Wrangler is moving into the metaverse at the age of 75 with an exclusive NFT and physical product created in conjunction with Grammy-winning singer Leon Bridges. On Tuesday, the Kontoor Brands-owned heritage brand unveiled “Mr Wrangler,” a two-part NFT drop centred on a denim suit custom-made for Bridges.
Wrangler is auctioning 75 digitally generated NFTs including a ghost model of the suit reenacting one of Bridges’ iconic dancing routines to commemorate the occasion. Each purchase grants exclusive access to digital communities, virtual Wrangler-branded metaverse wearables, and a VIP ticket to Bridges’ September performance at New York Fashion Week.
NFTs are tradable on secondary NFT marketplaces once the seven-day auction on the LTD.INC platform concludes on March 1. Collectors can visit the LTD.INC website to bid on the digitally animated NFTs, which start at $778.80.
“Fashion, technology and music influence us all, and I love the way Wrangler is interconnecting all three on this wild ride,” Bridges said in a statement. “Through Wrangler, I channel my Texas roots and the essence of who I am, so I’m honoured to help the brand celebrate its history while continuing to write the future.”
Once the LTD.INC platform’s seven-day auction ends on March 1, NFTs can be traded on secondary NFT exchanges. Collectors can bid on the digitally animated NFTs starting at $778.80 on the LTD.INC website.
Wrangler will debut the second layer of the NFT offering in September, which will include a physical reproduction of the dark wash denim outfit it created for Bridges. The artist showed off the custom suit in an August 2021 Instagram post, which includes a zip-up denim jacket with the words “Wrangler Jeans” stitched across the front in mustard yellow stitching and jeans with old Wrangler branding and Blue Bell insignia sewed onto the front of both legs.
The suit comes in a retro-futuristic casing with a “vault of digital content” sewn into the seams, providing the buyer exclusive access to information Bridges produced specifically for them. The one-of-a-kind digital NFT that comes with it will reflect ownership on the blockchain, which will only exist on the LTD.INC platform.
Wrangler will continue to commemorate its 50th anniversary throughout the year, culminating in a public “Wranglerverse” metaverse event in September.
“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,” said Tom Waldron, Wrangler’s global brand president. “We’re celebrating 75 years of history by driving towards the future of fashion, looking across the horizon at what’s next. We can’t wait to celebrate with [Bridges] and all our fans through this series of unexpected physical, digital and metaverse experiences.”
Many in the fashion industry are interested in NFTs and a larger presence in the metaverse as the sector seeks creative offerings for the digital-first future. Diesel was one of the first denim labels to enter the market, releasing its “Prototype” shoe design in both physical and digital media in December, describing it as “the beginning of something new” and creative director Glenn Martens’ debut sneaker for the company.
For the launch of the Circulose 501 Original in January, Levi’s 501 jean was also given the NFT treatment. European shoppers could enter sweepstakes to win one of ten Levi’s 501 NFTs. The victors were given an NFT certificate assurance, which was provided by Ethereum, a popular blockchain that is uniquely related to the new 501.
