“I was looking for somebody, which I found in Jazzelle, who felt like they were of their own time but also very special… ikon-1 is partly in recognition of how special I think Jazzelle is, and how important I think they are”. - Nick Knight
To get the full lowdown on the inspiration behind the project, its curation process, and its launch details, we were fortunate to sit down with Nick in an exclusive interview. In addition to discussing such topics, Nick was also able to shed light on his projections for the digital fashion space and how it’ll become a staple piece of modern living in years to come.
The Genesis Of ikon-1
Per the words of Nick himself, the fundamental foundation of the project comes through SHOWstudio’s 20+ years of working within the 3D art world, as he first established the platform after advanced 3D scanners opened his eyes to the new ways in which he could envision the artistic world around him:
“SHOWstudio has always been working with 3D scanning or avatars, so in a way this is a natural progression from what we were already doing.”
Approximately 20 years down the line, Nick’s long-time professional colleague Tom Wandrag then proposed the idea of ‘NFT-ifying’ the platform’s proficiencies in 3D renderings, which in turn, would also mark its entrance into the metaverse.
Ultimately, ikon-1 serves as an landmark moment in SHOWstudio’s history, as it sees the platform transition into a new era of consumer engagement whilst still utilizing many of the technologies which it’s been using throughout the past 20 years.
Such transition is something which Nick stated will be done “openly, with transparency, and with the best will in the world”.
Jazzelle Zanaughtti- The Project’s Main Vocal Point
Now knowing that the collection was to be centered around a population of 3D artisan avatars, a paramount task of the project was to then identify a fitting model to center it around. This is when Jazzelle Zanaughtti (a.k.a. Ugly World Wide) entered proceedings- a social media fashionista sensation who’s been a long time SHOWstudio collaborator.
Nick describes Jazzelle (they/them) as a ‘trailblazer’ and a ‘contemporary version of Cindy Sherman’. In veering away from the ‘blank canvas’ roles of traditional models- who, according to Nick, are often the mere the recipient of a photographer’s/designer’s fantasy.
He also sees Jazzelle as someone who can seamlessly ‘produce new looks of themselves’ in a way that’s both performative and engaging.
“I was looking for somebody, which I found in Jazzelle, who felt like they were of their own time but also very special… ikon-1 is partly in recognition of how special I think Jazzelle is, and how important I think they are”.
The Creative Process Behind ‘ikon-1’
ikon-1 is a project that’s been 2+ years in the making, with such timeframe being down to the indisputable dedication in which Nick and Tom had for curating the most distinct and creative assortment of traits.
Kicking off practical proceedings was Tom, who would produced hundreds of different trait samples for Nick to approve of if they aligned with the creative ambition of the project.
Jazzelle would then come into the studio over the course of a few days, where in leveraging Nick’s coveted experience in fashion photography, they would sport the looks for filming and scanning purposes.
From here, Tom would then recreate the final images/shots in CGI.
A large part of such a creative process came through the digital garment and design submissions from 30 different digital fashion designers, a mixture of fashion students, self-taught creative mavericks from across London’s fashion colleges.
World class hairdresser Eugene Souleiman also got in on the mix by creating ‘headpieces’ (not necessarily hair) using materials such as feathers, eucalyptus bark, and even Nick’s shoe.
“When creativity can not seem like an aggressive challenge, but can actually seem like a playful indulgence, I think that’s much better, and I like the spirit of play”.
Ultimately, over 200 traits have been curated to feature throughout the ikon-1 NFT collection, which each cover aspects such as clothing, hair, nails, and several other extravagant and abstract accessories.
To uncover the artistic intricacies of the ikon-1 NFTs in more depth, visit this article.
The ikon-1 NFT Mint
All-in-all, the ikon-1 NFT collection is comprised of 8000 distinctly different Jazzelle-centered 3D avatars.
With the allowlist for the project now closed, those who signed up will be able to mint an ikon-1 NFT from Wednesday 14th December, before the project’s general sale opens on December 15th (with each NFT costing 0.2 ETH).
As showcased via the project’s recent exhibition at its world-leading Central London art space, SHOWstudio is also collaborating with fellow Blockster partner W1 Curates.
