The Napster-ification of Digital Fashion (2/2)
Mutani is an IRL/URL brand representing the libertarian spirit of Napster.
This is Part 2 of a two part series with SQUAD LABS. For Part 1, click here.
Existing between IRL and URL, Mutani is an online platform creating clothes, jewellery and other accessories inspired by games. While counterfeited digital fashion on GTA V and Roblox Marketplace closely relates to the pirated music of Napster, Mutani is resonant with the deeper libertarianism that underscored Napster. Calling Mutani a bootlegger brand alone would be a disservice, yet, it champions the DIY spirit of Napster. Founded in 2021, Mutani emerged out of frustration with the system. “I became disheartened by the inauthentic approach many fashion brands have taken to enter this space, launching projects without an honest understanding of the audience and subcultures that exist in-games,” says Shayli Harrison, Founder and Creative Director. For this reason, Harrison became interested in the reverse, bringing gaming inspirations into real life.
Mutani’s first collection “The First Mutani Magic” was inspired by Genshin Impact, one of the biggest action role playing games in the world right now. The collection specifically references the in-game weapon "The First Great Magic," with each of its six pieces reflecting the aesthetic and symbolisms of the bow and arrow. The Prima Bolo necklace, crafted from durable paracord, features a "Boggle Cat" head slider in beetroot crystal and a pendant of three "Prima Gems" (the game’s currency). The phygital jewellery can be scanned to activate an AR transformation, turning the wearer into a character from the game. With 52% of Gen Z reporting that their in-game avatars allow them to feel more like themselves (D1A, 2023) collections like “The First Mutani Magic” have the potential to carry this comfort back to the real world. By merging premium fantasy-inspired designs with bespoke virtual magic, Mutani merges online and offline identities.
While Genshin Impact is yet to officially work with Mutani, the same approach pioneered by Dapper Dan, who sampled one cultural phenomenon to transform it into something new, is a fundamental driver of Mutani’s mission. If Genshin Impact recognises the “The First Mutani Magic” collection as a cultural heat check for their brand, Harrison may well get her flowers. As for the rest of the industry, it’s only a matter of time before fashion brands and gaming publishers start working with brands like Mutani, or else risk cultural irrelevance in the new digital fashion era.
Digital Fashion’s Peer-to-Peer Bootleg Era
These digital fashion platforms share in the chaotic spirit of the early file sharing sites of the '00s. Downloading MP3s on Napster was always a colourful experience. Sometimes you would get the song you were looking for, other times you would get random advertisements, sound bites, corrupt files or a completely different song altogether. This is akin to the kind of experience one might have when shopping around for counterfeit digital fashion on GTA V or Roblox. Sometimes you can find a perfect imitation of the ‘Cactus Jack x Sp5der’ t-shirt, other times you can find a Gucci toilet.
However, where Napster purely served to copy and share music that existed, UGC platforms offer a place to both copy and create. This has inspired innovators like Mutani to forge new frontiers beyond these platforms, the games themselves serving as inspiration for dynamic collections that live between IRL and URL. As the younger generations mature, buying digital fashion will continue to become more mainstream. Napster may have come and gone, but it left a whole new world in its wake. Digital fashion is buffering in the loading lobby, who will press play?
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