Nick Graham Taking NFTs to Space
Count Nick Graham as the latest designer to get into the NFT space.
The New York-based designer on Wednesday revealed his latest brand Airspace, which is dedicated to the space industry and will be initially distributed as NFT wearables.
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“The new Space Age is now upon us. With companies such as Space X, Virgin Galactic, Blue Origin and others developing their civilian astronaut programs, interest in space hasn’t been this high since the Apollo program,” Graham said. “By using technology to merchandise collections, while at the same time creating installations based on space, we not only make people’s avatars look great but make virtual space travel affordable.”
The Airspace wearable will launch in Decentraland, a 3D virtual reality platform, on July 24 at 11:50 a.m., the same date and time that Apollo 11 landed back on Earth from its moon voyage 52 years ago. The first collection consists of a flight jacket, flight suits, space helmets and moon boots, and will be displayed in an environment that replicates the Lunar Lander in the Sea of Tranquility.
Prices for the collection range from $300 and $3,000 and additional product drops will be offered over the next several months, Graham said.
The NFTs were created and will be distributed by Dapp Craft Agency, a global production studio, and Banquet Studios, a New York-based digital marketing company that specializes in NFTs.
Sales of wearables, including gaming, are projected to hit $120 billion this year and $300 billion by 2030, Graham said. But the products are virtual, not physical. However, Graham said he’s working with private space companies on product development of the designs for use by astronauts and crews. The space industry is projected to grow from $400 billion to $1.5 trillion by 2035, according to Graham, and space tourism is projected to grow to more than $40 billion in the same time period.
As part of the launch, a donation will be made to the Aldrin Family Foundation, a nonprofit organization focused on space travel. “Nick’s longtime support for our organization has helped us raise thousands of dollars to create the explorers of tomorrow,” said Dr. Andrew Aldrin, president of AFF. “This virtual collection will expose a whole new generation to the excitement of space.”
Graham has a long interest in space and has created a collection with Bill Nye, the Science Guy, and has had Buzz Aldrin, the second man on the Moon, model in his fashion show during New York Fashion Week: Men’s.
“We live on a planet called Earth, we are already in space, so globally there are 7.8 billion astronauts. Even if people can’t leave the planet they can still wear the brand as an experience of extraterrestrial exploration,” Graham said.
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