Rabanne nurtures digital artists for Art Basel 2024

Art Basel, the annual art fair that draws the attention of collectors, aficionados, and luxury players the world over, was back with its latest edition this weekend. Held in its eponymous hometown of Basel, Switzerland, the expo welcomed a deluge of contemporary artists and multidisciplinary creatives, as well as luxury brands keen to expand on their cultural credentials. This included Puig-owned Rabanne, which unveiled its latest collaborative project alongside Dazed and six rising digital artists on Wednesday. In other news this week, Hypland, the Los Angeles-based streetwear label that aims to bridge fashion with gaming, has opened its first physical store in LA’s Little Tokyo. Sticking with streetwear, Web3 brand Mntge is also back with another drop, this time in partnership with London’s renowned vintage haunt, Dukes Cupboard. Rabanne launches Rabanne Arts Factory at Art Basel What happened: In collaboration with media publication Dazed, Rabanne has launched Rabanne Arts Factory, a new initiative aimed at supporting the next generation of digital creatives. To kick off the program, Rabanne has created a new competition, offering one digital artist the chance to showcase their work at Art Basel Miami in December. Out of the pool of applicants, the six finalists are Buse Simon, Alice Bucknell, Elizabeth O'Brien, Lorenzo Risani, Lucy Ellis, and Lola Moniz. The verdict: As Rabanne fleshes out its cultural presence alongside its recent rebrand, immersing itself in the digital art space is part of its master plan. The label is harnessing this burgeoning medium not only to connect with its technologically attuned younger consumers but also to keep itself at the forefront of creative evolution. The project is indicative of how fashion is approaching the digital world today. Rabanne is the latest player to outline plans for nurturing the new wave of talent, following in the footsteps of Farfetch’s Dream Assembly accelerator and Adidas’ digital artist residency program. Mntge teams up with Dukes Cupboard on new vintage collection What happened: Web3-native indie label Mntge has joined forces with London’s vintage hotspot Dukes Cupboard to launch a new capsule collection. The drop, which goes live on June 20, features 75 rare vintage pieces spanning from the late 1980s to the early 2000s. Gems on offer include Prada, Comme des Garçons, Stone Island, and Moncler. Each piece is chipped with NFC technology; when scanned, owners can access information on the garment’s history and provenance. To celebrate, Mntge and Dukes will host a special pop-up event for Paris Fashion Week, running from June 20–22. The verdict: Mntge’s mission to bridge old clothes with new technology may seem ambitious, but it’s working. Since launching in 2022, the startup has brought its vision of connecting collectibles to blockchain-enabled identities into focus through partnerships with vintage fashion trailblazer Sophia Amoruso, contemporary artist King Saladeen, and denim king Wrangler. Through its latest venture alongside brand archivists Dukes, the disruptor hopes to expand on its goal of prolonging fashion artifacts via the blockchain. Gaming-meets-streetwear label Hypland opens first physical store in LA What happened: Hypland, the LA-based brand inspired by gaming, anime, and streetwear, has opened its first physical store in the historic district of Little Tokyo. The flagship, which opened its doors on June 8, features a selection of vintage home accessories, gaming equipment, and clothing items. The interior was designed to replicate that of a gaming fan’s home and will serve as a community hub for local gaming, anime, and streetwear fashion enthusiasts. The verdict: As fashion entrenches itself in the gaming realm, it’s fresh concepts like Hypland’s that are moving the needle forward in bridging the physical and digital ecosystems. While luxury brands have focused on digitizing their identities through gaming platforms, Hypland hopes to reverse this trend by bringing widely recognized gaming IPs from their virtual domains into the real world Besides its focus on streetwear, the cult brand is also tapping into the gaming accessories market, a segment estimated to reach $24.38 billion by 2030. Meta Bites Augmented reality provider Ffface.me has introduced an AR mirror experience alongside beauty brand Makeup by Mario. Located in Sephora Times Square, the immersive activation allows users to browse the label's bronzer collection and select their ideal shade. A virtual hand, representing CEO and makeup artist Mario Dedivanovic, applies the selected shade to the user’s face, giving off the illusion that Dedivanovic is personally applying the makeup.

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Rabanne nurtures digital artists for Art Basel 2024