There’s a Richmond-based garment factory making clothes for the metaverse

The fashion-focused NFTs give designers the opportunity to share their style with the digital world

You might not expect a 29-year-old garment factory to embrace the cutting-edge, complex technology of 2022 (most 29-year-olds I know don’t even have TikTok), but that hasn’t stopped Precision Design Group.

The Richmond-based company has been pattern-drafting, cutting, sample-making and manufacturing for three decades. This week, Precision announced the addition of a digital wearable design service—translating physical designs into NFT products.

“We’re offering our clients the ability to not only create physical versions of their products, but also digital ones for the metaverse,” says general manager Ben Christy. “It’s pretty abstract, I know, but we are trying to make it a little bit easier and more digestible.”

The company launched this new service through a partnership with Vancouver-based Sevin Kasran, a brand that’s been worn by the likes of comedian Kevin Hart and NBA player Malik Monk. Sevin Kasran’s unique, often colourful looks make it an ideal candidate for metaverse fashion: its clothing (especially those trousers) is instantly recognizable. “The products aren’t cheap,” notes Christy—indeed, the trousers are US$650—so digital wearables “create an opportunity for people to represent the brand without actually having to spend that much.”

Sevin Nasran’s blue corduroy flannel in real life

How much the NFTs actually cost is up to the seller, not the manufacturer, but Christy explains that it could be a source of revenue or a fun freebie. “They can gift the products, create some kind of lottery, or sell them,” he explains. Clients may also use the virtual wares simply to create a sense of community (for example, giving everyone in the metaverse neighbourhood a pair of limited-edition sunglasses), Christy adds. Precision has a team of designers who support its clients in creating their digital fashion, but what they do with it is the client’s choice.

Sevin Kasran’s blue corduroy flannel in the metaverse

Along with potentially breaking accessibility barriers, Christy praises digital wearables for their low carbon footprint. “There is no waste,” he stresses. “The only carbon byproduct is energy use, because all these products have to sit on a server somewhere—but you’re not creating inventory that you might not sell. Digital inventory is better for the environment.”

According to Christy, Precision aims to be “Canada’s first and only garment factory that creates both physical and digital products.”