A generative digital fashion startup is taking a different approach to the metaverse trend by focusing on creating virtual fashion for social media and gaming. The company is using advanced technology and algorithms to design unique pieces that can be worn by avatars and shared on digital platforms. Instead of launching exclusively in the metaverse, the startup is targeting a wider audience with plans to expand into other digital spaces, including e-commerce and augmented reality experiences. With a new take on fashion in the digital world, this startup is setting itself apart from the metaverse craze and offering a fresh perspective on the future of fashion.
The Rise of Digital Fashion: DRAUP’s Innovative Take
The fashion industry has seen a growing trend towards digitization in recent years, with startups and established fashion brands alike exploring new ways of integrating the physical and virtual worlds. While the potential for wearable digital fashion is exciting, actually bringing it to fruition has proven challenging due to interoperability issues.
However, Daniela Loftus, the CEO of digital fashion platform DRAUP, believes that the focus on interoperability is misguided. Instead, she advocates for a shift in perspective towards generative digital fashion, using the toolkit and ethos of generative artwork to create unique and rare digital clothing articles that can accrue social signaling value.
DRAUP’s inaugural collection titled “Seen On Screen,” which features 648 digital fashion pieces designed in collaboration with digital artist Nicolas Sassoon, is a testament to this approach. These pieces are not wearable but are generative, meaning they originate from digital textiles crafted by Sassoon that are then shaped by an algorithm into unique digital clothing articles automatically conjured during the minting process. The parameters of that algorithm were designed by Loftus and her colleagues.
Loftus believes that, for now, the wearable virtual fashion market is simply not viable. Instead, her company’s focus is on creating digital art pieces that are shared, enjoyed, and discussed just like generative art pieces from collections like Art Blocks. Eventually, as technology catches up and wearability becomes more socially relevant, DRAUP plans to make its pieces metaverse-compatible. Until then, the pieces will live solely on the DRAUP platform.
The “Seen on Screen” pieces will be released in three tiers, with DRAUP community members, holders of Nicolas Sassoon one-of-one NFTs, and members of select communities gaining early access. A public allowlist will constitute the collection’s third tier.
DRAUP’s innovative approach to digital fashion signals a significant shift in how the industry can create value in the virtual realm. Rather than focusing solely on utility and marketability, the company has recognized the value of rarity, uniqueness, and storytelling in creating digital fashion pieces that can be as influential and valuable as real-world luxury items.