Many people in tech and the web3 have felt neglected by fashion, with views of TikTok that means more to luxury brands than creating apps and trading millions in crypto. But a brand embedded in the metaverse with tech consumers in mind has just hit the market.
Jonathan Koon, the former designer of Vancouver-based menswear label Private Stock, has created a physical fashion brand that “lives and breathes” through the eyes of a modern tech kid, according to Koon. On Monday, Koon released The Mostly Heard Rarely Seen 8-Bit Collection (MHRS 8-Bit), a spinoff of the main MHRS line that launched in 2015. The new collection was created in collaboration with metaverse gaming retail platform Highstreet and has been on Koon’s Mind since his days at Private Stock in 2013. Each item in the MHRS 8-bit collection of hoodies, hats and t-shirts comes with a QR code that gives the consumer an NFT version of the item, It also comes with an eight- paved the way to establishing a presence on the Highstreet. The collection is one of the first metaverse-related streetwear collections to be carried by luxury retailers including Saks Fifth Avenue, Neiman Marcus, Selfridges, Harvey Nichols, Beymen, Bloomingdale’s and Farfetch.
When Koon asked his biggest customer, an internet guy who remained anonymous, why tech guys only wear one thing, he said, “A DJ or a rapper might get a few hundred thousand views on YouTube and they get invited to the track next Gucci. show. A tech guy can make $100 million trading crypto or create a new app, and Gucci won’t know his or her name, so why bother wearing a designer [branded] article?”, according to Koon.
Thus, the entrepreneur saw an opportunity to develop a brand with technology consumers in mind. Koon previously worked with art director André Leon Talley at Amazon-owned Zappos in 2014, on the retailer’s early efforts to sell luxury brands online. In his role as a consultant, he said he also encouraged JD.com, China’s largest retailer, to bring key opinion leaders to luxury fashion shows in China, a feature that is now a mainstay of the fashion world. .
Koon and his co-founder, Thomas “Tomikara” Li, has been working on MHRS 8-Bit for four years to ensure that its coding and aesthetics match that of its core customer, the web3 natives. The flagship MHRS brand has been stocked by retail partners since 2015, allowing for a smooth adoption of MHRS 8-Bit among major retailers. Koon is planning to expand the 8-Bit brand with two annual collections and release mini phygital NFT dots throughout the year.
“For those in the tech space, it’s simple: when they’re making money, why would they go consume and support something that never really cared about them?” Koon said. He gave the example of Lululemon and Patagonia, which have come to represent the ethos of the tech community through their functional design and Silicon Valley marketing. Because of this synergy, they were able to create significant business opportunities, Koon said. Since the 8-bit project focuses on scarcity and exclusivity with its figital items, it remains native to web3 users.
Luxury brands like Gucci have been slowly pivoting to address this group of tech users after the NFT boom late last year, but have critics from web3 locals for not feeling local enough. Gucci worked on the creation of the 10KTF collaboration with digital artist wagmi-san, giving users access to unique profile pictures (PFP) NFTs and physical items. 9 dc Meanwhile, the fashion brand from web3 investor Gmoney is aiming to fill this gap, but Koon has a newer, trendy mindset that links web3 with Off-White’s style customization strategies.
Jenny Guo, co-founder of Highstreet, said the integration of retailers is a key step for traditional fashion customers to engage with collectible and tradable fashion items. “With this launch, we want to allow consumers to experience the energy and new possibilities of web3 culture without having to already master the complex knowledge of web3 navigation technology,” she said.
