Parisian haute couture house Maison Margiela is bringing together the physical and digital realms with its new MetaTABI Collection, an NFT that combines token-gated product experiences with the brand’s iconic split-toe shoe.

The launch, in collaboration with digital fashion house The Fabricant, is “metaphorically, a huge step,” Maison Margiela Chairman Stefano Rosso said during a livestream with Rug Radio creator Stephy Fung.

Using the brand’s Tabi shoe for its first step into Web3 was, Rosso said, “just so special in so many different ways—the symbol of our Maison linked to a unique footprint into this amazing new environment that is changing the lives of people as we speak.”

MetaTABI consists of two distinct editions, 15 Tier 1 NFTs in white and 1,500 Tier 2 NFTs in black. Tier 2 holders receive a customized leather wallet containing the printed crypto wallet, The Fabricant founder Adriana Hoppenbrouwer explained.

Join @stephyfung as she unveils the MetaTABI Collection by Maison @Margiela with @StefanoBrave (Chairman of Maison Margiela) and @AdrianaHoppenb1 and @k3rrymurphy (Founders of @thefabricant)! pic.twitter.com/GHN2Kd224W

— Rug Radio (@RugRadio) April 15, 2024

Tier 1 holders, meanwhile, get a pair of limited edition handmade physical Tabi boots. “Only 15 people in the world will have those boots, and they’re nowhere else to be found,” said Hoppenbrouwer. Those Tabi boots have a unique hand-painted gold finish, Rosso said, adding that, “It’s a unique treatment, never done for any of our shoes or any of our goods.”

As well as the physical products, MetaTABI owners also get access to virtual products across AR and metaverse platforms including The Sandbox and Ready Player Me. “The idea with digital boots is the same idea as with physical boots, that you get to choose where you want to wear them,” said The Fabricant founder Kerry Murphy.

Maison Margiela has past form exploring the Web3 space; last year it launched a blockchain game in which participants competed to mint 24 token-linked digits.

Billed as "the basis of Maison Margiela’s future Web3 community," the game's tokens enabled holders to gain access to the MetaTABI presale, prior to public minting going live, Hoppenbrouwer explained. "The presale is for the holders of The Fabricant, for the people that played the Maison Margiela game, and for very lucky people from our partner communities for raffles to be on the presale," she said.

Both MetaTABI editions offer priority access to Maison Margiela's upcoming Web3 projects through an NFT Mint Pass, ranging from virtual experiences such as exclusive programming and gaming activations, to collaborative Web3 partnerships. “A MetaTABI is actually a membership token, you could say, a new VIP program for the Maison Margiela,” said Hoppenbrouwer.

“Imagine how exclusive Margiela events actually are,” said Murphy. “Through this token, you essentially get lifetime access. And this is one of the things that I see the most value in at the moment, because those physical events are so highly sought after.”

Through the virtual events enabled by the MetaTABI NFT, Murphy said, “more people will have access” to the Maison Margiela experience. “Through the token, you get all of these different perks that are so-called utilities, whether a physical one or virtual one. It’s about creating more value than one physical item can give by itself,” he said.

MetaTABI owners who become part of the Maison Margiela fanbase are “not only getting a physical product,” Rosso said. “It's really getting access to the brand in so many other ways in the future. So for us, it's really just the beginning of a journey.”