{"id":2170,"date":"2026-07-09T05:42:27","date_gmt":"2026-07-09T00:42:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/?p=2170"},"modified":"2026-07-09T05:42:27","modified_gmt":"2026-07-09T00:42:27","slug":"cameron-winklevoss-on-nfts-fashion-and-the-future-of-his-rock-band","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/?p=2170","title":{"rendered":"Cameron Winklevoss on NFTs, fashion, and the future of his rock band"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><script>\r\n  atOptions = {\r\n    'key' : '644b717812d811d6a1c1fc5b6ccd6fa6',\r\n    'format' : 'iframe',\r\n    'height' : 90,\r\n    'width' : 728,\r\n    'params' : {}\r\n  };\r\n<\/script>\r\n<script src=\"https:\/\/www.highperformanceformat.com\/644b717812d811d6a1c1fc5b6ccd6fa6\/invoke.js\"><\/script>\r\n<br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div data-adroot=\"true\">\n<p>At yesterday\u2019s Vivienne Tam New York Fashion Week show, her first in-person show since 2019, the designer showed off a collection full of flowing hems and patchwork knits \u2014 and blue chip NFT avatars.<\/p>\n<p>Characters from the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.inputmag.com\/features\/bored-ape-yacht-club-greg-solano-wylie-aronow-profile\" class=\"T3D\">Bored Ape Yacht Club<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.inputmag.com\/features\/bored-ape-yacht-club-greg-solano-wylie-aronow-profile\" class=\"T3D\">CryptoPunks<\/a>, CyberKongz, and Awkward Astronauts appeared sewn, printed, and even embroidered on apparel and accessories. \u201cI wanted the creators of these NFTs, and even those unfamiliar with NFTs, to be excited and to think, \u2018Wow, they\u2019re alive!\u2019\u201d Tam said in a press release. Her show, according to its notes, was meant to \u201crewire the current fashion landscape.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>As models walked down the runway at Spring Studios,<strong> <\/strong>a range of pixels danced on a screen in the background. The imagery came courtesy of Scapes, a blockchain platform featuring 10,000 digital landscapes. Apes grinned on blazers; CryptoPunks dangled on earrings. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.niftygateway.com\/marketplace\/collectible\/0xc71561e12faf378b07eacd36b3d0eb0d13a5fb1c\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer\" class=\"T3D\">Awkward Astronauts<\/a> appeared on rainbow-colored dresses and tees, including the one worn by attendee Cameron Winklevoss.<\/p>\n<p>Winklevoss, 41, partnered with Tam to bring the 2023 spring collection to life. Where the designer lacked metaverse expertise, he picked up: Winklevoss and his twin brother, Tyler, founded cryptocurrency exchange platform <a href=\"https:\/\/www.gemini.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer\" class=\"T3D\">Gemini<\/a> in 2014 with plans to build a decentralized metaverse. Gemini\u2019s current offerings include Awkward Astronauts NFTs. <\/p>\n<p><em>Input<\/em> caught up with Cameron Winklevoss<strong> <\/strong>before the show<strong> <\/strong>to discuss how the fashion partnership came about, what his vision for the metaverse is, and how Mars Junction \u2014 the rock band he performs in with Tyler \u2014 plays into all this.<\/p>\n<div class=\"sWr iGR CEt\">\n<figure class=\"Qf5 E1M\">\n<div style=\"padding-top:149.9824%;\" class=\"vmZ F8Y ap2\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/imgix.bustle.com\/uploads\/image\/2022\/9\/15\/0ed88843-2a0d-4f9f-a738-d79140f2daa6-vtam_ss23_look_19.JPG?w=375&amp;h=562&amp;fit=max&amp;dpr=2\" srcset=\"https:\/\/imgix.bustle.com\/uploads\/image\/2022\/9\/15\/0ed88843-2a0d-4f9f-a738-d79140f2daa6-vtam_ss23_look_19.JPG?w=375&amp;h=562&amp;fit=max 375w, https:\/\/imgix.bustle.com\/uploads\/image\/2022\/9\/15\/0ed88843-2a0d-4f9f-a738-d79140f2daa6-vtam_ss23_look_19.JPG?w=375&amp;h=562&amp;fit=max&amp;dpr=2 750w, https:\/\/imgix.bustle.com\/uploads\/image\/2022\/9\/15\/0ed88843-2a0d-4f9f-a738-d79140f2daa6-vtam_ss23_look_19.JPG?w=760&amp;h=1140&amp;fit=max 760w, https:\/\/imgix.bustle.com\/uploads\/image\/2022\/9\/15\/0ed88843-2a0d-4f9f-a738-d79140f2daa6-vtam_ss23_look_19.JPG?w=760&amp;h=1140&amp;fit=max&amp;dpr=2 1520w\" sizes=\"(min-width:768px) 760px, 375px\" alt=\"Vivienne Tam NFT spring 2023 collection as shown at NYFW\" class=\"uMj EdX\"\/><\/div>\n<p><figcaption class=\"TrI\">The Awkward Astronauts, as seen in Tam\u2019s spring 2023 collection.<cite class=\"hW6\">Vivienne Tam <\/cite><\/figcaption><\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p><strong>How did this project with Vivienne Tam come about?