Those who had not yet launched their own NFTs are slowly but surely getting into the game, starting with Gap, which is combining art, gaming and fashion in a collaborative initiative with the artist behind Frank Ape.

All are built on the Tezos blockchain, which boasts “a more energy-efficient approach to securing its network,” thus minimising its carbon footprint.

The hoodie – a Gap brand classic – will naturally take center stage in this new digital experience.

This NFT collection will be offered in four levels – Common, Rare, Epic and One of a Kind.

While the brand says that its digital items will be available on a “first come, first served” basis, the gamified experience will encourage buyers to collect Gap hoodie digital art at the Common and Rare levels to unlock the next levels, and thus have the opportunity to purchase digital art from Brandon Sines, as well as a limited edition physical Gap hoodie.

“With this partnership with Gap, the creative cycle has come full circle as it allows me to express the beautiful messages of Frank Ape while actually collaborating with one of the most classic brands in history,” said Brandon Sines in a statement.

An accessible drop

The NFTs will be available exclusively on the Gap.com/nft website, starting Thursday, January 13 at 9am PT, priced at 2 tez (XTZ), or just over US$8 at the time of writing.

This first drop will be the very first level in the collection, which Gap has named Common. Other launches will take place in the coming days and weeks, with prices not exceeding about US$415 (for the Epic level), except for the One of a Kind level auction on Jan 24.

Gap has got the new year off to a flying start. In addition to this NFT drop, the brand recently announced an all-star collaboration with Kanye West and Balenciaga under the “Yeezy Gap Engineered by Balenciaga” label, which should be unveiled during 2022, further bolstering the links between luxury and ready-to-wear.