Popular streetwear brand The Hundreds is celebrating two decades in existence by unveiling its next flagship store – in the metaverse. The brand announced the opening of a 3D store within some.place, a metaverse platform pivoted to incorporate eCommerce and provide experiential ways for customers to participate in product drops. With the private beta test of some.place going live this week, The Hundreds will give users a first-hand look at how the platform manages brands and communities.
The virtual storefront is a replica of The Hundreds’ real-world store in the Fairfax neighborhood of Los Angeles, aiming to deliver an interactive and social shopping experience to fans. Bobby “Bobby Hundreds” Kim explained to Decrypt that their vision of the metaverse stores is centered around community interaction, shopping, and socializing, rather than gamification.
The some.place storefront is developed using the Unreal Engine 5, achieving a level of detail and realism not seen in other metaverse game experiences such as Decentraland and The Sandbox. However, it’s not intended to be a purely faithful recreation, with elements like lava flowing beneath street cracks adding a touch of fantasy.
The Hundreds will use its some.place store for exclusive apparel releases unavailable elsewhere, including items reserved for holders of the brand’s own Adam Bomb Squad NFT collection. Additionally, users can earn rewards through digital and real-world engagements, bridging the gap between both aspects of the brand’s presence.
Founded in 2021, some.place drew attention after receiving an endorsement from actress Brie Larson in March 2022. However, not all fans appreciated her venture into the NFT space, resulting in social media backlash. Some.place co-founder Lana Hopkins remains optimistic about Larson’s alliance with the platform, acknowledging the actress’s audience may have been ahead of the curve in terms of adopting Web3.
Some.place initially had a more social ambiance before shifting its focus towards serving as a hub for brands to construct online stores and experiences centered on physical and digital drops. Co-founders Hopkins and Juliana Di Simone both have extensive e-commerce backgrounds. The platform will launch with a mobile app, featuring an Instagram-like social feed of immersive destinations that users can explore. Expansion to the web is also planned, opening up opportunities for more brands to join.
Generative AI tools will be integrated to assist companies in creating custom worlds with minimal effort. Although some.place’s initial NFTs were minted on Flow, future NFTs will be minted on the Ethereum scaling network, Polygon. Hopkins does not embrace the term “metaverse”, arguing that it has lost meaning due to the wide range of experiences it represents. Instead, she envisions some.place as a tool offering users and communities immersive social opportunities and brand experiences, all within an accessible app.
Source: Decrypt
