Luxury is coming to a screen near you.
Gucci is going virtual with “Gucci Sneaker Garage,” a new section of its digital app dedicated to the Italian fashion House’s eclectic sneakers and special digital counterparts.
The project launches the Gucci Virtual 25. The bold pair of digital sneakers can be purchased via the Gucci app and worn in augmented reality (AR) concepts and in partner apps such as Roblox and VRChat, a multiplayer online virtual reality social platform.
The Gucci Virtual 25 certainly make a statement about consumption in 2021, but they also serve as a statement piece in bright neon colors. The shoes were created in partnership with Wanna, a Belarusian fashion-tech studio and brand specializing in creative AR technology for marketing.
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Designed by Gucci creative director Alessandro Michele, who translated Gucci’s over-the-top look to the virtual space, the shoes are chunky in ‘80s-inspired green and pink for those who never fail to stand out. They also feature the infamous “GG” logo on the sole of the shoe and the tongue.
The “Gucci Sneaker Garage” also grants gamers the chance to customize their shoes, tweaking, hybridizing and combining elements of the existing design to create their own personal style.
The shoes cost much less than physical footwear. According to a report by The Verge, they run $12.99 via the Gucci app, and $8.99 via Wanna Kicks’ AR sneaker app.
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It’s the perfect time to launch a digital collection. The digital art and NFT market made headlines when artist Beeple’s piece The First 5000 Days sold for $69 million at a Christie’s auction. A week later, a digital house was sold for $500,000. Gucci is getting in on the next wave of commerce.
Unlike most NFTs, these Gucci shoes do not involve a blockchain and aren’t just a token representing ownership. They do serve a function online, adding character and style to virtual avatars as they roam game fields or visit friends in other VR and AR spaces - perhaps a digital house party, someday?
See pictures of the Gucci Virtual 25 below and check out the Gucci app for more details.
Photography by: Courtesy Gucci
