Let’s start with MYAMI. Can you tell us about its background and why now felt like the right time to launch a digital fashion brand?
Digital fashion allows us to tell a deeper story beyond just fashion pieces themselves. We recognise digital fashion as a new medium – a new canvas for self-expression, what you believe in and what your values are.
That's what feels most scintillating about the space. We all project ourselves through fashion, so we saw a massive opportunity to facilitate this, alongside community belonging and the idea of being a force for good. MYAMI's brand logo – an X – is deliberately about collaboration, while the name MYAMI is very much about an ode to French fashion houses, with the word 'ami' translating as ‘friend’.
Tell us about MYAMI's approach to community in the virtual fashion world?
Our brand values centre on the idea of unlocking the borderless and boundless potential of digital fashion. With boundless, we mean we’re open, inclusive and celebrate the infinite possibilities that digital fashion offers in terms of creative freedom. Borderless is our second value, which refers to body and gender inclusivity.
If you think about digital fashion, it allows pretty much anyone to wear anything. In some parts of the world, digital fashion can be really liberating. We are talking to fashion stylists in Nigeria, for example, who are using digital fashion as part of the Alté (alternative) movement – and it’s allowing them to express themselves in an environment where they can feel quite suppressed.
MYAMI launched the Ice Runner NFT during COP26, which digitally ‘melts’ at the same rate as the polar ice caps. What's the aim of this project?
A core climate issue is keeping global warming under 1.5°C. With this in mind, we delved into the medium of dynamic NFTs to keep track of global temperatures. The sneaker is a barometer for climate change through a fashion lens. It can melt and warp, but if everyone starts to do the right thing, it has the potential to return to its original shape. The Ice Runner is putting a provocation – or challenge – to people. By creating an item that degrades, we’re also creating ongoing conversation. Proceeds from the project are also being donated to the DigitalArt4Climate charity.
