Fashion and technology are everywhere right now, from Bella Hadid’s NFTs to virtual fashion shows in the Metaverse, fashion technology is paving the way for the future of fashion. No one is more familiar with this than Cathy Hackl –  known as one of the most influential women in fashion tech, Cathy is at the forefront of the intersection of fashion and technology and is leading the way. For the last decade, Hackl has led & advised both brands and talent – including, Clinique, Ralph Lauren, Louis Vuitton, Walmart, Procter & Gamble, Kane Brown, Madison Beer, Yungblud, etc. – into the metaverse.

With a keen understanding of technology, fashion and the way they can balance each other, Cathy has combined her knowledge to create a first-of-its-kind new jewelry collection, Frillz. Working alongside award-winning jewelry designer Simone Faurschou, Hackl’s new collection is as futuristic as can be, Frillz’s timeless design merges the past, present, and future of the fashion and tech industries. The limited edition collection features a bracelet and necklace, which merges the physical nature of jewelry with an NFT chip – making the piece both physical and virtual.

People are rarely as impressive or talented as Cathy Hackl. Her entrepreneurial foresight, ability to understand trends and jump ahead of the curve has made her a force within her industry. When speaking to her there is a calm sense of authority. Cathy is a woman who has done it all, or as much is humanly possible, and isn’t ready to stop any time soon.

You are known as the ‘Godmother of the Metaverse’ in tech circles. How did your path lead you to this? Where did your journey begin?

The path that lead me to tech was definitely not a straight line, there were many twists, turns and pivots! I started off my career in media working in broadcast media in front and behind the camera, and even getting nominated for an Emmy Award in 2007 in what feels like a lifetime ago, but those communications skills have served me well in the tech industry.

I trace the path that lead me to tech back to 2004, when I was working at CNN. Part of my job there was to look through raw footage of the war in Iraq, so many images of war. I guess my role was a bit of content moderation and that can be very taxing and take a toll on someone. In some ways I had to turn down what I would call my “humanity dial” to get through the content I was watching and continue on, but a little less than a decade ago, something happened that helped me turn that dial back to normal.

I was already working in tech in the very early days of live video and live streaming and was spending a lot of time in Silicon Valley. I was invited to an event where there were some VR demos. I had the opportunity to try on a VR headset for the first time and experienced what it would be like to be in a solitary confinement cell in virtual reality. Within a few minutes, I felt claustrophobic and I took the device off, but something had changed. It felt like I was able to to fully turn on my humanity dial again. I also knew I had seen something important, maybe it was part of the future of storytelling or maybe it was the future of business, but I was sure of one thing: this is what I wanted to do for the rest of my life. So I made a hard pivot in my career and went all in on AR and VR. I joke now and say that I recognized a rocket when I saw one and I’ve been on that rocket ever since.

I later went on to work at HTC VIVE and then landed my dream job at Magic Leap, where my journey into exploring what the Metaverse might become really began. When I was there, our Chief Futurist was Neal Stephenson, the famous sci-fi author and technologist that coined the term Metaverse. Working at Magic Leap was like a dream!

As the pandemic hit, Magic Leap laid off half of its employees and I was one of them. I was devastated. After being in such an incredible environment of innovation for almost two years, I had to ask myself: what do I do now? This led me to Amazon Web Services, where I worked on several projects including large scale simulations and learned a lot about cloud computing. At the same time I was writing in Forbes and had just published my second book and this allowed me to connect with many companies. I was writing about the Metaverse and Direct-to-Avatar in 2020, way before it was a thing, and brands and companies started reaching out and asking me to help them understand the Metaverse and Web3. I eventually got the courage to leave AWS and launch off on my own. So in 2021, I founded my own consulting firm. In just 10 months my company was acquired by Journey, where I am currently the co-founder and I lead the company’s virtual, gaming and Metaverse studio. I also just launched my own luxury tech label called VerseLuxe, which is my own creative playground and is part label and part lab where we seek to explore the future of luxury through tech. Our first capsule collection, a Web3 connected jewelry collection called Frillz, will go on sale in about a month!

