Hello, I'm Kubo, and I'm currently working on creating NFT artworks, which have been a hot topic recently.
NFT stands for Non-Fungible Token, but I'm sure you're not sure what that means. NFT itself is an electronic certificate (certificate of authenticity) on the blockchain. It's digital data that proves the uniqueness (one-of-a-kindness) of the work I created. (Blockchain, simply put, is programming that makes data difficult to tamper with. Please Google it for more information.)
Why do we need certificates? For example, artworks have been traded using paper certificates for hundreds of years, but this always leaves the possibility of counterfeiting. This has meant that it takes a lot of time and money to verify whether an item is authentic. If we can link this to blockchain as unalterable data, we can save that time and cost.
Naturally, NFTs are a good fit for digital (art) works, but they can also be attached to physical (real) works. For example, one way to do this is to attach an IC tag to the back of a painting. The owner can easily check the information by reading the IC tag with their smartphone.
Artworks are distributed in primary and secondary markets. The primary market is when the creator sells to the first customer, and the secondary market is when it is subsequently traded at auction or between individuals. The secondary (resale) market is important for art, but due to the reasons mentioned above, distribution has been very fragile, and NFTs are intended to streamline this.
That was a long introduction, but we are currently producing eight dresses. The dresses we make are scanned and converted into digital data, which is then linked to an NFT (blockchain certificate) and sold. Because it is digital data, it can be copied as much as you want, but only the purchaser has the real thing, and the NFT proves this.
The key is the process of actually creating something and then converting it into data, and that's what makes it worthwhile for us designers to do. If it's two-dimensional digital data, then you might ask, how is it different from animation or drawings? For example, with animation, things that are difficult to do in actual clothing production can be done easily. There's no need for seam allowances, and there's no need to stamp. You can draw anything you like, with an infinite amount of freedom. It's ultimately a world of fantasy and dreams. Since we actually create things, the key point is of course that there is a "real thing" involved.
When you actually make something, you can bring realism to the smallest details, such as the details, texture of the fabric, and auxiliary materials. Because that's how it really is made. Right now, there are technical issues that prevent us from expressing that level of detail, but sooner or later, these technical issues will be resolved. When that happens, it should become very clear to see the difference between professional and non-professional clothing, between counterfeits and imitation goods. I think that's the reason why a designer like me is involved in NFT fashion.
It is scheduled to be unveiled this month, but is not yet complete. I made a test version to see what digitalization is like, and it is interesting. Since I've gone to the trouble of uploading it here, I've included it below. You might chuckle when you see it, but the people making it are genuinely enjoying it. I'm worried about whether I'll be able to finish it as I want by the day, but I'll keep working on it until the very last minute. It's a vague way of putting it, but the theme is the relationship between wind and clothing.
Since my final goal is a digital work, I decided to go all out and make something bold. I made a huge dress, something that normally wouldn't be done. I wanted to pursue the realism of the clothes, but because it's a digital world, I wanted to express dynamism. That meant I had no choice but to actually make something big. It's a strange story, but I'm almost there, so please look forward to it.
NFT stands for Non-Fungible Token, but I'm sure you're not sure what that means. NFT itself is an electronic certificate (certificate of authenticity) on the blockchain. It's digital data that proves the uniqueness (one-of-a-kindness) of the work I created. (Blockchain, simply put, is programming that makes data difficult to tamper with. Please Google it for more information.)
Why do we need certificates? For example, artworks have been traded using paper certificates for hundreds of years, but this always leaves the possibility of counterfeiting. This has meant that it takes a lot of time and money to verify whether an item is authentic. If we can link this to blockchain as unalterable data, we can save that time and cost.
Naturally, NFTs are a good fit for digital (art) works, but they can also be attached to physical (real) works. For example, one way to do this is to attach an IC tag to the back of a painting. The owner can easily check the information by reading the IC tag with their smartphone.
Artworks are distributed in primary and secondary markets. The primary market is when the creator sells to the first customer, and the secondary market is when it is subsequently traded at auction or between individuals. The secondary (resale) market is important for art, but due to the reasons mentioned above, distribution has been very fragile, and NFTs are intended to streamline this.
That was a long introduction, but we are currently producing eight dresses. The dresses we make are scanned and converted into digital data, which is then linked to an NFT (blockchain certificate) and sold. Because it is digital data, it can be copied as much as you want, but only the purchaser has the real thing, and the NFT proves this.
The key is the process of actually creating something and then converting it into data, and that's what makes it worthwhile for us designers to do. If it's two-dimensional digital data, then you might ask, how is it different from animation or drawings? For example, with animation, things that are difficult to do in actual clothing production can be done easily. There's no need for seam allowances, and there's no need to stamp. You can draw anything you like, with an infinite amount of freedom. It's ultimately a world of fantasy and dreams. Since we actually create things, the key point is of course that there is a "real thing" involved.
When you actually make something, you can bring realism to the smallest details, such as the details, texture of the fabric, and auxiliary materials. Because that's how it really is made. Right now, there are technical issues that prevent us from expressing that level of detail, but sooner or later, these technical issues will be resolved. When that happens, it should become very clear to see the difference between professional and non-professional clothing, between counterfeits and imitation goods. I think that's the reason why a designer like me is involved in NFT fashion.
It is scheduled to be unveiled this month, but is not yet complete. I made a test version to see what digitalization is like, and it is interesting. Since I've gone to the trouble of uploading it here, I've included it below. You might chuckle when you see it, but the people making it are genuinely enjoying it. I'm worried about whether I'll be able to finish it as I want by the day, but I'll keep working on it until the very last minute. It's a vague way of putting it, but the theme is the relationship between wind and clothing.
Since my final goal is a digital work, I decided to go all out and make something bold. I made a huge dress, something that normally wouldn't be done. I wanted to pursue the realism of the clothes, but because it's a digital world, I wanted to express dynamism. That meant I had no choice but to actually make something big. It's a strange story, but I'm almost there, so please look forward to it.