Alice Delahunt believes the future of fashion is in web3 and created Syky (pronounced “syky”) to put the wheels in motion.
After a marketing career at a luxury fashion house, she launched her company in November, holding positions such as Chief Digital and Content Officer at Ralph Lauren and Director of Digital and Social Marketing at Burberry.
In 2017, Delahunt got her first look at blockchain when she worked at Ralph Lauren, but a few years later, when she was working with companies like Snap, Bitmoji, and Roblox as a pioneer in digital wardrobe projects, she saw It was the first time I had the opportunity. that web3 would be “more than just a niche community” for luxury fashion.
Alice Delahunt, founder and CEO of Syky. Image credit: Dean Isidro
“It felt like virtual fashion and digital fashion could really take off,” she told TechCrunch. “We believe tomorrow’s luxury fashion houses are being built today.”
That’s when Delahunt left Ralph Lauren and started developing Syky. Syky will serve as an incubator, marketplace and social her community for the next generation of fashion her designers and consumers, she said.
My colleague Dominic-Madori Davis recently said, “If there’s one industry that can use web3, it’s fashion.” Especially when it comes to taking the industry in new directions and making it more sustainable.
This is much of Delahunt’s focus. Her company’s name was inspired by the Greek goddess of the soul, Psyche, who she says personifies “the way designers use fashion to express the intangible parts of themselves.” .
“Designers give us dreams through fashion,” Delahunt added. “And those dreams come from the deepest part of our psyche, so it was important to me that the name reflected that.”
The company kicks off the community portion of the platform by releasing its first NFT called The Keystone. 987 will be available on January 20th.
Keystone is a membership pass that gives you exclusive access to Syky’s membership space. Syky can network and collaborate with other creators and participate in digital and in-person fashion events. Keystone holders will also be the first to hear about designer collection drops, corporate alpha and beta feature releases, and partner projects. Plus, receive regular insights and reports on fashion and technology.
Syky is still in its very early stages, but is backed by a $9 million Series A investment led by Seven Seven Six, which includes Brevan Howard Digital, Leadout Capital, First Light Capital Group and Polygon Ventures.
The investment marks Seven Seven Six’s foray into web3 fashion, and Alexis Ohanian told TechCrunch in an email that his fascination with Syky comes from his obsession with the intersection of technology and culture.
“Creating and growing Reddit has allowed us to be at the forefront of the power to create culture through technology, even if it’s internet culture. Fashion is another key component of that. ‘ added Ohanian.
Meanwhile, Delahunt plans to put the new funding into building the Syky team, developing designers into the community, and developing products and technology.
She plans that the future market will be the company’s revenue driver. A place for up-and-coming and inexperienced designers to sell and trade their collections to consumers. It will also be a place where designers and consumers can curate spaces that showcase their passion for fashion.
Delahunt has been keeping secret about some of the company’s next steps, including an announcement for designers in February and another part of the platform launching in the second quarter of this year.
“We plan to build luxury spatial environments in the digital world and then in the physical world,” added Delahunt.
