Queer Barbies for inclusive digital fashion

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…

🏳️‍🌈 AI-driven ‘These Barbies Are Queer’ push inclusive digital fashion

💄 Prada debuts in beauty with luxe-meets-phygital makeup

🐊 Lacoste opens up virtual store for the summer

🔥 Hot links

AI-driven ‘These Barbies Are Queer’ push inclusive digital fashion [Link]

The Institute of Digital Fashion taps AI to celebrate Barbie’s big blockbuster release and London’s queer club scene, dropping 6 doll designs representing the mega city’s iconic queer club nights.

A showcase of androgynous looks, bright colors, and latex, the These Barbies Are Queer campaign was created via AI, riding on the Barbie IP and harnessing cutting-edge tech to push for diversity, inclusion, and representation in the fashion space.

Other efforts capitalizing on Barbie’s current sensational fame include Architectural Digest commissioning top architects worldwide to reimagine the pop culture icon’s Dreamhouse via AI.

Prada debuts in beauty with luxe-meets-phygital makeup [Link]

Prada is making its debut in the beauty industry with an exciting collection with digital artist Ines Alpha, bringing a new dimension of creativity to the beauty space that marries real and virtual elements.

The collection, inspired by Prada's signature vibrant color palette and tech-driven textures, includes:

• 26 “Monochrome” lipsticks in hyper matte and soft matte textures

• 6 “Dimensions” eyeshadow quads, each inspired by a classic Prada print

• 1 lip balm

• 33 AI-driven shades of “Reveal” foundation

• 3 “Augmented Skin” skincare products and an edit of 10 brushes and tools

The collection is anticipated to stand out with its avant-garde aesthetic and lo-fi luxury-meets-phygital-future trademark. The refillable packaging adds to the allure, making Prada's beauty line an exciting addition to the already thriving makeup conversation worldwide.

Lacoste opens up virtual store for the summer [Link]

French apparel brand Lacoste is setting up a virtual store for the summer with retail tech developer Emperia, integrating elements exclusive to holders of its UNDW3 NFT passes.

More details into UNDW3, the retail giant’s NFT-based loyalty program:

• Accessible via Lacoste’s standard e-commerce platform, the virtual store takes users through Lacoste’s emblematic crocodile, into a tiled boutique, and eventually taking the elevator up to an outdoor pool area overlooking a beach.

• Users can both virtually shop from Lacoste’s summer apparel collection and take part in a crocodile-themed scavenger hunt game.

• Token holders can access an extra underwater VIP space, which they can unlock by an email login or by connecting a digital wallet containing the token.

• The VIP space offers an exclusive UNDW3 apparel collection, with each physical garment coming with its own digital twin as an NFT and an AR feature accessible via QR code scanning.

Fresh digital fashion and beauty drops

• Luxury mason Gucci gets physical and treats custodians of Material NFTs with iconic bags and purses. Holders of Gucci Material NFTs can swap their tokens for one of these fashion items for free. The gifting comes a year after its original NFT debut and amid its ongoing collab with Yuga Labs featuring 3,333 KodaPendants with tangible necklaces linking to the NFTs.

• In line with celebrating its Orgasm shade on National Orgasm Day (July 31) through a series of AR-powered filters, Nars has commissioned 5 female digital artists to create a 1-of-1 NFT inspired by Orgasm. Nars is no stranger to deploying NFTs and attracting users with web3 rewards, following its successful Color Quest experience in Roblox producing 41M+ visits.

• Blockchain-based vintage fashion label Mntge has launched Mntge Patchwork, showcasing exclusively on OpenSea a limited-ed series of digital and NFC-chipped physical patches from 11 talented artists including Jen Stark, Christopher Torres (the creator of Nyan Cat), and Bored Ape Yacht Club artist All Seeing Seneca. Through the NFC-enabled real-world patch, users can claim the corresponding digital token in their crypto wallet.

The Fabricant intends to stay digital and profitable [Link]

Dutch digital fashion house The Fabricant is navigating a series of pivots as it seeks to redefine the future of digital fashion.

Initially known for creating and selling the 1st fashion NFT, the company has shifted to a consumer co-creation platform before returning to its roots by focusing on brands. With a multi-pronged approach, it aims to provide brands with access to a platform for producing and distributing digital fashion, curated for premium, culture-defining brands and creators, with a specific focus on Gen Z.

The company has secured funding from investors, including a "mega grant" from Epic Games, to support its vision of becoming a decentralized version of LVMH, offering an innovative and profitable business model in the digital fashion space.

🔥 Hot Links

• Girlfriend Collective incorporates AI sizing tech for ethical manufacturing and transparency. (Link)

• Garment identification is made easy by integrating embedded digital IDs into clothing. (Link)

• Sandton City reimagines iconic fashion items in its AI-driven campaign, mapping out how iconic fashion items might look in the future. (Link)

• In Australia, this preloved wedding dress marketplace offers brides sustainable and budget-friendly options. (Link)

• The Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) embraces AI as a catalyst for future fashion endeavors. (Link)

• Here’s how Ralph Lauren’s phygital boot sale in Fortnite shows the pros and cons of virtual commerce. (Link)

• Bata India’s AI app revolutionizes visual merchandising and offers an immersive shopping experience for customers. (Link)

• Fashion designer Shawna Wu makes her mark in the metaverse, blending her Singaporean roots with virtual fashion as The Idol. (Link)

• Travis Scott’s latest Nike shoes fly off digital shelves in record time, and continue to sell out instantly. (Link)

• Fashion brands embrace experiential retail with AI tools to elevate customer engagement and shopping. (Link)

• The growing trend of virtual influencers: Will they surpass human influencers in impact? (Link)

• Learn more about AI influencers who are already raking in millions from fashion giants’ mega deals. (Link)

• Launched in March, fashion metaverse PARIZ is attracting users and investors. (Link)

• AI-powered shopping assistant Merchat AI bids for a personalized online experience. (Link)

• Second Life celebrates 20 years as a fashion-forward metaverse with lasting impact. (Link)

• DressX and Tiago PZK unveil the Asqueroso collection for accessories in energetic street style in digital fashion. (Link)

• Xseed Games and Marvelous reveal Fashion Dreamer, a fashion influencer simulation game on Nintendo Switch. (Link)

• In India, AI Skin Pro is an AI skin analyzer deemed helpful for clearing, lightening, and tightening skin. (Link)

• Lotte’s virtual model Lucy expands into Thailand’s live commerce market via Lazada, targeting the young ones. (Link)

• IMVU’s self-minting service empowers users to design, sell, and monetize NFTs in digital fashion independently. (Link)

• Shopify takes online shopping to the next level with the launch of AI-powered Commerce Assistant. (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.

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