Stella McCartney Debut's Air Cleaning Denim, GSM Launches “Wear-to-Earn”, New Steven Smith Croc?
Stella McCartney showcases PURE.TECH in Paris; GetStyleMoney gamifies fashion with blockchain rewards; Steven Smith’s first Crocs design hints at a high-concept future for comfort footwear.
Stella McCartney Debuts Air-Purifying Denim With PURE.TECH
Stella McCartney’s Paris Fashion Week collection introduced denim that can literally clean the air around it. The fabric integrates Barcelona-based PURE.TECH’s photocatalytic technology, which absorbs and neutralizes CO₂, VOCs, and NOx through surface reactions - essentially turning clothing into passive air filters. The collection also featured FEVVERS, a plant-based alternative to feathers, and upcycled denim waistbands transformed into accessories, reinforcing the brand’s material innovation and circularity agenda.
Why it matters: Stella McCartney continues to prove that sustainability can be a source of design power, not compromise. While air-purifying fabrics may remain more symbolic than scalable for now, they spotlight a crucial shift, where textile innovation becomes part of the climate solution. It’s the kind of moonshot experimentation luxury needs, even if the science-to-runway pipeline still has kinks to iron out.
GetStyleMoney Launches “Wear-to-Earn” Blockchain Model for Fashion Engagement
GetStyleMoney (GSM) has unveiled wear-to-earn - a blockchain framework that rewards users with tokens for verified fashion engagement. By merging AI and blockchain via its “Proof of Wear” system, GSM tracks authentic interactions like outfit sharing or digital brand participation, allowing users to earn tokens while brands gain verified engagement data and counterfeit protection. The project has passed a CertiK audit and is midway through its second presale round at $0.00003 per token, with plans to fund partnerships and integrations with digital fashion brands.
Why it matters: The wear-to-earn pitch sounds like the next logical step in web3’s endless quest to tokenize human behavior, but fashion may prove a tougher frontier. While GSM’s “Proof of Wear” offers an intriguing data-integrity layer, PI’s view is that the model’s success depends less on blockchain novelty and more on whether real consumers actually want to be rewarded for simply getting dressed.
Shylin Sam
Crocs’ Steven Smith Reveals Futuristic Laceless Clog
A new laceless Crocs silhouette designed under the direction of Steven Smith, YEEZY’s former Head of Product Design and now EVP and Head of Innovation Design at Crocs, has surfaced online. Shared by designer Philip Post, who received the pair from Cesar Idrobo (also ex-YEEZY, now at Crocs), the sculptural grey-and-blue clog ditches both laces and heel strap, drawing comparisons to Smith’s earlier Foam Runner design.
Why it matters: The leak offers a first glimpse into Crocs’ design evolution under Smith’s watch. Known for pushing the boundaries of comfort footwear, Smith’s influence suggests Crocs may be steering towards a bolder fusion of everyday wearability and high-concept design.
If you didn't catch Steven Smith speaking at PI's Stride event in Portland earlier this year, you can watch his talk here!