We live in an increasingly digital world where everything from Christmas shopping to video interviews and gaming with friends can all be done virtually. In the realm of apparel, this has meant a huge increase in e-commerce, particularly in this COVID-altered world. While online shopping might have changed the way apparel decorators do business, the newest leaps in NFTs (non-fungible tokens) are truly shaking the industry up.

NFTs aren’t totally new to apparel. Nike has been in the space for quite some time, with other big brands like Frank’s Red Hot and Bacardi following suit. Just a few short weeks ago, Ralph Lauren made more moves into the metaverse with its release of a digital collection of virtual wear for the gaming brand Fortnite.

Just days after Nike announced the debut of its web3 platform — where users will be able to buy and sell items like NFT sneakers and jerseys — adidas revealed its first collection of digital NFT wearables, according to the Business of Fashion. This isn’t the brand’s first foray in the metaverse, however.

The 16-piece set of virtual gear includes hoodies and outerwear that adidas says owners will be able to use in different online environments, like on avatars in virtual worlds or as profile pictures, the article continued. Despite its previous release of the Into the Metaverse NFTs, the sportswear company states the launch represents a new milestone.

“It’s an official business area now,” said Erika Wykes-Sneyd, vice president of adidas Three Stripes Studios, in a statement. She compared the move into virtual gear to adidas branching from footwear into apparel and then introducing adidas Originals, calling the new digital items “the future archive for what comes next.”

But don’t get too excited. At the time of writing, this collection of virtual gear isn’t yet up for sale directly to the public. Instead, the items will be available to holders of a capsule NFT the brand airdropped in May to owners of its Into the Metaverse NFTs.

Editor’s Note: There are quite a few additional rules and intricacies to this drop — check out the entire article shared by Business of Fashion to take a deep-dive.

NFTs and Decorators

That’s all well and good for giant retail apparel manufacturers, but what does it all mean for those working in the decorated apparel space?

During the Shirt Lab event in July, co-founder Marshall Atkinson spoke extensively on the subject. He pointed out that it may not be the arena for your business at this point in time, but it is absolutely worth keeping on the radar.

A few considerations he pointed to during the two-day event all centered around education. Atkinson suggested that decorators ask themselves what possibilities NFTs could offer their specific business. He noted that each business is unique, and as such, its market may not support them. But that’s doesn’t mean owners and managers should ignore NFTs entirely.

For those who are ready, the benefits NFTs offer include building membership programs (and consequently, benefits), as well as sale opportunities.

“NFTs offer many utility advantages for end-user customers, but it is a steep learning process to jump in,” Atkinson says today. “With the bottom dropping out of Crypto, it is challenging to want to jump in with both feet. I think things will shake out as the NFT industry matures. If you think about it, we’re already designing creative images for apparel. Those can be repurposed on the NFT platform to add another level of use. Shops should play around a little and pay attention to what the NFT industry is doing to see if there can be a connection with your shop.”

Atkinson believes the growing use of NFTs in fashion will continue to dominate the industry. “You’ll see more brands embed something in an apparel line in the design that can link to an NFT to create more value for the consumer,” he says. “There will be a connection between the physical and digital worlds. Early adopters in this movement can create distance and differentiation.”