JW Anderson is the latest fashion label to delve into the world of Web3 and non-fungible tokens (NFTs). The brand announced today that it will auction its first NFT on December 12—a digital replica of its spring-summer 2020 ‘Colourblock Patchwork’ men’s cardigan, which was once worn in concert by singer Harry Styles.
The pop-iconic sweater—dubbed the #harrystylescardigan on Instagram—made waves on social media, garnering 86 million impressions after the former One Direction star wore it on the Today show in February last year. The cardigan was recreated by thousands of home-knitters and Harry Styles fans during the pandemic lockdown—and Jonathan Anderson, creative director of JW Anderson, made the knit pattern and a video tutorial available to the public on his website.
The original #harrystylescardigan is currently on display at the Victoria & Albert Museum in London and an NFT version will be up for bidding on xydrobe. The NFT, a three-dimensional digital replica developed by a team of visual effects artists, took more than 300 hours to craft. “Every piece of the yarn has been built in 3D before weaving it together procedurally for each of the six different knit patterns that make up the piece,” according to the announcement.
The #harrystylescardigan NFT auction will go live for 48 hours beginning December 12 at 7 p.m. UTC. Proceeds from the sale will benefit akt, a UK charity dedicated to supporting homeless LGBTQ+ youth aged 16 to 25.