How did I get the moniker Godmother of the Metaverse? It was all due to community. So the first time anyone ever used the “Godmother of the Metaverse,” was my good friend Andrew Schwartz, who works at Nike’s Metaverse team. Alexis Ohanian, Reddit’s co-founder, tweeted in 2021, asking which women and folks he should be following in Web3. Andrew listed a few people and then he tweeted: “Oh, and don’t forget about Cathy Hackl, she’s the Godmother of the Metaverse.” And someone took a screenshot, sent it to me, and people started using the term. I wear it as a badge of honor. (Source: The Drum)

You have worked with powerhouses such as Ralph Lauren, Walmart, Louis Vuitton, and Clinique. Can you tell us what it is like to lead these brands into the metaverse?

I have enjoyed working with each of these global brands, it’s been a true honor to be trusted by so many of them to navigate these new waters. Each experience has been unique and I have learned from each strategy we have implemented. The Metaverse is an emerging space that is still in its early stages, so leading brands into this space can be both exciting and challenging. There’s been a lot of wins and some misses, but it’s been one of the biggest honors of my career to help guide many companies, brands and even cities into the future.

On the one hand, there is a lot of potential for innovation and new experiences, as it allows for immersive and interactive environments that can engage consumers in unique ways. On the other hand, the Metaverse is a complex and rapidly evolving space, with many technical and conceptual challenges that need to be navigated.

Leading these brands into the Metaverse required a deep understanding of the technology which I have acquired over the years and its potential applications, as well as a creative and strategic approach to building brand experiences that resonate with users in this new reality. It has required having a visionary mindset, a willingness to embrace change and a commitment to creating meaningful experiences for consumers in this exciting new space. Brands come to me because I have years of experience and speak from being in the trenches doing and building.

Congratulations on the launch of your recent capsule collection, Frillz! Can you tell us a bit about it and what inspired you to create this collection?

Thank you, I have always been a big fashion and luxury enthusiast! When I was exploring and learning about the Web3 space, I noticed that a lot of innovation was coming from the brands that were doing amazing things in fashion, but also from other creators in the space that weren’t Maisons. I saw this opportunity to create my own playground and merge both of my passions: fashion and technology.

I wanted to demonstrate the connection between time and technology. I began to imagine something tangible, like a clock embedded with technology. Simone did an incredible job with the design and encasing the near-field communication (NFC) chips into the precious metals we used. This concept is the first of its kind and I’ve said this before, “I don’t want the no-frills life, I want all the frills.” And that’s how the name came about and Frillz timeless design came to life.

“This piece of jewelry is on the blockchain forever, meaning that even if someone steals it in the future and tries to scan it, the piece is already on someone else’s wallet. So it’s proof of ownership. But it’s also a future connector to our community. We can use this system to send our audience added bonuses, and offer them access to special events.” (Source: Jing Daily)

VerseLuxe collection is part luxury label, part lab, and a stunning example of how technology can be integrated into traditional craftsmanship to create something truly unique and awe-inspiring. Whether you are a fashion enthusiast, tech aficionado, or simply someone who appreciates beautiful design, the VerseLuxe collection is definitely worth having.

I knew I had to bring my own perspective to the luxury industry and I’m thrilled with our results so far. I’ve been getting lots of messages from women in the tech and fashion space excited about Frillz and lots of interest from investors.

You are working with award-winning jeweler and Artist, Simone Faurschou. What about Simone drew you to her and made you want to collaborate on this project?

We both share a passion for exploring the potential of emerging technologies and creating new, innovative experiences that allow people to express themselves in unique ways. I am always looking for ways to create new opportunities for connection and collaboration.

When I met Simone Faurschou, she was experimenting with blockchain technology from her previous collection and we hit it off right away. Faurschou has a reputation for creating elegant and sophisticated pieces that reflect her vision of contemporary luxury and has been recognized for her use of innovative materials and techniques.

We immediately began to connect over the vision of how technology can be integrated into the world of fashion and luxury and saw the potential for connected jewelry to be a tangible blend of the physical and digital worlds.

I knew I had to work with Simone for the first VerseLuxe capsule collection. I’m a tech person and she’s the jewelry expert so it’s been a joy working together to solve tough problems and learn from each others expertise. We have created Frillz with me working from DC or from an airplane, and Simone in Denmark, so Frillz has truly been an international endeavor!

Can you tell us a highlight or memorable moment from working in fashion?

It wasn’t until I fully entered the luxury fashion innovation space that it truly became my job and passion. I would say these are the 4 most memorable moments so far.

Being invited to be the chairwoman of the first annual Metaverse Fashion Week.  My hope was to showcase the potential of new technologies to revolutionize the way we experience fashion and do my part in paving the way for future events and collaborations in the fashion and tech industry. I even hologrammed in live to open the event last year!

