Nick Knight’s first NFT release may bridge the divide between fashion and Web3
“It’s about creating art for love and not creating art just for money. There are very few things that aren’t business these days, says Knight. Part of that includes sharing the creative expression and revenue with all collaborators. To that end, ikon-1 will share revenue with its main creative partners and has compensated all other contributors actively involved in the project. Jazzelle, who is adept at manipulating her own image, is also a figure who represents this new participatory zeitgeist, says Knight, adding that this is a shift compared to how models once worked with famous photographers such as Cecil Beaton, Richard Avedon , Irving Penn and Helmut Newton. “They almost all said the same thing: ‘We had no control. We had no voice. We weren’t part of it. I think there’s a change now.'”
The fashion community must both create with and buy into Web3 technologies for the two sides to really come together. Web3 also needs fashion. The alternative, he warns, is a future divorced from creativity and artists. “It’s not until you get it into the hands of the artist that it becomes important culturally,” he says.
The future plans are hidden. He long ago began 3D-scanning supermodels, including Kate Moss, Naomi Campbell and Karlie Kloss, and often encouraged them to take part in creating their own avatars, ahead of an inevitable fashion future in which their iconic likenesses – resembling Marilyn Monroe’s in April of this year — is employed without their presence.
He has gotten to know a number of creatives who are more at home in the space. “It’s quite heartwarming. There are people who want to do a good job, and there is no cynicism about that, he says. Often there is a strong sense of community that reminds him of those found at traditional fashion events. “I didn’t really pay attention to meeting 30 new fashion designers; it’s a bit like fashion week — it’s a big offering of people’s visions… I wanted to get it through icon-1. This is a gift, you know, this is an offer. And that’s just the first step into a lot of other really exciting things.”
For now, he is anxious about how this first project will be received, but he considers the act of trying to be a success in itself. This mindset is more in line with technology companies, which thrive on failure and iteration, than luxury fashion, which is expected to deliver perfection in every way. “I think the whole creative process is full of your own faults and mistakes, but that’s what makes us human, you know? But every mistake is a new opportunity.”
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