Why Balenciaga Music Shunned Web3 For Its New Connected Clothing

Fashion has always drawn inspiration from the wider cultural landscape — in the words of Balenciaga artistic director, Demna, “music is a big part of my life and is an integral part of Balenciaga’s culture.” Demna created Balenciaga Music as an acknowledgement of this ongoing inspiration and to share his favorite artists and their influences.

The Balenciaga Music project has recently been expanded to give fans “a more personal and complete music experience” via exclusive content and interactive technology. By scanning a Near Field Communication (NFC) chip embedded into limited edition Balenciaga Music merchandise, purchasers can access a track called “Patterns,” composed exclusively for the Balenciaga customer by English music outfit Archive. The interactive T-shirts and hoodies are also printed with Archive’s full discography.

The Balenciaga initiative is a partnership with EON, a leader in Digital ID technology, which creates and manages the link between physical products and digital twins, hosted via its secure Product Cloud. According to EON founder and CEO Natasha Franck, the experience enables “a direct and exclusive connection between physical products and the creative inspiration of art and music behind them.”