Cult&Rain, a digital fashion brand, is releasing its first NFT sneaker collection minted on the Ethereum blockchain and linked to high-end physical footwear.
The New York-based company, which bills itself as “the first luxury fashion house born from crypto,” was founded by industry veteran George Yang to bring high-fashion into web3. Yang has previously designed for global fashion brands such as Theory, Costume National, Guy Laroche, and Cerruti Paris and has led international design studios.
The Genesis Drop, the brand’s first release, will consist of 2,000 4K animated NFTs that can be redeemed for an identical pair of Italian-made luxury sneakers. Yang claims that the company uses his industry knowledge and connections to source the finest materials and fabrication in order to produce a physical product worth more than $1,000 USD.
The Genesis Drop includes four sneaker designs in five distinct colourways, each with 100 pairs. Several digital artists, including The Heart Project by Aidan Cullen, Sean Williams, Sophie Sturdevant, and Javier Arres, have also created unique skins.
The pre-sale for the drop starts on 7th February with the general mint starting on 10th February. All sneaker styles will be released simultaneously and numbered 001 to 100, with six rarity traits per sneaker colour-way.
NFT holders can trade in their NFTs for the exact sneaker style they want through cultandrain.com until 1st March. The 2,000 handcrafted and personalised sneakers will be produced at the company’s Italian factory beginning 8th March.
Cult&Rain intends to release additional physical and redeemable utilities linked to the NFTs including brand discounts, airdrops, and VIP access to in-person and metaverse events. The company is also planning to produce a metaverse wearable for each sneaker design as well as stage a metaverse fashion show.