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Vivian made a dress with Awkward Astronauts, which is the NFT community that started on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.niftygateway.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer\" class=\"T3D\">Nifty Gateway<\/a>, which is Gemini\u2019s NFT platform. And I think Tam knew a couple of people on our team. They had collaborated before, and she was excited about doing a crypto-inspired collection of dresses. We wanted to get crypto in front of different audiences.<\/p>\n<p><strong>What inspired you to enter the fashion world?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>I think it\u2019s important to get crypto around more people. It\u2019s very much a global movement, so we have to get in front of as many people as possible. We\u2019re going to onboard the next billion people into [the metaverse]. And NFTs are a fun, creative, accessible way for people to experience crypto and the future.<\/p>\n<div class=\"sWr iGR CEt\">\n<figure class=\"Qf5 E1M\">\n<div style=\"padding-top:149.9824%;\" class=\"vmZ F8Y ap2\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/imgix.bustle.com\/uploads\/image\/2022\/9\/15\/5d980112-8b79-4ad0-80cb-5dc4d0ea9fcc-vtam_ss23_backstage_079.JPG?w=375&amp;h=562&amp;fit=max&amp;dpr=2\" srcset=\"https:\/\/imgix.bustle.com\/uploads\/image\/2022\/9\/15\/5d980112-8b79-4ad0-80cb-5dc4d0ea9fcc-vtam_ss23_backstage_079.JPG?w=375&amp;h=562&amp;fit=max 375w, https:\/\/imgix.bustle.com\/uploads\/image\/2022\/9\/15\/5d980112-8b79-4ad0-80cb-5dc4d0ea9fcc-vtam_ss23_backstage_079.JPG?w=375&amp;h=562&amp;fit=max&amp;dpr=2 750w, https:\/\/imgix.bustle.com\/uploads\/image\/2022\/9\/15\/5d980112-8b79-4ad0-80cb-5dc4d0ea9fcc-vtam_ss23_backstage_079.JPG?w=760&amp;h=1140&amp;fit=max 760w, https:\/\/imgix.bustle.com\/uploads\/image\/2022\/9\/15\/5d980112-8b79-4ad0-80cb-5dc4d0ea9fcc-vtam_ss23_backstage_079.JPG?w=760&amp;h=1140&amp;fit=max&amp;dpr=2 1520w\" sizes=\"(min-width:768px) 760px, 375px\" alt=\"Vivienne Tam NFT spring 2023 collection as shown at NYFW\" class=\"uMj EdX\"\/><\/div>\n<p><figcaption class=\"TrI\">Tam with her Awkward Astronaut design. <cite class=\"hW6\">Vivienne Tam <\/cite><\/figcaption><\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p><strong>How would you describe the metaverse in broader terms for people who aren\u2019t really in that realm?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The best way to think of [the metaverse] is if Web2 added a dimension with social. Web1 was very one-dimensional, more like sharing written information or like a postcard. Web2 added social elements and different connections. Web3 is much more immersive \u2014 I\u2019m sure you\u2019ve seen videos of people wearing Oculus Rifts, or you\u2019ve seen the movie <em>Ready Player One<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p>I hope it\u2019s decentralized in the future and that users control their data and all their information. In Web2, we really handed that over to companies to hold, mine, and monetize for their gain or benefit.<\/p>\n<p><strong>What are your thoughts on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.vanityfair.com\/news\/2019\/04\/inside-the-mark-zuckerberg-winklevoss-twins-cage-match\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer\" class=\"T3D\">[onetime nemesis] Mark Zuckerberg<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.inputmag.com\/culture\/mark-zuckerberg-meta-horizon-worlds-rollout-spain-france-vr-selfie-metaverse\" class=\"T3D\">Meta\u2019s version of the metaverse<\/a>?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>I think the metaverse that we\u2019re trying to help enable and build is the decentralized one. That\u2019s the one we\u2019re focused on. There will be centralized ones, and people may choose to interact with one over the other, or a combination [of the two], but we\u2019re really focused on that decentralized future.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Recently we\u2019ve been seeing a lot of NFTs infiltrating spaces that aren&#8217;t necessarily within the metaverse. Are you working on any other projects expanding their influence?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Gemini is powering <a href=\"https:\/\/www.inputmag.com\/tech\/starbucks-odyssey-web3-rewards-platform-nfts-metaverse\" class=\"T3D\">Starbucks Odyssey<\/a>, a Web3 loyalty program. I think we\u2019ll launch later this fall. We don\u2019t really know where it\u2019s going to go and some of it won\u2019t work, but some of it might.