Lebanese-American designer Rami Kadi enters the Metaverse with his first NFT collection offering customers a 360-degree experience of the brand’s universe.
Rami Kadi has become one of the first Couture designers to diversify into the world of NFTs. Launching his NFT collection “Lucid Algorithms” on the Cardano blockchain, the designer marks the first-ever human-computer couture collaboration of this scale.
The young Lebanese-American designer is one of the first to diversify into the metaverse with his designs as NFTs continue to become one of the most hyped about trends today. The launch of the 120 NFTs took place in Dubai at the Theatre of Digital Art which saw visitors immersed into Rami Kadi’s digital and physical worlds. Looks from the designer’s Spring Summer 2022 couture collection were displayed around the theatre while prints and patterns featuring his NFT art were projected on the 360-degree walls of the venue.
The event offered a unique experience for guests. On the same day as the event, Rami’s NFTs went up for sale on his website which is linked to the NFT marketplace. Here we find out more about the designer’s diversification into the digital world, as well as more on his Spring/Summer 22 couture collection.
We love the Spring/Summer Couture collection, in your own words can you share a little bit about the vision and inspiration behind this collection?
For my Spring-Summer 2022 Couture collection, I was inspired by the rise of the virtual world and NFTs, which served as the main starting point for the creation of my forty couture dresses. The dresses are made from holographic materials that feature strong, bold colours. Through lively pulsations and contrasting rhythms, I sought to affirm the energy and strength of colour in a way that appears to flirt with the light around. The holographic materials absorb pigmentation and reinterpret the colours of light, leaving us with a shimmering effect.
You have now entered the world of NFTs, why did you decide to launch your collection at this moment and how has the feedback been so far?
As the virtual world is becoming more and more immersed in our daily lives, I found it crucial to start embedding fashion within this realm. So, the idea behind the Lucid Algorithms SS2022 collection stems from the curiosity of finding beauty even in machinery, more specifically algorithms. I decided to combine my creative efforts with that of the algorithm by feeding it elements, patterns, and colours and allowing it to compute my designs into digitally-inspired art pieces, which are the NFTs. So, introducing NFTs as part of Rami Kadi’s collections, alongside our physical couture collection, is part of a trajectory we decided to embark on as we see the whole world shifting in this direction.
We have received a lot of positive feedback from the NFT community and our beloved clients regarding this daring step, especially because it is the first-ever human-computer couture collaboration on Cardano in the region. However, it is still a very new step in this field and it has inevitably been accompanied by the need for some adaptation from our clients.
How do you think the worlds of technology and fashion can complement each other?
As the metaverse is becoming a replication of the real world, but digitally, I believe that high fashion in the metaverse will be needed the same way it is needed in the physical world. Avatars in the metaverse are represented by people in real life who would want to duplicate their personal fashion styles and outlooks onto within this virtual world. So, if you’re a couture lover in the real world, you would want to highlight that in the metaverse as well. This is why embarking on this step early on sets up the possibility of allowing individuals to portray their personal affinities in the metaverse.
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What benefits will customers buying the NFTs get from joining this community?
By collecting the rare Rami Kadi NFTs owners will have the privilege to use the Lucid Algorithms NFTs to customize an exclusive physical Rami Kadi couture dress, utilising them as a background for any of the owned NFT avatars, customise the outfit and accessories of the NFT avatars in 2D, or dress their avatars in the metaverse. The Lucid Algorithms NFTs will also secure owners an exclusive invite to future Rami Kadi events.
Is this something you want to expand further on moving forward?
It is definitely part of our plan to indulge even further in the metaverse by perhaps creating more NFT collections or opening our own showroom and planning meta-shows or events, however, it is still early to determine any definite steps.
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We loved having you in Dubai for the launch of Lucid Algorithms, tell us about the presentation and what was the feedback?
The event encapsulated the portrayal of the 120 NFTs. The Theatre of Digital Art acted as a mediation between the physical and virtual realm by allowing attendees to immerse themselves into the metaverse and the world of Rami Kadi Couture NFTs. The event ambience came to represent an out-of-this-world experience that showcased on every wall of the theatre a continuous stream of Rami Kadi NFT patterns. With the reflections of the digital art on the screens, a feeling of virtual inclusion was created by delving into the patterns of Lucid Algorithms.
Why did you choose this location?
We chose this location in particular because it is a Theatre designated for Digital Art, so it seemed like the perfect location, with screens all around, to display our first-ever digital NFT collection.
It seems many brands are beginning to diversify into the world of NFTs and new technology – how do you think it can be beneficial to the fashion industry and in your opinion what is the future of this sector?
I think the entrance of fashion into the world of NFTs will benefit the fashion industries in ways we have never experienced before. In the virtual world, where the NFTs are present, the bounds and limits of creativity simply do not exist. Designers all over the world can experiment and implement designs that could be animated or that physically don’t make sense. In my point of view, this is an incredible step in the world of fashion, but it will take time to be fully accepted by the wider public.
Have you changed anything about the way you work since the beginning of the pandemic?
The pandemic definitely opened my eyes to the possibilities of fashion when it comes to the world of technology. As the whole world had to shift online, I learned new ways to communicate my thoughts, designs, and presence virtually. Although I did my first cyber show even before the pandemic, I realised after the pandemic that the bounds of my work don’t solely rest on the limits of the physical world.
What is your mission or goal for Rami Kadi this year?
This year, my goal is to grow in the world of NFTs and the meta-communities. However, this doesn’t affect in any way my work and goals in the physical world, as my couture collections grow in parallel with any other projects I work on.
We are seeing so much growth happening in the industry in the region, what does it mean to you for designers from the Middle East to be recognised on a global scale?
I think it is incredible that artists from the Middle East are gaining international recognition, it is something everyone in the region must be proud of, because I believe that we have great minds and our work deserves to be circulated worldwide.
What is something you would still like to achieve that you haven’t done yet?
I can’t specify anything in particular because everything is a work in progress, and with patience, I can slowly transform my current achievements into greater successes.
What is a message you would send to your friends and customers in the region?
I think the most suitable message in the context of today is to encourage everyone to adapt to the fast-paced changes in the world that primarily focus on the sustainable transportation of the world into one that we deserve.
