Afterpay and Kim Shui Present World’s First NYFW Crowdsourced Runway Garment

The leading brands invite consumers to contribute a piece of digital art for the first-ever, digital-first garment to walk at Kim Shui’s September fashion show 

Shui will also open submissions for undiscovered creators to win a chance at producing the show

Afterpay heads into its third consecutive season as the principal partner of New York Fashion Week (NYFW), with bigger bets and designer moments to shake up and break down the traditions of the old guard – giving consumers the chance to play a critical role in fashion week. Through this shared mission, Afterpay is partnering with forward-thinking Asian-American womenswear designer, Kim Shui known for her unapologetically provocative silhouettes that yield multidimensional representations of feminine power, to crowdsource hundreds of pixels from the public to design a first-of-its-kind garment that will debut at NYFW this September. 

Starting today, the public is invited to play an active role as a creator by contributing a piece of digital art that will be designed by Kim Shui and featured within her runway collection. From August 3rd through August 12th, Afterpay and Shui invite consumers to contribute one pixel of any imagery* to construct the first NYFW open-sourced project of this scale. 

Kim Shui will interpret hundreds of image submissions by hand-selecting pixels for the creation of the garment. By using state-of-the-art digital printing out of her New York City studio, Shui will then transfer images onto a fabric that best suits the results. From there, Shui will play with the shape and see how the garment can best weave into the SS23 collection. 

The final design of the pixel garment will be revealed at Kim Shui’s fashion show on September 12th at one of NYC’s most iconic locations. Once the show wraps, the pixel garment will be photographed and rendered into a commemorative NFT that will be redistributed to contributors of the original fabric. Ultimately, opening doors for fashion enthusiasts to play in the web3 world while forming a rare group of collectors who will own a limited-edition art piece from NYFW through Afterpay and Kim Shui’s community-led project. 

Simultaneously, Afterpay and Kim Shui will also leverage the power of the internet to source the next wave of talent through a nationwide open-casting call for models, stylists and photographers. From August 2nd through August 12th, any aspiring entrepreneur looking to break into the industry will have an equal opportunity to enter for a chance to be casted for Shui’s show.

Enter your submissions here for the pixel fabric or here for a once in a lifetime backstage role on Kim Shui’s fashion show by August 12, 2022 at 11:59pm PT to take part in the decentralized revolution. 

*Images must be PG and original. Any that are deemed non-PG and copyrighted will not make the final cut.