EU’s Digital Product Passport explained

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…

🪪 The EU’s blockchain-rooted Digital Product Passport explained

🚨 AI-based counterfeiting charges hound Shein

🕓 Casio clocks into the metaverse with trademark filing

🔥 Hot links

Did you read this newsletter from anywhere that’s not your inbox?

The EU’s blockchain-rooted Digital Product Passport explained [Link]

As it scrapes together a range of legislations to address ecological issues in various industries, the European Union is bound to introduce a digital passport for a variety of products such as textiles.

What we know so far about the Digital Product Passport (DPP):

• It’s a tool requiring brands to collect and share data from their product’s entire lifecycle accessible via a digital twin. The initial format will highlight the sustainability, environmental, and recyclability attributes of their product, along with its manufacturing process and sourcing.

• Rooted in the blockchain, the data can be accessed by a care label, either a QR code or barcode, which customers can scan to view the information provided.

• The DPP will feature general product information (ID, weight, manufacturing facility and reference numbers, source, etc) alongside carbon footprint profile.

Why the DPP matters: The tool “aims to enhance transparency, traceability, and trust across the whole supply chain, from manufacturers all the down the line to the consumer and recyclers, to enable more sustainable and informed consumer choices.”

This enables consumers to make more informed buying decisions and sustainable choices, avoiding brands that greenwash and make unsubstantiated sustainability claims. For businesses, this means building greater trust and confidence, as well as new revenue streams.

AI-based counterfeiting charges hound Shein [Link]

In a potential landmark case in the space, 3 US designers have filed lawsuits against Chinese fast fashion giant Shein, accusing the company’s design algorithm of identically replicating some of their creations.

Details we know so far:

• The plaintiffs: Krista Perry, the suit focused on her Floral Bloom fabric pattern and Make It Fun poster design on the Chinese site; Larissa Martinez, with her Orange Daisies pattern; and Jay Baron, saying his Trying My Best design was used to decorate employee badges in the US and copied down to the actual lettering.

• In a 52-page document, the claims say AI algorithms can detect and copy the products with the highest chance of commercial success, making the original designers’ earning losses even greater.

• In the past few months, Shein has been fighting legal battles on several fronts, including around 50 complaints in 3 years that have pitted it against the likes of Ralph Lauren and Stüssy.

Roundup: New phygital releases this week

• Snoop Dogg and Skechers have collaborated to create a range of sneakers with exclusive features including leopard print laces and the visage of Snoop's web3 persona. Dr. Bombay, Snoop Dogg's NFT character, has also been featured in Walmart stores, a dessert parlor, the VMAs, and music videos. Despite the BAYC collection faltering, Dr. Bombay's popularity continues to rise.

• Doodles and Crocs have joined forces on a colorful, phygital footwear collection. It includes the Doodles x Crocs Classic Clog Bundle and a redeemable digital collectible. Holders of Doodles’ original collection have exclusive access from Aug 28th, while the collection officially launches on Aug 29 on doodles.app.

• Ladies of BAYC and KAVERAS have partnered to launch a phygital jewelry collection combining blockchain, sustainability, and modern design. The 2 pendants feature the BAYC logo and an egg shape with a logo inside. Proceeds from the collection, set to launch on Sept 5, will be donated to Girls Who Code. KAVERAS specializes in web3 and works with Solaire, Style AI, and A Form.

Casio clocks into the metaverse with trademark filing [Link]

The eminent global entity Casio has taken a substantial stride into the metaverse and NFT sector as it files a trademark application covering a range of metaverse-related products and services, including virtual fashion, NFT-backed media, AI-powered robotics, and virtual goods stores.

Of particular interest is its goal to add downloadable virtual goods such as watches, clocks, and PDA's to enhance metaverse engagement.

Casio's exploration extends to the burgeoning domain of NFTs and blockchain-based collectibles, with an emphasis on downloadable virtual goods for avatars spanning from clothing and hairstyles to animation packages and accessories.

🔥 Hot Links

• A deep dive into couture and haute couture - and the rise of NFTs in the fashion space. (Link)

• DRAUP and VERTICAL offer aspiring digital fashion designers the chance to participate in a 6-week intensive program. (Link)

• Apparel Resources, India’s leading B2B fashion media house, mounts the 1st edition of Fashion Technology Week (FTW) in Bengaluru for a dose of high-tech style and fashion. (Link)

• Vogue asks: Exactly what is Copy, the 1st AI-powered fashion magazine, trying to prove? (Link)

• See what’s in store at Rakuten Fashion Week Tokyo, which kicks off its spring/summer 2024 collection season. (Link)

• 6 questions for Leila Ismailova, who left a successful TV career in Belarus behind for the US, on digital fashion, life after Artisant, and being in crypto today. (Link)

• Latina AI virtual model Evania Aria Luxardo makes you wonder what the future might hold for social media, the influencer world, fashion, and modeling. (Link)

• US fashion tech firm Tukatech and software company Inedit introduce the NeoTextil suite of Adobe Photoshop plugins to North America's textile and apparel industry. (Link)

• Accessories brand Claire’s collaborates with Super League to launch limited avatar wearables on Roblox, inspired by ShimmerVille pets characters. (Link)

• How the $15B “mystery box” niche is becoming fashion’s newest web3 phenomenon. (Link)

• Pakistani denim maker Soorty creates HumAIn Chapter 2, a denim capsule utilizing AI Stable Diffusion. (Link)

• Think tank Institute of Digital Fashion (IoDF) announces its new development board. (Link)

• Fashion Institute of Technology's (FIT) MFA in Fashion Design and wide-format printer manufacturer Mimaki introduce 15 talented students to the immense potential of digital textile printing. (Link)

• In India, here’s how luxury brands are wooing the new-age consumer. (Link)

• Here’s how Pixyle.ai's AI-powered tagging services are enhancing efficiency at Esprit. (Link)

• Meanwhile, Shein acquires 1/3 interest in Sparc Group, Forever 21's operator which will also become a minority shareholder in Shein. (Link)

• Filipino designer Michael Cinco headlines the 1st-ever Metaverse Fashion Gala. (Link)

• From hot air balloons at L'Occitane to orgasm-Inspired NFTs at NARS, recent virtual ventures in beauty go far and wide. (Link)

• Freedom fighters to fictional K-pop stars: Homegrown brands debut campaigns fronted by AI models, expanding the tech’s impact on fashion and human aspiration. (Link)

• Shockoe-based footwear startup Kinis develops a new AI-powered insole. (Link)

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.

Stay informed via our Twitter and Subscribe here to get your metaverse fashion news every Tuesday.