Prada is setting its engine on full throttle with creativity and community on its newest metaverse venture. The luxury house announced that it will team up with adidas Originals to launch adidas Originals For Prada Re-Source, a "first-of-its-kind" NFT project that invites fashion, design and crypto creators to collaborate on a large-scale digital piece inspired by its physical Re-Nylon collection.

Labeled "Adidas Originals For Prada Re-Source," the activation invites fans to work on a digital piece inspired by adidas' and Prada's new Re-Nylon collab, a collection of high-end athletic wear made in Italy with recyclable materials.

How it works: Anyone can register with a digital wallet and contribute to an anonymous photograph. From here, 3,000 people will be randomly selected to mint their submission as an NFT, free of cost. These will then be compiled as tiles into a single mosaic NFT designed by digital artist Zach Lieberman, with the final artwork to be auctioned off and the proceeds to benefit Slow Factory, a non-profit focused on climate justice and marginalised communities.

adidas and Prada set themselves apart by bringing fans into the fold. Not only do the duo heighten engagement with their audiences by hosting an open-metaverse project, but they are also giving consumers, for once, a chance to profit. Because designers retain the full IP rights to their individual NFT, they can opt to sell their tile on the secondary market. Additionally, they will receive a percentage of the auction sale each time Lieberman's finished product is sold, in perpetuity, strengthening the sense of shared ownership and creator rights.

On top of this, the project builds on both brands' green agendas. With questions arising about whether the metaverse is sustainable - especially considering the amount of energy needed to mint, bid on, sell, and transfer NFTs on the Ethereum blockchain - the two do their best to offset the potential environmental impact. From building the tiles on Polygon, an Ethereum-compatible network optimised for energy efficiency, to partnering with an organisation centred on environmental justice, adidas Originals For Prada Re-Source offers a playbook on how to approach the digital world with sustainability in mind.