BLK DNM Introduces Blockchain-Enabled Connected Garments, Integrating Physical and Virtual Worlds of Fashion

Swedish-American fashion brand BLK DNM has introduced the fashion industry to a remarkable innovation as it seeks to bridge the gap between the physical and virtual worlds by integrating blockchain technology.

With the launch of BLK DNM Society, the brand introduced ‘connected fashion’, where garments exist physically and virtually, each aspect “twinned” via technology. BLK DNM Society, built on cutting-edge blockchain-powered hardware and software designed by ChromaWay, grants each garment a unique and recordable identity in both the physical and virtual realms. Moreover, it rewards ethical behaviour and provides brand influence to the owners.

BLK DNM Society represents a community of BLK DNM owners virtually connected through their physical items. This community rewards responsible behaviours and grants voting rights on key brand decisions based on item ownership, marking the first steps towards decentralizing the stewardship of a fashion brand.

ChromaWay, on the other hand, is an industry leader in blockchain technology, specialising in creating and deploying scalable blockchain solutions for businesses and governments. With its flagship product, relational blockchain Chromia, ChromaWay enables developers to build decentralized applications (dApps) with unprecedented scalability and flexibility.

Henrik Hjelte, CEO and Co-founder of ChromaWay, expressed his excitement about this groundbreaking development, stating, “This is futuristic. It’s very exciting to see our technology elevating one of fashion’s iconic brands into something unique. This can potentially transform people’s relationships with the clothes they wear and the brands they buy.”

Following the innovation, BLK DNM, known for its timeless tailoring, leather, and denim of extraordinary quality, has repositioned itself as an entry-luxury fashion house under the stewardship of new Creative Director Jessy Heuvelink. The brand encourages customers to love and treasure each item for decades and across generations, standing against irresponsible fast fashion.

BLK DNM’s Digital Garment IDs to Launch on June 21st

The core element of BLK DNM Society is the introduction of “digital garment IDs,” which are undetectable microchips embedded in future BLK DNM clothing. These chips offer a range of features, including the authentication of genuine items, eliminating fakes and counterfeiting. They also incentivize responsible behaviours such as treasuring and caring for clothing long-term, recording each garment’s unique history, acting as digital event tickets, and providing access to and voting rights within BLK DNM Society.

Each digital garment ID creates a “digital reflection” of the physical garment in the virtual world. This twin reflects the physical item’s history and place within BLK DNM Society. It also caters to the younger generation, allowing them to showcase their identities in virtual worlds, which hold equal importance to the physical realm.

The grand unveiling of the digital garment IDs will take place at BLK DNM’s FW event in Paris on June 21st. Initially, the chips will be embedded only in leather items, with future collections gradually introducing more items into BLK DNM Society through embedded blockchain-enabled hardware.