SYKY Launches The SYKY Collective Incubator Program to Empower Emerging Digital Designers

SYKY Launches The SYKY Collective Incubator Program to Empower Emerging Digital Designers

Digital fashion platform SYKY has unveiled The SYKY Collective, a year-long incubator program aimed at nurturing and empowering emerging digital designers. Backed by Seven Seven Six, the platform will collaborate with a group of 10 talented digital designers to enhance their skills and develop their brands.

The inaugural class of designers includes renowned names such as Pet Liger, Stephy Fung, GlitchofMind, Calvyn Dylin Justus, Taskin Goec, Fanrui Sun, Nextberries, Gustavo Toledo, Felipe Fiallo, and Jacquelyn Assar. Together, they will embark on a mission to disrupt the traditional fashion industry and pioneer the rapidly evolving world of digital fashion.

Under the guidance of SYKY’s founder and CEO, Alice Delahunt, as well as industry leaders like Jonathan Bottomley, the CMO of Calvin Klein, Megan Kaspar, a founding member of digital fashion platform Red DAO, and the British Fashion Council, the cohort will release their debut collections on SYKY later this year.

Delahunt emphasized the company’s mission to decentralize creativity and introduce new mediums to the traditional fashion world. She acknowledged the skepticism surrounding digital designers and the cycle of hype and disillusionment associated with the metaverse and NFTs. However, Delahunt believes in the power of designers creating in digital spaces and consumers expressing their identity in virtual worlds.

Taskin Goec, one of the selected designers, expressed excitement about expanding his design skills alongside a group of artists and mentors who are well-versed in digital fashion and Web3. He emphasized the collaborative aspect of cultural creation and the desire to work together as a family to make a greater impact.

Beyond skill development, the collective aims to diversify the fashion industry by breaking down barriers to entry for aspiring artists. Delahunt believes that nurturing grassroots-level brands will lead to a more creative, inclusive, and diverse fashion industry, which remains predominantly gatekept despite efforts to dismantle barriers over the years.

Nextberries, represented by Adaku Emenike and Oluchi Nwachukwu, highlighted the challenges faced by digital designers in Nigeria, including a traditional mindset and limited access to digital resources. They aspire to make a difference and change the landscape of the Nigerian and African fashion scene through the collective, as the digital world is not yet as familiar in these regions.

While digital fashion has often been associated with events like Metaverse Fashion Week, SYKY has been diligently building its community over the past year to foster decentralized creativity in preparation for its platform launch. The platform secured a $9.5 million funding round led by Seven Seven Six, a venture capital firm founded by Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian. Additionally, SYKY introduced the Keystone Pass, a collection of non-fungible tokens (NFTs) granting access to its exclusive community comprising fashion leaders, collectors, designers, and enthusiasts.