For the first time ever, Burberry has worked with a game developer to launch its own NFTs. Working with Mythical Games’ Blankos Block Party on a cute shark Blanko that can be purchased, upgraded and sold in-game, the brand moved into the digital space after the success of its own game, B Bounce, launched in 2019. Critically, the Burberry NFT doesn’t run on the energy-intensive Proof of Work crypto model like Ethereum, but rather through a private EOSIO blockchain protocol using a Proof of Authority model that is far less energy-intensive. Focused on discovery, these NFTs open up the fashion world to new digital channels and games that are there to tempt a younger consumer. In a press release, Rod Manley, Burberry’s chief marketing officer, noted that, “With this exciting concept, we are able to unlock genuine value for the gaming community by encouraging players to interact with our brand in an environment that celebrates art, design and exploration.” Coming from the official Blankos Twitter account, the Burberry NFT drop sold out faster than any other collaboration done by Blankos that preceded it, including the NFT drop with music artist Deadmau5. Neda Whitney, svp and head of marketing at Christie’s, said, “NFTs prove that in spaces where digital fashion and skins are already a user behavior, the entrance of fashion brands into the conversation is a natural next step. The ability to allow users to not only buy digital items in the fashion space but to also have unique and, oftentimes, ‘1 of 1’ certificates of ownership adds a level of exclusivity that has always worked well within the fashion culture.” Louis Vuitton took a different approach, focusing on developing its continued support of the digital space in a novel way. It is already well-acquainted with the gaming space — it first launched a partnership in 2019 with League of Legends, a multiplayer online game from Riot Games. Nicolas Ghesquière designed a skin for one of the in-game characters, as well as a capsule collection. The brand also created a special case for the in-game trophy, a nod to its origins as a trunk master starting in 1886. The brand is continuing the journey through a collection of 30 NFTs that can be collected in its game 200 Anecdotes to celebrate its 200 year anniversary. Tying into the art space, Louis Vuitton has worked with the American digital artist Beeple on 10 of these NFTs. Interestingly, the approach to the NFTs is different from that of Burberry; the items are not sellable or exchangeable, existing only in-game. As most fashion brands are placing their NFTs inside closed systems, like with Balenciaga and Fortnite, the idea of having a virtual closet that moves across different gaming platforms and digital worlds is still not as widespread. Platforms like Polygon are looking to change that. Luxury house Dolce & Gabbana has created NFTs on the platform, prioritizing the way that its garments can be transferred across many digital “worlds.” Joseph Pallant, the founder of the Blockchain for Climate Foundation and an NFT expert, said, ”There’s going to be a lot of money in the NFT fashion space. Making that a creator-first [concept] and having that blossom into a whole new realm is so much more exciting than getting a Louis Vuitton handbag on some permissioned blockchain that lives within its own walled garden. With items in Polygon, it can live on lots of different metaverses and platforms; you can have it in Decentraland or Cryptovoxels. That interoperability is really important.”