<\/p>\n<div class=\"sWr iGR CEt\">\n<figure class=\"Qf5 E1M\">\n<div style=\"padding-top:108.7234%;\" class=\"vmZ F8Y ap2\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/imgix.bustle.com\/uploads\/image\/2022\/9\/15\/e2c73c9e-3a06-4aab-9934-0042be0a20a8-screen-shot-2022-09-15-at-25026-pm.png?w=375&amp;h=408&amp;fit=max&amp;dpr=2\" srcset=\"https:\/\/imgix.bustle.com\/uploads\/image\/2022\/9\/15\/e2c73c9e-3a06-4aab-9934-0042be0a20a8-screen-shot-2022-09-15-at-25026-pm.png?w=375&amp;h=408&amp;fit=max 375w, https:\/\/imgix.bustle.com\/uploads\/image\/2022\/9\/15\/e2c73c9e-3a06-4aab-9934-0042be0a20a8-screen-shot-2022-09-15-at-25026-pm.png?w=375&amp;h=408&amp;fit=max&amp;dpr=2 750w, https:\/\/imgix.bustle.com\/uploads\/image\/2022\/9\/15\/e2c73c9e-3a06-4aab-9934-0042be0a20a8-screen-shot-2022-09-15-at-25026-pm.png?w=760&amp;h=826&amp;fit=max 760w, https:\/\/imgix.bustle.com\/uploads\/image\/2022\/9\/15\/e2c73c9e-3a06-4aab-9934-0042be0a20a8-screen-shot-2022-09-15-at-25026-pm.png?w=760&amp;h=826&amp;fit=max&amp;dpr=2 1520w\" sizes=\"(min-width:768px) 760px, 375px\" alt=\"Vivienne Tam NFT spring 2023 collection as shown at NYFW\" class=\"uMj EdX\"\/><\/div>\n<p><figcaption class=\"TrI\"><cite class=\"hW6\">BFA<\/cite><\/figcaption><\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p><strong>Gemini <a href=\"https:\/\/www.inputmag.com\/culture\/crypto-ethereum-bitcoin-value-wiped-out-binance-celsius-blockfi\" class=\"T3D\">laid off about 10 percent of its employees<\/a> in June, citing \u201cturbulent market conditions.\u201d Do you think NFTs and crypto are faltering?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Well, there\u2019s definitely been a downturn in markets in general, crypto included, but we\u2019re still building for the future. I think NFTs are here to stay. We\u2019re in the winter, but it is a season, and seasons change. We\u2019ve been through winters many times before. We\u2019re not strangers to the downturn. And so we\u2019re just continuing to build.<\/p>\n<p><strong>On a different note, has being in your band <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2022\/07\/05\/style\/winklevoss-twins-mars-junction.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer\" class=\"T3D\">Mars Junction<\/a> informed any of your NFT or crypto decisions, or is it a separate venture?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>We actually gave free NFT art to people who attended one of our shows, and it was kind of an experiment of proof of attendance. I suspect there will be a lot more of those projects and experiments coming in the future. I think even like a fashion show, instead of having a ticket stub, you could get an NFT that commemorates [the experience] and have art from it or something super-unique. That experience is also digital and could create a community.<\/p>\n<p><strong>But no NFT-related music for now.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>I think there\u2019s a lot of directions that can go in. We don\u2019t know exactly where, but with Mars Junction, we\u2019ve been experimenting. We\u2019re probably going to write music in the next couple of months, and maybe if we drop it, we\u2019ll drop it through NFTs. We\u2019re still figuring it out.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<script async=\"async\" data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"https:\/\/pl30214220.effectivecpmnetwork.com\/9ab3d4df8a7e1a6171e16ddbf732cc19\/invoke.js\"><\/script>\r\n<div id=\"container-9ab3d4df8a7e1a6171e16ddbf732cc19\"><\/div>\r\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>At yesterday\u2019s Vivienne Tam New York Fashion Week show, her first in-person show since 2019, the designer showed off a collection full of flowing hems and patchwork knits \u2014 and blue chip NFT avatars. Characters from the Bored Ape Yacht Club, CryptoPunks, CyberKongz, and Awkward Astronauts appeared sewn, printed, and even embroidered on apparel and&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2171,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/imgix.bustle.com\/uploads\/image\/2022\/9\/15\/000f2bf6-f867-4298-b020-1b974b6976c7-07_cameron-winklevoss_101-cropped.jpg?w=1200&h=630&fit=crop&crop=focalpoint&fm=jpg&fp-x=0.5973&fp-y=0.2743","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[19],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2170","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-newsweek-trending"],"brizy_media":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2170","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2170"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2170\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/2171"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2170"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2170"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2170"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}