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nftS at the interSection of faShion and technology
At the Intersection of Fashion, Technology, and Sustainability
Metaverse couture makes an entrance with the first Puerto Rican NFT fashion designer
Zoe Landi Fontana, The Weekly Journal
“Grandpa, do you think this will make a change?” she asks. “We don’t know for sure, but we will try,” he replies. They’ve kept this tradition for years - collecting a variety of containers, washing them, and bringing them to a special center to be recycled properly - despite the lack of an islandwide recycling program.
Fast-forward, and that girl - Liz Isabelle Marti, marketing consultant turned fashion designer - is still on a mission to take ownership of her island, and her planet. By tapping into the community of crypto-nomads in Puerto Rico, and carrying on the legacy of environmental awareness from her grandfather, she’s been expanding the boundaries of traditional sustainability efforts and what it means to be a fashion designer.
Alluring Peacock
“We’re designing the future of clothing,” Liz explained in an interview with THE WEEKLY JOURNAL, “It’s common to think about clothing in a very physical sense.”
That might seem like an obvious comment, but the reality is that the fashion industry is increasingly going digital. This tendency was also identified in McKinsey & Company’s 2022 The State of Fashion Report, which named the top three opportunities this year to be in digital, sustainability, and consumer engagement.
The designer is currently in the research and development phase of her fashion label Alluring Peacock. “The peacock spiritually symbolizes respect, honor, and integrity, as well as [being an] animal that invites us to practice self-love, kindness, and compassion - characteristics that are strongly aligned with my core values as a human being. Alluring - that’s the way I want women to feel with my creations,” Lix said of the influences behind the brand’s name.
Alluring Peacock is founded on a philosophy of “slow-fashion” i.e., garments made from durable, responsibly sourced, high-quality materials, that will hold up over time. She will use NFTs to present and sell her creations.
We’re designing the future of clothing.
-Liz Isabelle Marti Fashion Designer
NFTs in Fashion
One of her potential projects is based around individual pieces, instead of an entire collection. Clients could see the ensemble online, purchase the NFT, then the clothing would be made to their specific measurements - Metaverse couture. She is also considering creating a 24 piece collection - smaller than a conventional collection, which would ensure she keeps to the sustainable tenants that are her foundation.
“This is really early. I’m still trying to convince
The physical representation of “Epitome”. >Courtesy of Liz Isabelle Marti myself every day, even though I feel like I’m late already, that we are still actually in the very early stages,” Liz said of the technology and fashion convergence. The Alluring Peacock aligns with predicted global trends - shifts towards local retail, locally sourcing materials (caused by supply chain shortages), and diversification in consumer engagement. Additionally, NFTs can be used for product authentication and as collectible pieces. Last year, fashion house Dolce & Gabbana created an inaugural nine-piece collection of NFTs, sold in tandem with physical couture, in a collaboration with Unxd - a curated NFT marketplace offering ‘the best digital luxury and culture’. It might sound like marketing hype now, but it’s a legitimate strategy for product diversification. Brands are engaging with younger consumers through increasingly interactive, virtual worlds, where appearances are everything. The internet creates problems, but it also solves them. The Metaverse is a rapidly evolving space that presents unexpected challenges alongside unprecedented opportunities, especially for creatives like Liz. “I think the creative community now will have the best opportunities in a lifetime,” she said, referring to the direct-to-consumer environment created by social media and Web 3.
Learning in the community
Liz’s foray into the crypto world began almost five years ago, but it wasn’t until a year ago, that she became an active part of Puerto Rico’s Web 3 community, getting involved with a group of Act 22 recipients who came together to build the island’s first Metaverse conference “Metaverso”. “A lot has been published about crypto nomads on the island,” Liz commented about people coming to the island under Act 60, “It’s an opportunity for Puerto Ricans to see them as allies, and learn from them.” The designer has participated in In fact, workshops put on by the Puerto Rico Blockchain Trade Association (PRBTA), whose aim is to make NFTs can be education about Web 3 accessible used for product and promote blockchain authentication and technology in academic and as collectible pieces. legislative circles. Last year, fashion “There’s a very inclusive house Dolce & community of people coming Gabbana created an to the island. They want inaugural nine-piece other people to learn, they’re collection of NFTs. not keeping [knowledge] for themselves. If we forget about our differences and come together, we can accelerate technology on the island, and solve real issues on the environment and blue economy on the island - for our own benefit,” said Liz. The designer believes that the government also needs to educate locals on how they too can benefit from the tax incentives, nevertheless, she says, “…we could wait until the government gives us all of that, or we can start building it ourselves.”
-Liz Isabelle Marti Fashion Designer
Liz debuted her first fashion NFT, a gown, “Epitome” at Metaverso last December. “One with nature, duality of power and grace. Remembrance of our path through earth and our connection with nature. Life is sacred; earth our temple. How we purchase our goods and how we dispose of them matters. The piece invites us to reflect on a future in harmony with nature,” the artist says of her piece. The gown uses Cath Simard’s “Free Hawaii Photo”, an image of a lonely road in Hawaii that went viral, while the artist initially received no recognition nor compensation for the photo’s use. A few years later, Simard was able to mint the photo as a 1/1 NFT on the Ethereum blockchain, representing ‘an alternate path for traditional image licensing and usage rights’ for creatives. “Involving [Cath Simard] in the piece is a way of me supporting her initiative and showing the world a new form of collaboration. The second part was including the peacock as an element of recognition – for the audience to enjoy and be able to recognize or link the physical piece to the NFT that Alluring Peacock created,” Liz described, having personally worked with Simard on a podcast. Of the NFT’s sale, 10% of the proceeds went to Centro Para Emprendedores, the Center for Entrepreneurs, a special program to teach Puerto Ricans about NFTs, coding, and Web 3.
