Draup launches with mission to challenge perceptions around digital fashion

The highly-anticipated Draup has finally launched, bringing with it a mission of maximising the value of digital fashion and shifting perceptions around the sector. The platform allows users to buy ‘ownable’ digital fashion from a curated selection of designers, showcase the purchased pieces through virtual wardrobes and cross-platform integrations, and make money from creations via resale, rental and ‘wear-to-earn’ features.

The founder, Daniella Loftus, spoke with FashionUnited in August last year, where she discussed her plans for the platform after securing a 1.5 million dollar fundraising. The round received backing from notable figures in fashion, consumer tech and crypto, including LVMH’s former digital chief Ian Rogers and Trevor McFedries, creator of virtual social media star Lil Miquela.

For Loftus, whose background is planted in philanthropic work, investment advisory and blockchain communications, her first lone steps into the digital fashion sector came with the launch of an online newsletter, ‘This Outfit Does Not Exist’. The initiative looked to inform subscribers on the latest developments in digital fashion in order to bolster media coverage on the topic, which Loftus said had been lacking at the time. Later, the young entrepreneur also debuted a zine, ‘The Lost i’, which further encapsulated the world she wanted to create around what eventually became Draup.

‘Digital fashion is not at odds with couture…’

Now, Draup itself is finally here, unveiled alongside the platform’s first collection from its in-house brand, ‘Seen On Screen’. The 648 generative garments as part of the line have been developed alongside digital artist Nicolas Sassoon, who has previously collaborated with the likes of Uniqlo and Balenciaga on similarly pixel-based projects. Each of the pieces have been created through the use of generative algorithms, code-based systems that help to determine elements of a creative process, such as the cut, colour and material. It marks the first time this technology has been implemented into the creation of garments by a digital fashion platform, having previously been used for the likes of picture-for-profile (PFP) projects and digital artwork.

Its adoption further reflects Loftus’ mission of reinterpreting ‘couture’, driving customisation and craftsmanship in the digital world. The young entrepreneur referenced the practices of the Fédération de la Haute Couture et de la Mode, which requires designers to demonstrate art in their atelier and personalisation in their pieces. “Draup brings these two elements squarely into the digital space,” Loftus told FashionUnited, while adding that digital fashion is still subject to criticism and is often disregarded by consumers and creators.

“As the oldest and highest form of fashion, the term ‘digital couture’ is seen as an oxymoron. Where couture seeks artisanship, digital fashion sells automation. Where couture seeks skill, digital fashion sells scale. And where couture seeks exclusivity, digital fashion sells accessibility,” Loftus stated. Through the launch of both the platform and the collection, she hopes Draup will successfully challenge these misconceptions, “proving that digital fashion is not at odds with couture, but rather its natural evolution”, she concluded.