Starting today, anyone who wants to own a magnificent dress of a legendary Austrian empress as a digital work of art can do so. First, there are three dresses from the RTL series “Sisi” as NFT. More will follow.
Even during her lifetime, Sisi was a style icon, and the elegance and fashion awareness of the Austrian empress are still legendary. Starting today, fans have the opportunity to secure the magnificent dresses from the RTL series of the same name as digital works of art, so-called NFTs. First, three majestic robes are available for purchase in limited quantities.
An NFT, short for Non-Fungible Token, is a certificate of authenticity for digital goods such as art, pictures or music. Like analogue goods, these can be copied or duplicated, but the original belongs solely to the buyer. This creates rarity value and enables resale.
NFTs are no longer a new Internet phenomenon. Online art is increasingly finding its way into the mainstream, even trading for record sums at the renowned auction house Christie’s. “We would also like to offer fans of the series who are dealing with NFTs for the first time an easy entry into the world of digital collectibles,” says Julia Bell from RTL . For the streaming platform’s first NFTs, the original series costumes were artistically translated into digital form.
The difference to many other NFTs: The Sisi robes are available at affordable prices and can be paid for using conventional methods instead of cryptocurrencies. This opens up a way for interested fans to immerse themselves in the NFT scene without much prior knowledge. “But of course we’re also happy if the long-established NFT community should be there,” says Bell.
NFTs are not without controversy in the online world, critical voices only see them as objects of speculation. “But we don’t want to generate any artificial hype. Rather, it’s about looking at new technologies with open eyes,” counters Bell. “Even for little money, fans of the series get a lovingly modeled work of art”. RTL wants to exchange ideas with NFT newcomers and experts, for example via a newsletter. Of course, anyone who has secured a digital Sisi dress can also trade it on public marketplaces.
A blockchain acts as a digital database so that NFT owners can be clearly assigned. The technology is considered to be particularly energy-intensive and therefore climate-unfriendly. “That’s why we chose Flow, a new-generation blockchain network designed specifically for NFTs that uses significantly less power,” says Bell. Anyone who buys a Sisi NFT also gets the dress as an augmented reality file and an exclusive insight into the shooting of the second season. Showrunner Andreas Gutzeit takes the owners on a digital set visit.
The first drop contains three dresses from Sisi’s young years in different quantities. An outfit of the famous monarch can already be purchased for five euros. Edition: 200 pieces. The “Resistance Dress” costs 25 euros, but with 50 originals available it is more exclusive. Anyone who would like to own a particularly rare digital work of art can secure the “dress of determination” for 75 euros – limited to just ten copies. Five more drops, each with three dresses from the first and second season, follow.
