The cell phone. The internet. Bitcoins. All of these things have one common thread: they all had doubters in the beginning, yet all exploded in popularity. As we continue to push the precipice of what technology can do, a (relatively) new kid has made itself known on the block in the form of NFTs (you’ll get the pun once we explain what these are).

Non-fungible tokens, or NFTs, are digital assets that represent real-world objects like art, music, in-game items, and videos. Because they are digital, they’re bought and sold online, often with cryptocurrency, and are generally encoded with similar underlying software as many cryptos. They’ve been around for a while but are now experiencing a meteoric rise. You can learn more here.

What does this have to do with the world of apparel? Currently, companies like Old Navy are cashing in.

The retail giant recently announced it is selling a Bored Ape Yacht Club T-shirt. For those who aren’t familiar with this world, the Bored Ape Yacht Club is one of the most infamous NFTs currently available. According to OpenSea, it’s a collection of 10,000 unique Bored Ape NFTs. “Your Bored Ape doubles as your Yacht Club membership card, and grants access to members-only benefits, the first of which is access to THE BATHROOM, a collaborative graffiti board,” the description reads. “Future areas and perks can be unlocked by the community through roadmap activation. Visit www.BoredApeYachtClub.com for more details.”

The particular design that’s currently available on the T-shirt Old Navy released is the zombie-eyed Bored Ape #7285, and it’s just the first in an upcoming line the retailer has planned.

According to GQ, while the right to use or reproduce an NFT’s likeness is typically reserved for its blockchain owner, Old Navy licensed this particular Bored Ape in order to mass produce it on apparel. The retailer reportedly plans to produce more pieces featuring six different Bored Apes, 11 Mutant Apes, one CryptoPunk, and six CloneX NFTs from a collaboration with the virtual sneaker maker RTFKT, which Nike acquired in December 2021.

Old Navy is just the latest retailer to cement a relationship with the popular NFT project. Bored Ape Yacht Club has also partnered with adidas, Fashion Nova, and PrettyLittleThing, as well as streetwear veteran Bobby Hundreds’ brand The Hundreds.

As the lines between physical and digital fashion continue to blur, apparel decorators might wonder where this conversation puts their business. It might be that their customers aren’t quite ready for this upheaval; however, it’s still wise to pay attention to what’s happening regarding NFTs.