Swedish-American fashion brand BLK DNM today unveils the first-ever example of connected fashion (garments that exist both physically and virtually, each aspect ‘twinned’ via technology) with the launch of BLK DNM Society and integration of blockchain-powered hardware and software into its products.
BLK DNM Society, built on tech designed by blockchain innovator and BLK DNM owner ChromaWay, will grant each garment a unique and recordable identity in both the physical and virtual worlds, while also rewarding ethical behaviour and granting brand influence to owners.
Blockchain-powered ‘digital garment ID’ microchips will give each item a unique identity and record of its history
Chips form the hardware element of BLK DNM Society, which launched in tandem and rewards responsible behavior and ownership
Tech will first appear in BLK DNM’s FW 2023 collection
The Hardware: Digital Garment IDs
Future BLK DNM clothing will be fitted with a ‘digital garment ID’ - an undetectable chip that gives each physical item a unique and recordable identity. Some of the first features of the digital garment IDs will include:
Authentication of the garment as genuine, eliminating fakes and counterfeiting
Rewarding responsible behaviours of treasuring and caring for clothing long-term, such as refurbs and second-hand purchases
Recording each individual garment's unique history - owners, events and places worn, repairs and alterations - enabling the item to accrue emotional and monetary value over time
Acting as a digital ticket for entry to events
Access to and voting rights within BLK DNM Society
BLK DNM Society
The digital garment IDs are the first hardware elements of BLK DNM Society, which launches in tandem. The first example of connected fashion, BLK DNM Society is a community of BLK DNM owners, connected virtually by their physical items, who are rewarded for responsible behaviours and are granted voting rights on key brand decisions based on item ownership - thereby beginning the first ever process of decentralising a fashion brand’s stewardship.
Each digital garment ID will create a ‘digital reflection’ of the physical garment: a twin in the virtual world where the physical item’s history and place within BLK DNM Society is recorded. The digital reflection can also be worn in the metaverses, catering especially to younger generations whose identities in virtual worlds are equally as important as in the physical.
FW 2023
Digital garment IDs will be revealed at BLK DNM’s FW event in Paris on June 21st. For this first collection, the chips will be embedded in only leather items, with subsequent collections introducing more items to BLK DNM Society through embedded blockchain-enabled hardware.
Henrik Hjelte, CEO and Co-founder of ChromaWay, comments: “This is totally futuristic. Nothing like this has been attempted in fashion before. It’s very exciting for us, after much hard work, to see our technology elevating one of fashion’s iconic brands into something completely unique. This has the potential to transform people’s relationships with the clothes they wear and the brands they buy. No longer does the relationship with the customer end at the checkout. And each beautiful garment now becomes its own living, evolving piece of history.”
Toni Collin, CEO of BLK DNM, comments: “BLK DNM’s philosophy is one of community, and our clothing is designed, through both its craftsmanship and timeless aesthetic, to be treasured and passed down through generations - the antithesis of irresponsible fast fashion. Now, with the introduction of BLK DNM Society and the first embedded hardware in our garments, we take those two pillars to a revolutionary new level. By embedding intelligence in every item, we hope we can inspire our industry to join us in using connected fashion to do better.”
About BLK DNM
BLK DNM (www.blkdnm.com/) is a Swedish-American fashion brand that specialises in timeless tailoring, leather, and denim of extraordinary quality. Following its 2023 relaunch as an entry-luxury fashion house under the stewardship of new Creative Director Jessy Heuvelink, BLK DNM’s focus on both enduring craftsmanship and aesthetic timelessness encourages customers to love and treasure each item for decades and across generations.
About ChromaWay
ChromaWay is an industry leader in blockchain technology and specializes in creating and deploying cutting-edge, scalable blockchain solutions for both businesses and governments. The company, which was established in 2014 and has its headquarters in Stockholm, Sweden, has been at the forefront of driving the widespread adoption of blockchain technology. Its flagship product, relational blockchain Chromia, enables developers to build decentralized applications (dApps) with a relational database model that offers unprecedented scalability and flexibility.
