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High-end labels including Tod’s, Bulgari, Dior, Prada, and Cartier are leveraging digital passports to gain customer loyalty, combat frauds and more.
Technology in Fashion
30 May, 2024
Table of contents
Luxury fashion labels had already started to look through the vast opportunities of adding potential value by providing digital identities to the IRL products. Companies such as Aura Blockchain Consortium, Arianee and Temera are looking forward to an increase in the brands demanding digital product passports.
The Digital Product Passport (DPP) is a connection between the physical items and their identity in digital space. It offers all the crucial information such as the product’s origin, product process, sourcing, and ownership. DPP is used for various reasons in the luxury industry, which includes authenticity, and traceability, to enhance CRM database for direct communication with customers, different types of sales (i.e., NFT gifts, loyalty programs, E-warranty), and giving personalized and creative customer experience.
Brands have begun to adopt assigning unique digital passports for most of their products due to the new EU Ecodesign for Sustainable Product Regulation (ESPR) (a new framework that promotes the reduction of environmental impacts and circularity in many sectors including apparel and textile in the European Union) which anticipates the requirement of Digital Product Passports. Apart from that, DPP can help companies shape the brand narrative and, with the use of blockchain, redefine customer relationships. It can assure the customers by offering the ownership certificate along with information on sustainability, authenticity, traceability, and transparency.
Breitling used the IT system of the Arianee Saas platform to launch digital product passports for its watches to provide consumers insight into the product’s authenticity and additional services through a mobile app. The watch will come with a warranty card bearing the QR code to the product page where the buyer can get Breitling NFT to access the information. This passport connects the customers to the brand’s digital warranty program which allows them to initiate and track the repair processes. It also involves an extended warranty period in the future and a subscription to insurance in case of loss or theft. The customers will have the upper hand in controlling their data and remain anonymous.
Bulgari integrated the DPPs on its Serpenti in Art collection embedded with NFC tags and Touch experience, in collaboration with Aura Blockchain Consortium. The owners will have access to the bags’ history, and its theme visioned by the collaborating artists. All the information, inducing the inspirations and influences, can be known only through the bag. Each item is connected to its digital twin crafted by the Multi-Token Minter. The NFC tag is placed at the serpent-shaped twist lock. The owner can place their mobile phone touching the lock to access the Aura Product page.
Dior empowered its customers by providing digital product passports for its B33 Sneaker collection. One can access the sneaker’s authenticity certificate along with insights on the stages of its production, exclusive gifts, and updates on the upcoming collection releases. DPPs offered authenticity and traceability features in addition to the ability to possess the digital twin on Ethereum. This creation was powered by Aura Blockchain Consortium. The encrypted digital key, which needs to be scanned to get into the Aura Product page for the product information, is placed on the right sole.
After the success of the token-gated virtual store, Lacoste joined forces with Arianee again to create Digital Product Passports for its limited-edition collection, The Factory Drop, made in collaboration with the UNDW3 community and designers of the brand. The collection is accessible only to UNDW3 cardholders. The product purchased will include a QR code-printed warranty card which will lead the purchaser to the digital product passport.
Loro Piana, in collaboration with Aura Blockchain Consortium, incorporated digital certificates of authenticity, traceability, and ownership for its products. This certification includes the apparel made with its star merino wool fabric, named The Gift of Kings. The customers can scan the QR code printed on the tag to learn more about the history behind the collection and an insight into the production process from sheep's yards to stores.
Louis Vuitton provides LV Diamond Certificates, with the assistance of Aura Blockchain Consortium, that promote responsible sourcing for diamonds and the best services for consumers. With the certification, one can access information on the diamond’s origin, appearance, texture, sourcing, supply chain, authenticity, transparency, and traceability. The band also uses this technology to trace out the nature of the diamond. The owner can get in touch with the information page with the central stone present on the diamond.
LVMH Moët Hennessy - Louis Vuitton is using Aura Blockchain technology to provide digital certificates of ownership for the rare pieces presented on Heristoria, an online platform that sells unique pieces from archives of the group’s brands. The product ID of the item is stored on the Aura Blockchain along with the ownership ID of the buyer. Therefore, the customers will know about the authenticity of the vintage product that they purchased and that their data is safe.
Maison Martin Margiela used Aura Blockchain Consortium’s digital certificate of authenticity in its Tabi Boots. The certificate is provided with a no-code smart contract editor and NFC tag which guarantees no counterfeiting. The boots come with a paper tag explaining about the digital certificate and how we can access it. On the right sole of the boots, one can find the code to scan with their mobile phone to reach the dedicated landing page on the product’s authenticity and traceability.
In September 2023, Arianee helped Thierry Mugler introduce Digital Product Passports for its handbags through a QR code located behind the internal space of the pocket inside the bag. This blockchain-powered DPP guarantees the veracity of the product and provides a lot of benefits. The customer can scan the QR code and enter into the dedicated product page where they have to enter the code written on the card that comes with the product in order to claim the passport.
In October 2023, Panerai started to use Digital Product Passport for all its timepieces, powered by Arianee, to enhance the customer experience. The passport acts as proof of ownership and contains information about the watch’s technical details and history. The information can be accessed by scanning the QR Code printed on the warranty card to reach Pam.Guard, a platform for the brand community. It also allows a safer ownership transfer in case of a second-hand market purchase.
Pinko, with Temera, launched birth certificates for the garments of its Reimagine collection with NFC tags and blockchain technology. The archive products from the brand are revived into new clothes by reusing the raw materials. By scanning the NFC tag, the customer can know the information about the raw materials’ reuse, and hours of tailoring. The authenticity of this information will be under the control of the proprietor through the service “Verified by Virgo”.
Prada had the assistance of Aura Blockchain technology to infuse NFC authenticity cards for its jewelry products with chain of custody standards, origin and history of the product, and features on traceability and authenticity. By scanning the card provided with the product, the owner can access the information on the product along with the history of the stone (i.e., diamond) used, and sustainability standards.
Ulé by Shiseido Company, Limited is one of the first beauty brands to introduce Digital Product Passports, exclusively for its C-Bright serum. With the help of Arianee, the brand incorporated DPPs into the serum to enable their clients to unlock features such as traceability, authenticity, ownership, and personalized experiences and services. Selected 10 DPPs had the special privilege of providing two invitations to the Ulé Earth Day. All other DPPs came with gift vouchers that can be used on the brand’s official website.
In collaboration with Aura Blockchain Consortium, Tod's introduced a Digital Product Passport with NFC technology in its personalized Di Bag. The tool highlighted the product’s origin, production processes, quality, transparency, and sustainability standards. With this, the owner will have access to a number of premium benefits, extended warranty, enhanced customer services and support from client advisors, and exclusive entry to the brand’s events. The customer can scan the label’s logo on the bag which bears the NFC tag and get into the webpage of the DPP automatically to find more about the product and service provided.
In 2019, Vacheron Constantin collaborated with Arianee to implement digital certification of authenticity to its watches using blockchain technology. Later in 2021, the label introduced Digital Product Passports, initially for Les Collectionneurs collection and later for all the pieces. The Hour Club, the new site for loyal customers, acts as the digital authentication platform too.
Verlan worked with Arianee to assign digital passports through NFC chips fitted on the back neck logo tag. It provides the digital representation of the products along with several services and communication with the advisors. With this, the brand expects to decrease waste, enhance product authenticity, streamline the supply chain, and provide unlimited services.
Cover image: Thierry Mugler's Digital Product Passports for its handbag collection, courtesy Thierry Mugler official website.