A New Era - Wedgwood in Web 3

STOKE-ON-TRENT, England, June 22, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Josiah Wedgwood was a trailblazer ahead of his time. An innovator with a social conscience, scientific in his approach, inventive in his marketing and philanthropic in his attitude. These principles and values are just as relevant in today's hyperconnected world.

Since Alice Bastin was appointed as Creative Director for Wedgwood in March 2022, she's been inspired by Josiah Wedgwood's legacy as a pioneer and design innovator and his reputation for constantly disrupting and challenging traditional industry thinking by leading through innovation and new technology.

Commenting on Bastin's appointment, Michael Konig, VP Design and NPD Vita, Fiskars Group adds "we know that making a heritage brand culturally relevant in today's digital world is hard. Doing so without compromising the brand's history is just exceptionally hard. The way Alice applies her long experience from luxury fashion to elevate our brands and propel them into the cultural conversation has been convincing from the start. Combined with the passion she brings to these brands makes the results feel so personal and original. A unique combination that we were lucky to find in her."

Alice's previous roles at luxury fashion houses Chloé and Celine, as well as her most recent tenure at Alexander McQueen, have placed her in an unrivalled position to express Wedgwood's heritage and craft through impactful collaborations and creative brand storytelling. Alice's work focuses on pushing the boundaries of materials and this creative approach has led Bastin to explore the possibilities of reimagining one of Josiah Wedgwood's most recognisable archive pieces, the Portland vase, as a NFT and collectable in the digital space.

Wedgwood in Web 3 is Alice Bastin's first public facing activity as Creative Director. Initially Bastin will focus on marketing, experiences and collaborations with a new direction and design expression for product expected to launch from September 2023 onwards.
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The 300 NFT's were created under the creative direction of Alice Bastin in collaboration with Assaf Reeb's XXII Studio. The process involved 3D scanning, modelling and coding, culminating in a generative series of artworks. Each 3D render in this series is unique, featuring its own combination of traits such as materials, colours, ornamentation and background effects. This generative process provides owners with a completely unique piece of Wedgwood history. Commenting on the collaboration, Assaf adds "this is a pioneering and bold approach by a heritage brand, where certain parameters are predetermined by the designer, who then lets the algorithm select the final combinations."

Wedgwood in Web 3 shows the brand's ambition to do things differently and marks the beginning of a new era. A creative culture that respects Wedgwood's rich and storied heritage, but one that's not afraid to challenge preconceptions, encourage experimentation and embrace innovation through pioneering design and unexpected collaborations.

Sjoerd Leeflang, VP English and Crystal Brands, Fiskars Group comments "Wedgwood is one of the leading brands in Fiskars Group portfolio and the brand with most potential for global growth. It's also the brand in our portfolio that has strong roots in innovation and it makes absolute sense that Wedgwood should be exploring new brand experiences and services for our customers, such as Web 3 and NFT collectables. If Josiah was with us today, I am sure he would have been one of the first to experiment in this new space, as it's the perfect platform to introduce the reinvigorated Wedgwood brand."

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