K2K Alliance & Partners’ 2023 collection, World Wars – In The Time Of Salome, will be launched on September 30. The band’s 2023 Carnival experience will feature a strong digital component which will also be featured at the launch.
In a release, K2K said “since war comes in several different forms, including, physical, emotional, or psychological, K2K will be showcasing these three facets of war by using various mediums throughout the debut of its 2023 collection. The presentation will take on a multifaceted digital format designed to engage and educate audiences from the carnival enthusiast to the non-carnival participant.”
Through K2K Alliance & Partners Studios, an innovative lab intended to nurture ideas into industry-changing products and support transformational concepts, the band will develop its Innovation Hub (iHub), a dedicated space for activating change, which will showcase new and immersive ways to enjoy the K2K Collection. These include, but are not limited to animation, movies, reality TV and audible experiences.
“At the K2K iHub – Fashion meets Mas meets Immersive Technology,” the release said.
The premiere will incorporate two elements: an iTV+ experience which would include reality TV, behind-the-scenes footage from the making of the collection, and a campaign trailer; and an iEntertainment+ experience.
The iEntertainment+ experience will feature two digital elements. The first is the Phase 1 launch of K2K’s Metaverse or digital world, which will include 3D renderings, animated stories, audible experiences and visual narratives. The concept was developed by the band's principals Kathy and Karen Norman, who said when they were little girls, they were extremely excited to witness Peter Minshall’s costumes in the opening ceremony at the Atlanta Olympic Games.
“As adults, the question we keep on asking ourselves is, how do we continue to elevate, innovate, and evolve Carnival? With K2K’s focus on sustainable fashion through our 365-Day Concept, the metaverse and the evolution of digital avenues present promising new routes for consumer engagement. While no one quite agrees on how to perfectly define the metaverse, there is no refuting that we are already bearing witness to its potential and the future impact it may have on society.”
The second digital element is the Animation Launchpad. K2K remains committed to using its platforms for educational purposes, so for 2023, the Animation Launchpad will address the issue of the global climate crisis, the release said. The launch will introduce viewers to an original fantasy story, entitled Agate which focuses on the United Nations 17 sustainable development goals (SDGs) and the Environment, Social and Governance (ESG) Framework. The animated characters in the story will be dressed in K2K’s wardrobe.
“The full animated story is planned for 2024. However, on September 30, audiences will be given a sneak peek of the storyline and themes, through imagery, animation, and audible experiences. The beauty of the story, format and content is that it allows the audience to see Carnival and K2K’s costuming from a completely different lens.”
The Normans said for them the metaverse is the merging of physical and digital realities, which is enabled by various immersive technologies example, AR (augmented reality), VR (virtual reality) and MR (mixed reality). They said there are other pathways into the metaverse, including blockchain technology and by extension Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs), digital assets that link ownership to unique physical or digital items, such as works of art, real estate, music, or videos.
“At K2K, we believe the metaverse to be an extension of creative identities and digital ownership. It is a platform for commerce, whether that be physical-to-virtual or virtual-to-physical. Our intention is to bring our unique perspective to the digital evolution in two phases,” the release said.
Phase 1 is the development of a K2K-exclusive avatar to showcase K2K’s collections. For the 2023 Collection, K2K used avatar renderings to showcase garments which can be purchased, highlighting the transition from digital to real world commercial activity. The intent is to bring these characters from a 3D rendering to an animated form.
Phase 2 is the development of the world’s "first NFT carnival membership experience," where the holder of the NFT obtains access to exclusive social experiences and benefits. The K2K-NFT represents a collection of digital membership passes, provided by K2K Alliance & Partners and is an evolution of the band’s commerce platform.
While NFTs are known for being digital, the K2K-NFT is unique in that it transposes digital artwork to a physical garment, designed and crafted by K2K Alliance & Partners and showcased on K2K's own avatar. The owner of the asset will receive a limited edition, physical garment that matches the image on the NFT art piece. This garment will be delivered within six months upon purchase.
The K2K-NFT will also provide members access to exclusive social experiences and benefits in the physical world, such as discounts on the resort line NORMI& NORMI Inc, the bridal line KEV-ABSOLU and K2K (Carnival).
On the night of the premiere K2K is introducing some of its VIP clients to the NFT private membership perks in an exclusive exhibition in the US. There will be limited NFT membership passes available for purchase.