Throughout Paris Blockchain Week, we had an opportunity to speak to Alexandra Maslova, the co-founder of SEAMM, whose in depth background in conventional style impressed the creation of a groundbreaking phygital market. Recognising the disconnect between the worlds of style and expertise, Alexandra noticed a chance to streamline the adoption of digital style for manufacturers by means of SEAMM’s intuitive market. Her pioneering spirit has led SEAMM to merge the perfect of Web2 and Web3, providing functionalities like AR try-on, customisation, and seamless blockchain integration.
How did you provide you with the thought of making SEAMM?
As I come from a conventional style background, the place I labored for over 12 years, I’ve seen there been a niche between Web3 and Web2. Quite a lot of manufacturers got here to us with out having a clue what digital style is about. They requested us: What do we have to do? The place will we begin? What’s NFC? What’s blockchain? So I assumed, okay, why not give them a easy, simple resolution and mix them collectively? That’s how we created a phygital market.
Might you share some insights into the platform’s performance, particularly concerning AR try-on, customisation, and digital twin transfers into digital environments?
We launched it on the finish of February, and we’re actively selling it proper now. Our predominant concept was to merge the perfect from the Web3 and Web2 worlds. On the platform, you should purchase bodily objects, like actual objects, and every of them has a digital twin. Digital twin means that you would be able to attempt on each single merchandise with the AR try-on function by means of your digicam. It’s also possible to customise the objects, change patterns, colors, or regardless of the model desires.
It’s also possible to switch it to video games and metaverses, reminiscent of Minecraft and Roblox; for that, now we have skins included. All the good options that you’ve in digital style now can be found by means of our platform.
The thought can be that if the model desires to promote a digital merchandise, they will promote a purely digital merchandise for any cause they need, for an NFC assortment, it could possibly be a collectable, which supplies you entry to advantages for the bodily choice.
Are you able to elaborate on how SEAMM simplifies the method for manufacturers, notably by way of blockchain integration and designer collaboration?
We mix the perfect that’s occurring proper now and put it multi functional place. The opposite factor is that it’s tremendous simple for manufacturers to make use of our platform as a result of now we have APIs for all the primary CRMs and ARPs, like Shopify and Wix. At any time when the model connects to our market, we routinely hook up with their warehouse, which implies that if there’s an order positioned by means of {the marketplace}, the model instantly will get the order of their system, and so they can ship it out.
From our facet, we cope with digital objects. We’ve a digital wardrobe, so customers could have it of their digital wardrobe inside the identical platform. That’s a B2C factor, and we do have a B2B product. It’s only a completely different resolution with the identical options however white-labelled. For greater manufacturers that need their very own app or the identical widgets on their web site, now we have a white-label resolution.
Are you able to present an outline of SEAMM’s Digital Product Passport (DPP) resolution and its significance for luxurious clothes manufacturers, particularly in gentle of upcoming EU digital passport laws?
Naturally, after releasing {the marketplace}, the following step was to go for a digital product passport. In the mean time, there’s a regulation that’s going to be in 2026: if you wish to promote in Europe, you must have a digital product passport. Manufacturers are conscious of that, however numerous them are nonetheless barely confused.
For now, the requirement is easy. It needs to be a QR label with a QR code that claims that it must be clear the place the merchandise was made. It must have all of the details about the manufacturing, which is all executed for sustainability causes. For us, as we’re all about digital, it makes extra sense to place all of it on blockchain as a result of that’s really the one method that you would be able to be clear about it.
You may really know what occurred to the product, the place it was made, and every little thing. That’s the subsequent factor that we’re heading in direction of. We have already got our MVP model, and we’re going to announce extra quickly.
Have you ever already chosen what blockchain community to work with?
We’re selecting proper now. The primary factor for us is to scale it as a result of we’re a digital product. For us, it is very important know what advertising and marketing potentialities, in addition to technical, the blockchain can present for us as a result of we would like that collaboration to be on the market. We wish it to be fascinating for individuals to speak about it from either side.
