. Starting June 29, users can buy the NFT-enabled release through an OpenSea exclusive drop for a taste of the “unrestrained design” based on Melo’s court play and the latest PUMA NITRO foam technology. Prices start at $175 and will include a ticket to claim the NFT’s physical twin.

• Street fashion brand Weekday ties up with web3 fashion firm The Fabricant for a wearable sunglasses collection dubbed as Artifact 001, inspired by stalactites and stalagmites and dropping on June 13. After purchasing from the 300-piece drop, holders will gain access to an AR filter so they can wear the accessory any time.

• Gmoney’s web3-based luxury fashion label 9dcc collaborates with sneakerhead and designer Jeff Staple’s NFT brand Stapleverse on limited-ed baseball caps. The offering includes on-chain integrations comprising a digital clone that can be donned by Stapleverse SAPIENZ and will be revealed at the upcoming Paris Fashion Week.

Why this news sizzles: As digital fashion remains one of the fastest-expanding niches in web3 and fashion NFT trading sales have long breached the $245M mark, these new reveals will captivate “the attention of the luxury, streetwear, fashion, and blockchain communities,” in 9dcc’s worlds.

British Fashion Council calls for web3 embrace [Link]

The British Fashion Council (BFC) urges the UK fashion industry and its stakeholders to collaborate and find solutions to current challenges, including the cost of living, sustainability regulation, and Brexit red tape.

In a letter sent to its members, BFC Chair David Pemsel presents a strategic framework built on three main pillars, including innovation that involves a full embrace of web3 in shaping the future.

The important context: The letter comes as fashion councils face heightening pressure to support designers, who are still reeling from the pandemic and are now battling with rising costs and satisfying new legislative requirements around sustainability.

Does the metaverse really benefit beauty brands? [Link]

The metaverse has garnered significant interest among the arbiters of beauty. But are they really gaining significant success in this virtual shared space?

Some top use cases among beauty brands:

• Byredo - It’s perhaps the first brand “making scent digital,” partnering with RTFKT to concoct digital “auras” or 26 ingredients that stand for different emotions and are digital collectibles in perfumery.

• Lush - The beauty brand recently offered a metaverse version of its Lush House in Decentraland, garnering just under 1K unique visitors to the experience with its wearables and collectibles.

• Lottie London - Its Roblox game will focus on its viral TikTok products, where attendees can amass tokens and redeem them for real-world prizes. The brand sees Gen Zs and millennials as its main audience.

🔥 Hot Links

• Brands like Hugo Boss are harnessing AI to automate stock transfers between stores to match forecasted demand. (Link)

• DRESSX “matches” with YouTube and TikTok personality Mackenzie Turner for a digital drop that includes a cotton candy bomber jacket, heart-shaped bag, and Cuties necklace. (Link)

• Italian designer John Richmond tweets a message of solidarity to the Shiba Inu community. (Link)

• Fashion brands are still nervous about setting their IP loose in the metaverse, says BNV founder and CEO Richard Hobbs. (Link)

• Many fashion students are still distrusting of generative AI, while educators from London’s Central Saint Martins to NY’s Parsons are exploring it. (Link)

• E-commerce is transforming the Indian fashion industry, and AR and VR have a critical role to play. (Link)

• As ecommerce platforms aim to draw in more shoppers (including using AI-powered chatbots), ZALORA brings Italian fashion brand PINKO onboard. (Link)

• How Zara’s metaverse fashion is bridging reality and digital fantasy. (Link)

• Could the rise of metaverse fashion see the acceleration of style’s constant evolution? (Link)

• In Italy, Uster Technologies introduces a solution suite combining instruments, data-enabled software, and textile expertise to lift quality and profitability. (Link)

• In India, menswear brand Celio ventures into the metaverse with Mumbai-based rapper Emiway Bantai. (Link)

• H&M doubles its Global Change Awards (GCA) grant amount and winners to transform fashion, including supporting digital and AI-driven industry startups. (Link)

• Meet Nigeria’s first virtual influencer, Mojirade. (Link)

• In India, upcoming beauty brand SOEZI taps into AI models. (Link)

• Christie’s hosts its 7th annual Art+Tech Summit on July 19th, joining forces with Gucci, and web3 brand Moonpay. (Link)

• Forever 21 taps Amperity to unify its 1st-party customer data, activating and attracting new customers and retaining existing ones. (Link)

• From creating wearable digital fashion to expanding supply-chain transparency for online shoppers, these 3 women are pushing fashion into the future. (Link)

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All content on this newsletter is for informational purposes only and does not aim to serve as or replace expert investment advice.

If you are a startup building in the metaverse / web3 ecosystem and are raising capital, please reach out to Sfermion. Sfermion is an investment firm focused on accelerating the emergence of the metaverse.

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