Nolcha Shows is a New York–based company that centers its work on promoting and producing live events. This week, creators, investors, and fashion professionals gathered to exchange ideas at a gathering that bridges real-world fashion with the digital frontier of the Web3 era. The event showcased clothing designs that exist both as personal wearables and as assets in the metaverse. The core vision is that a wearer’s avatar can reflect their own appearance. In a world where one can attend a film premiere, see a doctor, or explore the ocean depths, it becomes natural to fashion a look that mirrors one’s real self. The collection highlighted at the event is known as Phygital Meta Street Wear.
In plain terms, to wear means to dress. This is where wearables come into play. Wearables encompass everything an avatar can don, from clothing and footwear to jewelry and even hairstyles. In gaming terms, a wearable might be a helmet that grants in-game powers. This leads to the introduction of Luigi Rockets, a Madrid–based Venezuelan artist encountered during a casual exploration of the Hive blockchain. The person behind the art isn’t painted as a superhero; he creates clothing designed for sale in the metaverse.
Luigi Rockets shares his social profiles on the Hive platform, and beyond the images he presented, one striking detail stands out: his Hive follower count began with almost none, while his Instagram presence counts thousands of followers. Of course, this was his debut post, a launch piece that a friend helped publish, given the expertise required in these spaces. While NFT sales are not new to Luigi, he has leveraged friendly networks to expand into other platforms where his art can be monetized. The artist himself pointed out a practical truth: entering Web3 alone is not easy. Collaboration often accelerates the journey.
The author has consistently encouraged artists to explore this technology, emphasizing that Web3 enables audiences to financially reward creators for shared content. The message is simple: this is not a radical departure but a continuum. Artists already disseminate content across Instagram, Twitter, Telegram, and other familiar channels; they simply need to migrate portions of their work to decentralized applications. Luigi Rockets serves as a clear example of this shift. He grasps the broad horizons Web3 opens, even as he navigates the friction that can accompany growth. The image accompanying this text illustrates a hyperrealist sculpture titled Orgasm by the artist, a work that Instagram has restricted from sharing. Yet Luigi’s latest project, titled Wildflowers: the blows life delivers invite us to thrive, remains accessible on the artist’s own Instagram profile @luigi.rockets. Later this year, audiences will have the chance to participate in a Metaverse opening ceremony virtually, embracing a new form of experiential art.
References to these points reflect a broader trend: creators are finding value in the convergence of physical fashion and digital representation. The conversation at events like Nolcha Shows underscores a growing ecosystem where apparel, accessories, and identity extend beyond the body and into the digital ecosystem. This shift invites designers to think holistically about how their work can exist in multiple dimensions, offering wearables that people can adore in real life and in virtual environments. The result is a more inclusive and expansive fashion experience, where style becomes a bridge between tangible craftsmanship and digital innovation. [Citation: Nolcha Shows event coverage]