New York, July 19, 2022 — Lorenzo Riva, Balenciaga’s artistic director in the early 1980s, announces the release date of the "Cristóbal Balenciaga: To the Moon" NFT collection. The NFTs are inspired by Riva's collection of 8,300 original, never-before-seen designs from Cristóbal himself.

Rising to fame for his empowering, first-of-its-kind designs, Cristóbal quickly claimed his position as "The Master" of haute couture. From humble beginnings as an apprentice for a local tailor, Cristóbal later became known to the fashion world as a pioneer for innovative shapes in clothing. In the 1950s, these releases included the sack dress and cocoon coat, which became a new silhouette for women. Now a pinnacle of fashion, the Balenciaga name is closely linked to revolution and modernism, with many of Cristóbal's concepts still influencing global fashion to this day. 

Fortunately, Cristóbal's original designs were passed down to Lorenzo Riva, the artistic director of Balenciaga during the 1980s. Riva and well-known Web3 companies such as Art Consulting, the curators of Riva’s Balenciaga collection; Art Vein, a fine art NFT platform; Animal Concerts, a metaverse entertainment company; Cointelegraph, crypto’s leading digital media organization that was responsible for designing and creating the art; and Crypto.com NFT, a leading NFT marketplace, collaborated to bring this fashionable digital NFT collection to life with the same attention to fine art that Cristóbal's original shapes in fashion once held.

(From left to right) Romano Ravasio and Lorenzo Riva, Source: ArtConsulting.net

Romano Ravasio, Art Consulting partner and curator of Collezione Lorenzo Riva, shared: “With ‘Balenciaga to the Moon,’ haute couture enters the metaverse. It enters with the extraordinary elegance of the glamorous 1950s. Contemporary art is the place of contamination, so we are happy to stimulate this dialogue between past and future. The past must be saved and the future nourished with treasures from our glorious past."

As fashion undergoes another evolution into Web3, participants are invited to purchase their piece of history. This NFT project will feature a mystery box format for its public random minting process which begins July 21, 2022, at 9 AM EST, with the NFTs to be revealed immediately.

Haute couture meets Web3

With a total supply of 10,000 unique pieces, collectors can reveal NFTs of varying rarity upon minting, giving buyers an element of surprise revealing each NFT.

A project of this caliber calls for rewards that are just as exciting! With this generous mentality, the project partners doubled down on rewards, providing select lucky minters the chance to receive Balenciaga gear, gift cards to high-end designer brands and even the 70-year-old drawings by Cristóbal. In addition, a number of NFT holders will receive allowlist spots for upcoming Animal Concerts NFT drops and get access to special giveaways that include live and metaverse concert tickets, and more!

Moreover, the project team also highlights 50 exclusive one-of-one "haute couture" hyper-rare Balenciaga NFTs — the rarest and, by extension, the most valuable of all.

For interested participants, the NFTs provide haute redeemables, unparalleled utility and a standard-setting community at a fixed price of just $100 for each mint from Crypto.com NFT!

To spur participation in a Web3 world powered by digital collectibles, the project team incentivizes first-time buyers with many desirable perks, including a secure allowlist spot for future Balenciaga NFT drops with Lorenzo Riva, and allowlist spots for upcoming Animal Concerts NFT drops and access to special giveaways. Moreover, the Animal Concerts team has brewed up a plethora of post-drop incentives, rewards, redeemables and utility — all to ensure that owners of the Cristóbal Balenciaga: To the Moon NFTs enjoy the longevity of a healthy, community-oriented project.

For those interested in participating in an NFT project that aims to set the standard for meta-fashion and empowerment of communities, visit the “To The Moon” collection page on Crypto.com NFT and grab your piece of fashion history. Moreover, stay current with the latest developments in the Animal Concerts ecosystem by joining the Animal Concerts Discord.

About Animal Concerts

Animal Concerts is a platform that creates a next-generation experience for concerts in the metaverse. The platform currently operates with the mission to transform the fan experience and democratize the music industry by enabling both A-list and emerging artists to monetize their work with fans directly.

About Art Consulting

Art Consulting is an international network of art consultants that acts as curators for public and private art collections worldwide. The team's experience, which extends over 20 years, effectively positions Art Consulting as a leader in the sector.

About Art Vein

Art Vein is recognized as an NFT enabler platform and world-class crypto investment fund, with extensive experience developing an original NFT infrastructure and marketing platform. The project continues to leverage strong relationships with leading marketplaces as a differentiator in its efforts to authenticate, categorize and register art on the blockchain.