Introducing the forerunners of the new digital fashion industry. In this 16-part special, we list the most exciting designers, brands, and platforms that are helping our digital selves get dressed to progress. This is part 7.
BNV, short for Brand New Vision, is a digital fashion company and platform that collaborates with fashion brands and 3D specialists in creating both physical pieces made to wear, and also creating fashion spaces in metaverse platforms like Decantraland and Sandbox. At Copenhagen Fashion Week earlier this year, BNV collaborated with hyped Danish brand (di)vision in an NFT alien called Ozzy, who was wearing a pair of (di)vision jeans and a bomber jacket. If one bought the Ozzy NFT, they would also receive physical copies of his clothes to keep for themselves. David Giordano is the head of strategic partnerships in the Nordics at BNV, and knows the value of cross-platform pieces.
Besides owning the NFTs, where and how can buyers wear the virtual fashion pieces sold via BNV today?
— We’re working with the metaverse and P2E (Play to Earn) gaming platforms that are being built on gaming engines so that, in the near future, owners of BNV tokens will be able to wear those outfits or accessories on their avatars in those virtual landscapes. We’re working on our own metaverse experience and own land in Sandbox and Decentraland where we’re creating multiple opportunities for interaction and flex. We are also working on VR and ar projects as well as going deep with avatars as we believe all of these will further enhance the possibilities for digital fashion in the metaverse.
In B2B terms, how can BNV help companies that want to implement virtual fashion in their industry?
— First, I think it’s pretty safe to say, and even more obvious if one has kids playing games like Roblox and Fortnite, that implementing virtual fashion is going to be necessary for brands to stay relevant to this next generation. Also, the application of what you can do today with virtual fashion when tied to a Web3 / NFT mutually beneficial rewards structure can help brands unlock the power of community in a way that our current social platforms have just scratched the surface on. So if they need a 3D designer, someone to create an environment, develop an avatar or even someone to do visual effects, we at BNV have a vast network of creatives we can bring into any project. Then we work closely with them to coordinate our marketing activation plans in order to maximise awareness across the worlds of crypto, art, gaming, and the fashion worlds, as we see them all converging.
How are the Nordics positioned within virtual fashion, in your view? Are we early adopters, or perhaps even lacking a bit behind?
— I think they are definitely positioning themselves a bit behind the early adopters, but I wouldn’t subscribe to any geographical factors. It seems that many, if not most, brands around the world are on the sidelines, still trying to wrap their heads around what’s happening in the space while dealing with their everyday business in this super competitive ever-changing industry. I think what many don’t understand is just how important it is to get in the water and start experimenting now.
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