Digital fashion is all very well and good but opportunities to flex are limited. Fact. While digital purists often balk at the term ‘phygital’, this is where things get interesting and 2024 is already shaping up to be the year of phygital fashion where brands are realizing the business impact of bridging the digital divide.
SYKY hires Nicola Formichetti
SYKY, the luxury fashion platform founded by Ralph Lauren and Burberry alum Alice Delahunt, has announced Nicola Formichetti as its artistic director.
Formichetti whose 25 year career spans stints as creative director at Mugler and Diesel, alongside notable collaborations with brands such as Uniqlo, MAC, and Alexander McQueen also spent a decade as design director for Lady Gaga.
With SYKY, Delahunt has made it her mission to create a bridge between digital and physical fashion, something, she says Formichetti “inherently understands,” noting that he “has been ahead of the curve his entire career” and adding that “he has an intuitive understanding of what will come to define fashion, and his work builds toward that future.”
For his part, Formichetti believes that fashion “embraces both physical and digital.” He said in a statement that he has always been “captivated by the potential of the digital space” and is “now eager to embrace it fully, creating possibilities that resonate with today’s world.”
He will support the platform, identifying and nurturing new synergies between established luxury brands and next generation digital and physical designers.
Alice Delahunt of the SYKY with new artistic director Nicola Formichetti.
9dcc wins Phygital Brand of the Year
Meanwhile, 9dcc, the luxury phygital fashion brand launched in 2022 by pseudonymous entrepreneur Gmoney has been recognized as Phygital Brand of the Year at The PHYGICODE Impact Awards which took place during The World Economic Forum in Davos.
The award recognized Gmoney’s creation of ‘Networked Products’ —phygital luxury lifestyle items such as T-shirts and baseball caps which are interconnected with blockchain technology via integrated near field communication (NFC) chips. They create consumer loyalty by providing holders access to a phygital ecosystem of connections and rewards.
Speaking in a statement, Gmoney dubbed his win “a testimony to the boundless possibilities of the Web3 world” and “a significant milestone in our team’s quest to redefine luxury in a digital-first era.”
His house, he said, “has been fueled by a vision to intertwine luxury with the innovation of blockchain technology.”
“Every piece we create is not just a garment,” he added, “but a key to an ever-evolving universe of exclusive experiences and connections.”
According to PHYGICODE founder and CEO Andrea Abrams, the award emphasized the brand’s “exceptional contributions in unlocking the potential of phygital solutions, global innovation and thought leadership, while fostering synergies across business, technology, content, and entertainment.”
Lacoste has partnered with DRESSX on digital fashion for Roblox and Zepeto.
Lacoste x DRESSX
Lacoste which launched a Web3 loyalty platform in 2022 and partnered with decentralized gaming platform The Sandbox at the end of last year has now teamed up with digital fashion platform DRESSX. The two brands have launched 10 exclusive designs based on Lacoste bestsellers—five on sale on gaming platform Roblox and five on South Korean metaverse platform Zepeto.
According to a joint statement, the partnership aims to “bridge the gap between traditional fashion and the immersive digital world” standing as “testament to Lacoste’s commitment ot innovation, pushing boundaries, and reimagning Lacoste’s heritage within virtual realms.”
DRESSX recently launched a desktop camera tool enabling users to wear digital looks while using video conferencing platforms including Zoom, Google
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