Virtual try-on of Nike kicks

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…

✔ New Nike collection gets the royal virtual try-on treatment

🇩🇰 Copenhagen Fashion Week gets gamified via mobile game Drest

🎀 New fashion NFT and web3 releases

🔥 Hot links

New Nike collection gets the royal virtual try-on treatment [Link]

In collaboration with JD Sports, AR tech leader Zero10 will deploy its cutting-edge AR mirrors to enable users to virtually try on outfits from the new Need It Now Collection by Nike. These AR Mirrors come equipped with advanced features that can even display subtle effects like water droplets, enhancing the realism of the virtual try-on experience.

Key highlights of this collaboration:

• JD Sports’ flagship stores in Times Square, NY, and State Street, Chicago, are the primary locations for this collab.

• Zero10 has unveiled a POS tool that enables customers to purchase out-of-stock items online. This feature allows users to scan a QR code in-store, check item availability, and place orders or pre-orders on the website.

Why this matters: Zero10’s AR mirror tech - powered by a supercomputer offering customers the perfect 4K resolution for their desired outfits - shapes the future of virtual try-ons in the vast, mostly fickle fashion industry. Leading names in sports and sportswear coming together to demonstrate the tech aids the desired mass adoption of AR mirrors and virtual fashion tools worldwide.

New fashion NFT and web3 releases

• Sweet new kicks: VeeFriends and Reebok launch Aspiring Alpaca-themed sneakers, featuring the brand’s in-house nylon casing, the finest suede overlays, and the VeeFriends logo emblazoned on the side while the Series 1 Aspiring Alpaca image peering out from the tongue. As expected, NFT holders can unlock added benefits.

• Surfing into the metaverse: US surf and swimwear expert Hurley expands its Hurleyverse and launches the gaming experience Hurley Super Surfer Game, which lets players ride varying levels of waves and collect Hurley Sand Dollars for exclusive rewards. NFT holders can also purchase a real-world Hurley sweatshirt for enriched gameplay IRL.

Copenhagen Fashion Week gets gamified via mobile game Drest [Link]

Copenhagen Fashion Week, an anticipated Scandinavian fashion event, partners with luxury mobile style game Drest to engage its chic attendees in immersive daily in-game challenges.

Fusing fashion and gaming, the fashion week experience draws inspiration from runway shows and street photography, as well as shines a light on Nordic brands like Ganni and Stine Goya, mixing brand narratives and custom digital backdrops that feature iconic Danish landmarks.

The in-game challenges include styling model avatars, putting a community vote on the final look, and dabbling in digital wearables through rewards, purchases, or complimentary offers.

How Drest sets the tone for future fashion week experiences: The gaming platform already works with 260+ luxury brands, from Gucci to Prada to Fendi. Recently raising $19M in funding, Drest still currently operates within the web2 realm but hints at gradually shifting to web3, incorporating metaverse elements in the game and fashion brand interactions.

The latest in digital fashion tech

• Entrupy, an AI-powered authentication service, is using AI to fight fashion counterfeits. Providing a certificate and financial guarantee to retailers at risk of counterfeit scams, its service has been used by 2,000+ retailers and has verified $1B+ worth of inventory, saving customers some $100M. Entrupy plans to expand its services to other markets like art, food, and pharmaceuticals.

• South Florida startup Fashom is steering retailers toward sustainability by using AI to recommend products, predict inventory and demand, and reduce the rate of returns. Fashom is also partnering with retailers to make "mystery boxes" of 5 high-end clothing items, helping to reduce excess inventory and reduce clothing waste in landfills. It hopes to continue scaling its B2C models and expand partnerships with national retailers.

• Sizekick is making noises as an AI tech for fashion e-commerce stores that uses accurate individual body measurements to recommend correct clothing sizes. It has the unique option to choose between two size recommendation options based on either body shapes or a smartphone scan. Sizekick is already integrated in 10 online stores, boasting not just accurate sizing but also an easy integration process.

🔥 Hot Links

• Fashion’s NFT collections have shared a similar trajectory: They launched with a lot of hype, but then enthusiasm quickly faded. (Link)

• AI offers solutions for human errors but struggles with accuracy and relevance, such as addressing fit and fabric issues in the garments space but still challenged by fact-checking. (Link)

• Private equity firm Advent International buys a majority stake in Australian brand Zimmermann, valuing it at $1B+. (Link)

• AI firm Bold Metrics power-fits for men’s brand Mizzen+Main, offering Find My Size solution for customers’ ideal fit. (Link)

• Vietnamese e-commerce retailer K&K Fashion incorporates AI personalization cloud to automate and enhance customer experiences. (Link)

• How clothing apps could make fast fashion a thing of the past. (Link)

• How Epic Games became fashion’s unlikeliest bedfellow (Tip: It wants to grow beyond Fortnite, and it sees fashion as a way to do that.) (Link)

• Meanwhile, the global fast fashion market is on track to become a $167.5B space by 2030. (Link)

• Understanding direct-to-consumer (DTC) fashion brands and how they’re disrupting traditional retail. (Link)

• Fashion brand JAG harnesses gen AI tools to produce digital imagery that can replace on-location photo shoots. (Link)

• How does digital transformation impact the clothing recycling sector? (Link)

• From virtual make-up trials to data-driven skincare solutions, beauty has become more accessible and enjoyable - thanks to AI. (Link)

• Luxury brands like Gucci are banking on the phygital. But where does a mixed-reality product fit in today’s market? (Link)

• After a 4-year hiatus, the angels are back with a vengeance: the Victoria’s Secret fashion show makes its return in September on Amazon Prime Video. (Link)

• 72% of luxury fashion consumers in the UK find AR solutions from brands important to their shopping, says a new Vogue Business and Snap study. (Link)

• AI systems can analyze vast amounts of data from social media, fashion blogs, and online stores to spot emerging trends. (Link)

• Barbie causes a 500% surge in Google searches for Birkenstock, finds virtual fitting room firm 3DLOOK. (Link)

• Luxury powerhouse LVMH sets sights on metaverse domination - will it triumph? (Link)

• Meet Imma, Japan’s hottest AI fashion icon gone viral. (Link)

• Asos and Rokt’s recent collaboration offers exciting AI-driven post-purchase perks. (Link)

• Italian streetwear brand Garment Workshop bets on AI as it ties up with AI startup Double Avatars. (Link)

• Virtual thrift shops are on the rise in e-commerce. (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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