Designer Stephy Fung: 'Taking a Stand' For Digital Fashion With New SYKY Collection

Digital fashion designer Stephy Fung has launched her debut SYKY Collective collection at NFT Paris, as the luxury fashion startup marks its integration with the Polygon blockchain ecosystem.

"I'm here as a digital fashion artist, trying to take a stand with my collection and show what is possible, and that it is the future," Fung told Decrypt at the launch of the collection.

"There is still a disconnect between the physical fashion industry and how they perceive digital fashion," she added, noting that some in the fashion world still think of digital fashion as a gimmick. "Merging the fashion industry with Web3 is super important," she said.

Fung’s collection, ‘Four Dragons,’ is inspired by the London-based designer’s Chinese heritage and pays homage to this year’s zodiac, the Year of the Dragon.

It consists of four unique digital fashion items, Long Dragon (長龍), Pearl Dragon (珠龍), Yellow Dragon (黃龍) and Black Dragon (黑龍). Yellow Dragon will be available as both a digital and physical design, while Pearl Dragon will be exclusively available through Polygon.

Calling Fung a “pioneer at the intersection of digital and physical realms in streetwear,” SYKY CEO & Founder Alice Delahunt added that the luxury brand’s integration with Polygon, “aims to extend this celebration of creativity, making luxury fashion accessible to a broader community and redefining fashion in our ever-evolving world.”

Fung told Decrypt that she's seeing "more people joining the digital fashion space that are not necessarily from a fashion background," adding that she began her career as a graphic designer.

Digital fashion, Fung said, has a democratizing effect on the fashion industry, since the barrier to entry is lower. "Anyone can do it as long as you have a computer and can write programmes... you don't have to experiment as much with physical products, and you don't need to buy as much equipment." That, she said, means that "a lot more people can come into this space and tell their story as digital fashion artists."

In a press statement shared with Decrypt, SYKY claimed that its integration with Polygon would expand its reach to over 400 million unique addresses.

Pronounced “psy-che,” the luxury fashion brand was founded in 2022 by Alice Delahunt, who previously worked at brands including Ralph Lauren and Burberry. In January 2023, SYKY announced it had completed a $10.5 million Series A fundraise, led by Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian’s investment firm Seven Seven Six.

SYKY users can purchase digital and physical fashion items designed by both emerging creators and established luxury brands, released in a series of curated drops.