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Dior, the renowned French fashion brand, reveals plans for tokenized men’s footwear with Ethereum-based “digital twins” and NFC chip security.
Dior, the iconic French fashion house, is the latest luxury luminary to venture into blockchain technology. Late Thursday, the brand unveiled an exciting new line of men’s shoes boasting a one-of-a-kind online authentication system and paired “digital twin” NFTs.
The B33 sneaker, birthed from the creative genius of Dior Menswear’s artistic director Kim Jones, forms part of the brand’s Men’s Fall 2023 collection. The first of seven chic styles—merging mohair with Dior’s classic Oblique pattern—will hit the online shelves exclusively on July 6, with a limited release of just 470 pairs.
Each B33 pair will have its own ‘digital twin’—an Ethereum blockchain-minted NFT mirroring the shoes. For a cool $1,350, one of these exclusive pairs can be yours.
Following this NFT-coupled launch, Dior plans to introduce six additional B33 styles, each equipped with an NFC chip tucked under the right shoe’s sole. However, these won’t come with a digital twin NFT.
This NFC chip connects to an encrypted key, guiding the owners to a bespoke, secure online platform that offers digital authenticity certificates for each pair, along with other undisclosed exclusive services. These pairs will set you back somewhere between $1,000 and $1,100.
Given the recent wave of Web3 enthusiasm from Dior’s parent company, LVMH, Dior’s blockchain integration isn’t entirely unexpected.
Several LVMH-owned labels, including French cognac Hennessy, watch connoisseur TAG Heuer, and luxury fashion house Louis Vuitton, have launched initiatives and product lines that enthusiastically weave in blockchain capabilities.
Dior’s announcement stands out, however, for its conscious sidestepping of blockchain lingo. Despite past LVMH-backed blockchain activations heavily featuring terms like “Web3” and “NFT,” Dior has steered clear of these in its promotional rollout of the B33 line.
It’s possible that Dior is intentionally avoiding these buzzwords, as mainstream brands are becoming increasingly wary of the stigma attached to terms like Web3, crypto, and metaverse.
