Web3 native fashion brands hit the runway in real life at NY Fall Fashion Week

cointelegraph.com:

Web3 fashion is subverting the narrative at New York Fashion Week (NYFW) this fall. Fashion brands native to the Web3 space will be premiering in real life (IRL) at a two-day show put on by Nolcha Shows.

Nolcha Shows has been actively curating events for 14 seasons. Still, this year there will be a Web3 edition featuring Web3 native brands, along with a panel on Web3's impact on the fashion industry's future.

In the last few years, fashion industry giants have been jumping into the digital universe at lightning speed. Gucci started to accept crypto in stores earlier this year, alongside its metaverse and NFT involvement with Roblox. Other major brands such as Balenciaga, Hermes and Phillip Plein have also announced their own plans for Web3 integration.

While these brands have collectively made millions from their exploration of decentralized technology, brands native to the Web3 space are turning back to IRL events for visibility.

Cointelegraph spoke with Arthur Mandel, the co-founder of Nolcha Shows, to understand more about why Web3 native brands are heading back to physical reality.

The fashion brand ChainGuardians is one of the Web3 native brands which is taking to the NYFW runway. It’s a brand that leans heavily on the trending term “phygital” which describes Web3 assets which combine aspects of physical and digital reality.

For example, nonfungible tokens (NFTs) wearables are those which can be utilized in the metaverse but also have a physical twin. Mandel says phygital products will lead as one of the most compelling Web3 integrations into the fashion industry.

He also stressed that such products can be projected to also help brands cut costs on physical products and retail services.

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