Our website has a full technical workforce, and the technical facet shouldn’t be a problem. For instance, I do know that Solana is nice and straightforward to work with, the identical as Ethereum, however we’re wanting into potentialities to scale it correctly.
Speaking concerning the laws, have you ever confronted any challenges whereas implementing your providers, and are you anticipating any challenges sooner or later?
I might say now we have not been really dealing with any difficulties from the regulation facet. The one difficulties now we have been dealing with are extra from the model facet, not from the opposite method. As we work with conventional manufacturers, style is sluggish by way of adapting to new applied sciences and developments, in comparison with the opposite industries. It takes us time to clarify to the manufacturers how simple and accessible all these applied sciences are and that they’re vital for them to maneuver ahead.
Do you assume that luxurious manufacturers are harder to switch to Web3 than mass-market manufacturers?
I wouldn’t say so. I might say that luxurious manufacturers have seen numerous curiosity in blockchain as a result of it makes extra sense for them. Quite a lot of luxurious manufacturers already tried and examined digital style.
We all know that Prada has its NFT month-to-month drops. Dolce & Gabbana has its NFC collections. Quite a lot of luxurious manufacturers have already tried one thing from it. They had been one of many first adopters. For them, it makes extra sense to place all of it on blockchain. Whereas within the mass market, there are manufacturers which are testing it, not as a lot.
I might say the mass market is testing extra the entertaining facet of it. For instance, making an attempt AR try-ons, digital reveals, and digital runway reveals. However extra from an entertaining perspective. It’s extra like a advertising and marketing factor.
Are you able to share some perception into profitable collaborations or campaigns facilitated by SEAMM throughout Paris Blockchain Week and past?
Throughout Paris Blockchain Week, the primary objective for us right here was to fulfill, as I discussed, to search out the blockchain. It’s the primary time we’re assembly with blockchains and spreading the phrase about digital passports and what we’re heading in direction of. This was our predominant objective for Paris Blockchain Week.
Relating to collaborations from earlier than, we do work with a dozen of rising manufacturers. Manufacturers from all around the world, ranging from the UK as much as China. We simply had a profitable digital pop-up occasion throughout Shanghai Style Week. Earlier than that, we had profitable occasions throughout Berlin Style Week.
We additionally had been a part of Milan Style Week, the place we had profitable conferences with huge manufacturers reminiscent of Valentino, Dolce & Gabbana, Hugo Boss, and others. We organised the VIP dinner, and we had been a part of the Digital Couture Summit, the place we offered our digital market for the primary time, talked concerning the product, and interacted with these manufacturers. Then, we had been additionally a part of London Style Week, collaborating with rising manufacturers like Ciela.
Do you assume that these sorts of occasions (Paris Blockchain Week), cowl sufficient of the style trade?
There needs to be extra consideration as a result of style is a giant trade, like a multi-million trade. There’s loads to cowl. I feel it’s a query of a number of years as a result of we’re heading in direction of that anyway.
Throughout these occasions, I might like to see extra protection. I want to see extra manufacturers current, extra talks, extra panel talks, and extra happening round that as a result of proper now, throughout Paris Blockchain Week, I don’t assume it’s sufficient to cowl the style trade.
Inform us concerning the future occasions you propose to go to and what you count on from them.
We’re planning to go to all the primary crypto and blockchain occasions within the trade as a result of, for us, it’s crucial to maintain up with the developments and meet the important thing figures and decision-makers. Proper now, as I discussed, we’re in Paris Blockchain Week, and in Might, we’re visiting NFT Lisbon.
There are going to be a number of occasions occurring in Asia we’re going to be in. Additionally, we’re going to NFT Rome. Then, these are the occasions from that facet, and we, after all, will probably be current in all the primary style weeks around the globe, beginning with New York Style Week, London Style Week, Milan Style Week, and Paris Style Week. It’s the identical as in all probability a number of occasions in Asia; that’s one other market we’re additionally tapping proper now.
