There's an intangibility behind the DNA of innovative fashion designer and artist Aitor Throup’s latest project Anatomyland. The Argentinian-British creative, who has in the past worked with materiality experts CP Company, G Star Raw and Stone Island and musicians including Damon Albarn and Flying Lotus, defines the project as being ‘multi-dimensional and non linear', ‘a definition of luxury through depth in meaning, precision and innovation' and a continuous ‘conversation'.
It's fitting therefore, that the release of Anatomyland's first prototypes have not been launched as physicalised products, but as an NFT (non-fungible token) drop. Today (7 May 2021) premier marketplace Nifty Gateway, launches a series of intricately formed, collectible digital sculptures, showcasing figurations that allude to themes central to Throup's vision. These allegorical characters, named ‘Lil Ying‘, ‘Lil Yang’ and ‘Good Ol’ Dom’, are a trio that represent the harmony and chaos of life and the concept of non-duality and the idea of living outside of societal norms and expectations.
These ideas are the culmination of over 15 years of Throup’s research. ‘I’ve always struggled to fit in. But I’ve always been fine with that. As a kid I created my own worlds and spent most of my time there rather than here,' he says. ‘As an adult I’m still that kid. And for the past 16 years I have devoted my life to creating a definitive world as an alternative to the one we’ve been told we exist in.'
NFT fashion: Aitor Throup's non-fungible frontier
The next phase in Throup’s non traditional project roll out? Two pieces which feature in Anatomyland's launch campaign images, the ‘Modular Veil Cap’ and ‘Modular Bucket Hat’ will be released in an extremely limited drop of five units per design. These editions will be numbered, signed and authenticated artworks, linked to individual unique NFT’s.
Like the art and design worlds, NFT's are gaining momentum in the fashion world. Back in March, virtual sneaker brand RTFKT Studios linked up with the crypto-artist FEWOCiOUS, on a Nifty Gateway sale of 600 NFT sneakers that totalled over $3.1 million in sales. Jeweller Simone Faurschou has also bolstered her blockchain presence, selling the first piece from her latest jewellery collection ‘Block1' as an NTF, through the marketplace Rarible.
‘There are multiple reasons behind my decision to join the NFT community. Decentralisation is at the core of the NFT ethos, which deeply resonates with me and my practice,' says Throup. ‘As a conceptual designer, my primary interest is to capture complex narratives into objects through design; and digital tools have allowed me to merge my drawings and my sculptures into a hybrid medium with unlimited potential for detail and narrative. Further, there is intrinsic aspirational value in NFT artworks if they are rich in concept, meaning and detail; so creating in this space is aligned with my wider objective to redefine not only fashion, but luxury itself through a multi-disciplinary approach.'
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