Deconstructing the Metaverse: A Web3 Community Initiative
Enwoven Partners with BK Style Foundation for BKFW 2022
“Deconstructing the Metaverse: A Web3 Community Initiative”
Enwoven partnered with BK Style Foundation with 3D software sponsored by CLO to present a learning platform for emerging fashion designers to access digital creation tools. This program is resulting in a final presentation during Fashion Week Brooklyn. Designer's looks will be minted into NFTs and auctioned off to benefit them and the BK Style Foundation. This project is set to complement this year’s fashion week theme, “Metaverse of Fashion.”
Five Emerging Designers participated in the project, they were provided with a 3D curriculum, CLO3D, Enwoven subscription, mentorship from industry experts, and a stipend to underwrite their participation.
Designers’ NFTs will be auctioned on Oct 11, 2022, more information is found HERE, with proceeds going to participating designers and BK Style Foundation, the auction will coincide with Fashion Week, Brooklyn.
Participating Designers, nominated by BK Style advisors, include Leilani Bell, Victor Pearlman, Travis Ateyu Dizon, Brandon Wallace, and Jose Salazar.
The theme of this season’s Fashion Week Brooklyn is “Metaverse of Fashion.” During the last two years fashion and retail brands have increased their investment in Web3 including blockchain authentication, NFT experiences, and phygital /metaverse wearables. While the overall market has waxed and waned over the past few quarters, with some calling for a “Crypto Winter,” it is clear that Web3 applications in fashion are here to stay.
This technological revolution is being ushered in with new creation methods, including digital designs crafted in 3D software programs like CLO alongside creative lifecycle management tools like Enwoven. Designers today are continuously required to upskill, however, access to these upskilling opportunities outside of traditional learning settings is difficult to come by. Seeing this gap, Enwoven and BK Style Foundation began work on “Deconstructing the Metaverse” in February of this year.
The concept is to support designers through education, mentorship, and exposure. to provide them with access to 3D Design training, underwrite their participation, document their process, and mint designers’ NFTs in support of their physical collections/looks.
During the three-month program, students received mentorship from industry (Fashion, Tech, and Web3) professionals and experts, including Joey Khamis, 3D artist, @mlln.io co-founder, and program mentor. Khamis’s portfolio includes work with Kanye West, Reebok, and Columbia Sportswear. He had the following to say about the future of NFTs, “What excites me about the future of 3D and NFTs is the merging of the 2 technologies within the design and fashion space. 3D tools are becoming very accessible and intuitive giving more people a way to communicate their ideas easier. I see NFTs and Web3 as a very important technology that will allow artists and designers to have more control and ownership of their work.” Khamis had the following to say about his participation in the BK Style Foundation’s project, “It was fun and inspiring to be able to participate. While talking with the students it was promising to see young designers have interest and gain experience with emerging technologies in the industry.” Additional mentors came from Adobe, Fanatics, and Kendo Beauty.
When reflecting on what this partnership means to BK Style, executive director, Rick Davy’s had the following to say, "We are really happy to have a partner like Enwoven to support our Web3 Community Initiatives, supporting our young creatives and taking BK Style Foundation into the future of fashion and design."
Project participant, Lelani Bell, a senior at St. John’s University had the following to say about the opportunity, “ I feel like the 3D space allows me to experiment a lot more… having the platform to take those risks that I wouldn’t usually, like mixing leather with a knit, using metallics - it’s great. There’s a learning curve, but it’s a good one. Just being able to apply my pattern marking skills to the 3D world and see how they translate, it’s been a great experience. I’ve loved it so far.” Bell continued and provided a sneak preview of her collection, stating the following, “ The collection is inspired by my experience in Europe from a surrealist point of view with some nods to Afrofuturism.” Other program participants are currently attending high school, FIT, St. Johns and graduates of Pratt Institute.
15, one-of-a-kind NFTs will be auctioned off on Tuesday, October 11th. The auction will open at 12:01 AM EST on OpenSea. Each participating designer will offer three separate NFT looks for auction. NTFs will provide owners the rights to the design in the metaverse and for display. Each smart contract will benefit the designer with 80% proceeds going directly to them, and the balance going to BK Style Foundation, to underwrite fulfilling their programmatic mission (minus gas and minting fees).
About the Deconstructing the Metaverse Event
Date: Tuesday, Oct 11, 2022
Auction Live: 12:01 AM - 8:00 PM EST
Online Splash Page and Auction Portal: bkstyle.enwoven.info
Designer Bios
Travis Dizon
Travis is an 18-year-old high school senior in Queens, NYC. Originally from the Philippines, he aspires to pursue design through higher education at FIT. His desire for fashion in the near future is a more effective management of resources and control of the industry’s impact, as fashion is one of the world’s top polluters.
Lelaini Bell
Originally from Chicago, Illinois, 21-year-old designer Leilani Bell lives in Queens, NY, and attends St. John’s University where she is obtaining a Bachelor’s degree in Marketing. Leilani’s design philosophy is to design from zero – from a place of what fashion could be rather than what it should be. In the near future, she plans on securing a master’s degree while working in the fashion industry and on her brand, PAS DE REGLES.
Jose Salazar
Jose, is a 22-year-old designer residing in Brooklyn, NY. Originally from Lima, Peru, Salazar relocated to the US in 2018 to study fashion design at Pratt. His work is very inspired by nostalgia and pop culture. He enjoys looking back at the things that inspired him throughout his youth and looks to incorporate them into his current work.
Brandon Wallace
Originally from Dallas, Texas, 21-year-old designer, Brandon Wallace lives in Queens, NY, and currently attends St. John’s University. He plans to start his own clothing store highlighting small local designers and brands. Currently, he runs his own clothing brand, I’ternal Studios, and creative consultancy, Circa 810.
Victor Pearlman
Perlman is a 21-year-old FIT student studying Menswear Design. He moved to NYC at 18 and began working in the garment district. He has an extensive background in multimedia art and is a designer. Victor innovatively utilizes readily available materials typically overlooked or discarded. By drawing attention to the mundane and presenting items in a refined setting or from a different perspective, he asks viewers to make a meaningful connection.
Sponsor Information
Enwoven, a New York Times-backed tech startup, focuses on Creative Lifecycle Management (™) tracks, preserves, and manages product creation workflows from concept to consumer, in the physical and digital space.
BK Style Foundation’s mission is to build and bridge creative fashion communities. Founded in 2004, BK Style Foundation (BKSF) is a platform for Brooklyn’s explosive fashion and creative talent that partners with national and international collaborators. The goal of BKSF is to assist emerging creatives hone their talent and grow their business through educational programs, projects, and a platform to highlight their talent, with the production of Fashion Week Brooklyn.
CLO is a 3D fashion design software program creating virtual, true-to-life garment visualization with cutting-edge simulation technologies for the fashion industry.
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