Christie’s Teams with Gucci for AI NFT Collection

Credit: Gucci

Famed auction house Christie’s has doubled down on Web3 again — this time collaborating with Italian fashion house Gucci for a generative AI NFT collection. The set, called “Future Frequencies: Explorations in Generative Art and Fashion,” will feature 21 works from Claire Silver, Emily Xie, Botto, and other artists.

“Future Frequencies: Explorations in Generative Art and Fashion” draws source material from various Gucci textiles, colors, and a specific collection: Bamboo 1947, a series of handbags that have the company’s bamboo handle. By using generative artificial intelligence, the artists will explore the intersection between fashion, art, and technology.

In a statement shared with Rarity Sniper, Sebastian Sanchez, Manager of Digital Art Sales at Christie’s, said the auction will feature a select group of artists that take inspiration from the design and production of garments, textiles, and the fashion industry. He added that the outputs these artists have created range from the abstract to literal. They will change the way we think about algorithms and data to advance human creativity.

The auction will take place on Christie’s 3.0, the auction house’s digital art platform. Bidding opens on July 18th and closes on July 25th, with bids accepted solely in ETH. Christie’s 3.0 is a completely on-chain platform that requires identity verification to participate in auctions.

Christie’s Bets on Web3

If you’ve been involved in the Web3 space for the past few years, the name Christie’s no doubt rings some bells. It’s auction of Beeple’s “Everydays: The First 5000 Days” is credited with sparking interest in Web3 and providing the launchpad for the bull run of 2021-2022. But it has made further inroads into the space, as Rarity Sniper has covered.

Ten months ago, it launched its Christie’s 3.0 platform, which allows it to conduct NFT auctions on the Ethereum network from start to finish. Prior to the debut of this platform, buyers of NFTs auctioned at Christie’s made payments offline or through third-party platforms like MakersPlace.

A year ago, Christie’s debuted an investment fund called “Christie’s Ventures” for fintech companies innovating in the art market. The company said at the time that the fund would have three specific focuses: innovation, art-related financial products, and Web3. The fund showed Christie’s commitment to the space, even as the bear market was beginning.

As these stories show, the famed auction house has been involved in Web3 quite a bit and with this latest news, there is no sign of it slowing down. That is good news for a space that has fallen on hard times.

Gucci Active in Web3

On the other side of today’s news is Gucci, the Italian fashion house that may seem like a strange company to enter Web3. But Gucci has been very active in the space, perhaps even more than Christie’s. Here are two stories we’ve covered involving Gucci over the past year.

Three months ago, Gucci partnered with Web3 company Yuga Labs to launch a phygital piece of jewelry. These necklaces, called “KodaPendants,” have both a physical and digital component. The physical necklace is made of 925 sterling silver and has an interlocking G chain. The digital component is essentially the physical’s twin but is worn in the metaverse.

Nine months ago, Gucci debuted its “Gucci Vault Land” in The Sandbox, a decentralized metaverse. The activation lasted between October 27th and November 9th, a two-week event that shared the company’s Web3 strategy. Users were able to participate in games, earn NFTs, and more.

Those are just two of the stories involving Gucci in Web3, and there are many others. The company has actively explored the space even after many companies left due to the fall in prices. That’s another bullish sign for NFTs.