Here, those who are unfamiliar with the Web3 scene will be able to visit the studio’s East London location to receive hands-on guidance with regards to setting up a crypto wallet and minting NFTs.
Nick Knight’s Digital Fashion Projections
According to Nick, digital proceedings are a refreshing evolution of the pollutant, slow-to-evolve fashion industry that’s recently been plagued with the ever-relentless demand to produce more (i.e. fast fashion).
His projections for the space are that with time (and the adoption of web3), the space will become as prevalent as its perennially-popular physical counterpart:
“Fashion in the metaverse is a very interesting prospect, because everybody is going to have some sort of self image… maybe we need to start looking at our lives in a slightly different way."
"You have your life which you lead in real life, and you have your digital life, which your avatar leads”.
As alluded to by other digital fashion pioneers we’ve spoken to, Nick sees the metaverse as an extremely valid medium for stylistic self expression, however with its lack of physical constraints, there will be ample more scope for creative materiality, accessories, and dynamism.
Through observing the lack of image rights of some of the models he’s worked with (such as Kate Moss and Naomi Campbell), he also envisions blockchain technology as a revolutionary tool for altering how models can own their works and digital rights, to further create a more humane fashion industry.
Extending on this point even further, he’s also wary of big-hitters from the traditional world wanting to gain a piece of Web3 profits without intending to provide the space with any tangible or long-term substance:
“I’m really hoping that it won’t only be a big success once the big corporations get involved, I’m hoping it’ll be much more about individuals and a different system. “
"I don’t want to see capitalism reigning through, I think creativity should be for the love of art, not the finance”.
Nick also believes that digital fashion can work in conjunction with a frequented place of his- London’s bespoke men's tailoring district ‘Savile Row’- as although the street already has the ‘scans’ (i.e. the sizes) and designs/patterns of the likes of Andy Warhol etc., there is still a complete lack of tailoring options in the metaverse.
Through an ikon-1 NFT being placed in Decentraland, Nick’s also pondered the powers of AI technology, its role in virtual expression, and being more open minded when it comes to defining things.
This thought process came through the fact that although it was perceived as a ‘statue,’ the emergence of technologies such as AI and 3D animation (which will allow things to ‘move’) are making it harder to pinpoint what something actually is- as a seemingly stagnant object could in-fact being a walking, talking digital being.
“It’s a mixture of trepidation and brilliance at the same time- and I think that it’s a nice place to be creatively- where you don’t feel like you know everything”.
Advice For Aspiring Digital Artists
Nick was also able to provide aspiring digital fashionistas with some valuable advice for when it comes to getting recognised in the space. Here, he prompts creatives to ‘start playing’ with any tech that they have at their disposal, whether it be photoshop or instagram filters etc:
“I think that the best thing that you can do is to see what you can do and it’ll come through. It’s like sketching, it doesn’t have to be a fully formed painting to show whether you have any talent… then send it in to submissions at SHOWstudio, we’d love to see it- it’s what we’re here for!”
Moving Forwards
Nick is already a frequent ‘virtual photographer,’ which in a physical sense, is a task which only requires a trustable assistant for setting up a proficient lighting system.
Further, through the platform’s adoption and entrance into the blockchain, he now hopes that such dynamic will help improve the its audience engagement even further:
“Hence the name, SHOWstudio has always been about ’showing the studio,’ but now we can do it in a virtual sense."
"I think is much more interesting and intimate than just filing a webcam in the studio, as now you can actually ask questions and alter the camera”. With this this in mind, the studio’s next project is centered around such dynamic:
“The next project to follow on from ikon-1 is a virtual shoot with Jazzelle and myself. It’ll be their avatar and my avatar, I’ll be wearing a motion capture suit in one studio, they’ll be wearing a motion capture shoot in another studio, and our avatars will do a shoot together. That's all I can say for now!"
And finally, Nick stated that the money from the ikon-1 NFT mint will be used to fuel more endeavors from the company and ‘Fashion Metaverse’ vision:
“If you buy an ikon-1, it’s a ticket into SHOWstudio and the virtual events which we’re doing. It’ll give you priority access, advance warning for drops, and those sorts of things”.
