Jason Wu launches NFT of Michelle Obama’s opening dress – WWD
If you dream of dressing like Michelle Obama, you have the chance now – at least online. Jason Wu will release his first NFT in the form of a digital portable copy of the former first lady’s first prom dress from 2009.
While the original ivory silk and organza creation is housed in the National Museum of American History in Washington, DC, the virtual version will be available on the DressX metafashion retail platform. DressX worked with Wu’s team to create a “digital twin” of the original, and the owner of NFT will be able to use the dress digitally in a photo.
The virtual dress also comes with some IRL benefits, which DressX calls “exclusive tool”, including two tickets to Wu’s upcoming New York Fashion Week show on September 10, behind-the-scenes access and a personal meeting and greeting with the designer.
It represents a trend cited at WWD’s Metaverse Symposium of brands pairing NFTs and digital assets with IRL events and special access.
“Because this is a fairly new concept for many people who understand luxury but may not understand technology, that’s why it’s a great way to board them and explain,” DressX co-founder Natalia Modenova told WWD about the package on offer. “There’s so much value in digital assets, which will be revealed in the future. But so far it may not be such a simple concept, and that’s why it makes it easier to understand the value behind this and also introduce the brand and the whole universe to Jason. . »
“Fashion is always evolving and changing, and as a fashion designer I develop with it,” said Wu. “Throughout my career, I have never felt limited to a single form of fashion. Finding new and innovative ways to express my creativity has always been very interesting to me. I am happy that my first NFT gives the world an opportunity to experience a piece of history in such a special, unique way. ”
The experience can not be resold or auctioned, and NFT will be unique, much like there is only one dress in the museum. “[The inauguration] was a historic fashion moment, and should be digitized and be part of the blockchain because it can stay there forever, and is a vision of how we see digital fashion – it will only continue to help physical fashion, “added co-founder Daria Shapovalova.
Linking NFTs with live experiences that are traditionally only available to those working in the industry also opens up new markets for designers, Modenova added: “It’s something people from the technology industry, or blockchain, are largely unrelated to. to because fashion has always been very exclusive. So this type opens up the whole fashion world to a new audience, which is a fantastic tool for merging the two worlds, fashion and technology. “
