As Wrangler embarks on its 75th anniversary this year, it explored the metaverse and partnered with Grammy award-winning musician Leon Bridges with an exclusive NFT launch on Tuesday.
Bridges, the 32-year-old American soul singer, songwriter and record producer, was first discovered through his love for Wrangler denim, as he struck up a conversation with a music executive in a Ft. Worth, Texas, bar about his favorite Wrangler blue jeans. The origin story prompted Wrangler to create Bridges an exclusive custom denim suit last summer.
Now, Wrangler is offering one winning bidder the chance to receive an exact replica of that jacket and jeans outfit worn by Bridges through an exclusive NFT auction that will take place during New York Fashion Week in September. The winning bidder will receive both the custom physical outfit in real life, as well as a digital NFT version that represents ownership of the suit on the blockchain.
Delivered in a custom-created retro-futuristic suitcase, the physical suit, the only other one in existence outside of Bridges’ private archive, has been constructed with a vault of digital content sewn into its seams, giving the auction winner exclusive access to content which Bridges created just for them. The accompanying one-of-one digital NFT will represent ownership of this work of art on the blockchain, which will live exclusively on the LTD.INC platform, where it holds exclusive properties only available to the NFT holder.
In addition, Wrangler released 75 digitally animated Icon-tier NFTs on Tuesday in honor of 75 years of Wrangler denim. The NFTs feature one of Bridges’ signature dance moves and each Icon-tier NFT gives collectors access to digital communities, virtual Wrangler-branded metaverse wearables and one VIP pass to an invitation-only, private performance by Bridges at NYFW in September. Once the second-day auction on the LTD.INC platform concludes, these 75 Icon-level digital NFTs will be tradable on secondary NFT marketplaces, including OpenSea.
“Fashion, technology and music influence us all, and I love the way Wrangler is interconnecting all three on this wild ride,” said Bridges, who is nominated for two Grammys for Best Traditional R&B Performance and Best R&B album. “Through Wrangler, I channel my Texas roots and the essence of who I am, so I’m honored to help the brand celebrate its history while continuing to write the future.”
Tom Waldron, global brand president at Wrangler, said, “Wrangler is a brand that has always been inspired by and thrived in the Wild West, and the metaverse is simply the next destination for us. We’re celebrating 75 years of history by driving toward the future of fashion, looking across the horizon at what’s next. We can’t wait to celebrate with Leon Bridges and all of our fans through this series of unexpected physical, digital and metaverse experiences.”
Wrangler will also be hosting an inclusive metaverse event called Wranglerverse in September.
To recognize its 75th anniversary, Wrangler will also have collaborations with Fender, Billabong and Live Nation in coming months.
Wrangler has been housed under the Kontoor Brands Inc. umbrella since its 2019 spinoff from VF Corp. In that time, the company has pushed to connect Wrangler and Lee to a younger audience through a combination of global expansion, investments in e-commerce and strategic marketing plays.
FOR MORE STORIES:
Giving Lee and Wrangler Their Voices Back
Kontoor Brands’ Online and U.S. Wholesale Businesses Boost Revenues