Being I was also invited to sit front row at several important fashion shows during NYFW last September. This was truly exciting because it was the first time I’ve truly felt like the fashion industry understood why a tech person was sitting in the front row and I can’t wait for fashion month to come again this year!

Also, working with stars like Madison Beer, Kane Brown, and Yunglub on their virtual couture for a virtual concert I helped produce inside Walmartland in Roblox. I loved putting on the virtual stylist hat on and also my virtual concert producer hat, too.

Last but not least, was a moment that wasn’t really about fashion but was more about making a statement. I was able to ring Nasdaq’s opening bell last June both in the physical world and in the virtual world! The first person to open the markets in the Metaverse was a woman and a Latina and that in itself is a fashion statement about what the future could look like!

What is your favorite fashion trend right now, and who inspires you?

My work focuses more on the intersection of technology and fashion rather than specific fashion trends. However, I’m really into connected fashion right now. Some people use the word phygital, I’m not a big fan of the word, but I’m a big fan of exploring how to connect our physical and virtual worlds! So continuing to do a lot more work in the fashion industry in this regard.

I’m really into embracing more color in more wardrobe and exploring more of my femininity. As a woman in tech for years I felt like I had to fit into a specific box and over the last year or so, I’ve given myself license to have more fun with my wardrobe and even my headshots. That’s a trend that I hope I see more women in tech embrace, having the audacity to be fully ourselves.

As for who inspires me…My kids inspire me. I love seeing how effortlessly they embrace technology and my youngest daughter, who is 6. She’s fearless. I want to be more like her.

What is next for you?

I want to continue being one of the leading voice in emerging tech and not just the Metaverse. I’m finding myself working more and more with clients on gaming experiences, generative AI and experiential opportunities today. I’m doing a lot of work around how brands can truly connect their virtual and physical touchpoints so they don’t happen in silos and truly make sense for the brands’ audiences. I’m also getting more requests from clients to help them research potential future scenarios and create innovative strategies, so doing a lot more strategic foresight and futurist work, too!

I’m also focusing more and more on what our post-smartphone future could look like and what that would mean for my clients. I’ve started working on my new book on a future with AR glasses or another wearable. I’m also very interested in Generation Alpha, who they are and how they will change our world. As a mother of 3 Gen Alpha kids, it’s like having a front row seat to the future.

I have dedicated my career to creating opportunities for women in tech, pushing the boundaries of storytelling, and advocating for the responsible and ethical use of these technologies. What’s next for me? Well, I will continue educating others, I recently launched a new course for professionals that want to learn Metaverse and Web3 business strategies and tactics. I also run a very active and successful WhatsApp community called The TechVerse where my team and I share analysis and news about AR, AI, gaming, fashion tech, Web3, and a lot more. I’m hoping to grow that even more this year.

What is the legacy you hope to leave behind?

I hope to be remembered as someone who helped to shape a more ethical, equitable, and positive future with technology, and inspire others to do the same. All the women that came before me blazed the trail for a reason, so I could have these opportunities to follow my dream. Now I want to blaze the trail so that more women and more BIPOC people can have those opportunities as well. Being a Latina woman in tech is not easy. I have had to work twice as hard compared to my male counterparts and even taken what I call “virtual bullets,” for being outspoken and voicing what I believe in. I have always reminded myself that if I can build a career, continue to succeed, and be that person that a lot of those young girls need to see, I want to be that inspiration because I want them to know they are welcome to build this future. Even as a little girl, I had this crazy imagination, envisioning other worlds and I’m seeing now come to life.

I firmly believe that what I bring to the table are valuable contributions to the ongoing conversation about the role of technology and how it is developing in the merging of our virtual and physical worlds. I am deeply committed to advancing the responsible and ethical use of emerging technologies, such as virtual and augmented reality, AI, and blockchain. We need transparency, inclusivity, and accessibility in technology development, and the importance of ensuring that these tools are used to benefit humanity as a whole. I cannot emphasize enough how the power of technology to bring people together and create new forms of connection and understanding. My plans for this year are to continue growing my company Journey, and continue exploring new ways to use tech in fashion via VerseLuxe, and who knows, you might be seeing some of my work next September on the NYFW runways! I want to be remembered as a good mom who left the world a better place for her children, and a woman who had the audacity to be herself, as a woman of the future living here today.