OpenSea’s Head of Design, Jessica Phan chats with designer Rebecca Minkoff and Yahoo’s Head of Consumer Jo Lambert about female empowerment and their newly launched immersive NFT experience on Yahoo.

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Jessica Phan:

Rebecca and Jo, I am thrilled to be interviewing you both. Before diving in, would you introduce yourself?

Rebecca Minkoff:

My name is Rebecca Minkoff. I am the founder of Rebecca Minkoff the brand and Female Founder Collective. I am a published author, mother, wife, friend, social activist, and colleague to many!

Jo Lambert:

I’m Jo Lambert, Head of Consumer at Yahoo. I have the great fortune to lead the company’s portfolio of consumer properties, including our flagship, Yahoo, Yahoo Finance, Yahoo Sports, Yahoo News, TechCrunch. We reach 900 million consumers globally every month. We strive to provide them engaging experiences, whether that be news, entertainment, retail investing, sports gaming and betting, subscriptions or shopping. 

Jessica Phan:

And how did you both find yourself in the NFT space?

Rebecca Minkoff:

We have a unique edge in the industry as we have always sat at the intersection of Fashion and Technology. As we approached our 20th anniversary of the iconic ‘I Love NY’ t-shirt, it was a natural evolution for us to step into this space as a frontrunner in the fashion industry reimagining our pieces for the RM girl. As we find new ways to showcase our own personal identity, I was excited to give consumers an opportunity to own a piece of this project and take part in our journey into the metaverse with NFTs.

Jo Lambert:

Yahoo is an industry leading digital media and technology company. We are laser focused on creating amazing and immersive experiences for our 900 million customers globally. We were so excited to work with Rebecca to showcase her collection in a virtual experience and to introduce them to these stunning NFTs in the virtual gallery. The collaboration between Rebecca Minkoff and Yahoo will deliver cutting edge, shoppable and immersive NFT experiences to fashion enthusiasts across the world. 

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“As we find new ways to showcase our own personal identity, I was excited to give consumers an opportunity to own a piece of this project and take part in our journey into the metaverse with NFTs.”‍

Designer Rebecca Minkoff

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Jessica Phan:

One of the reasons why I am personally thrilled to have you here is because you are both well-respected women in your industries who are navigating a new space that is highly male-dominated. As women, why is it important to you to enter this space and what excites you about it?

Rebecca Minkoff:

As a female founder and advocate for women owned business, having the opportunity to enter this male-dominated space is something that I am truly passionate about and feel the need to increasingly embrace and make space for other in. The sheer amount of women entering this space as gamers and consumers should mean that the talent creating these and artists making NFTs should be refractive of the customer base.

Jo Lambert:

Our work together this season showcases the power of women – from the producers on our team to the creative forces behind the project and those that stand within the NFTs — all which support female-run businesses. At Yahoo, we’ve seen incredible growth with female audiences as they come to us for more personalized experiences across news, sports, entertainment and finance – something we’re proud of as we continue to focus on bringing consumers closer to the things they love. This immersive NFT experience is a first of its kind and I love that the inspiration came from an amazing female entrepreneur who is leading the way in fashion and technology. 

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“Our work together this season showcases the power of women – from the producers on our team to the creative forces behind the project and those that stand within the NFTs — all which support female-run businesses.”

Jo Lambert

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Jessica Phan:

Rebecca, I’m curious how do you explain NFTs to other women and how it might impact or benefit their lives?

Rebecca Minkoff:

NFTs – a non-fungible token – is a unique digital art form that can serve many purposes. This can be a new way for consumers to collect art. It can armor ones identity within the digital space and metaverse. It can even be avatars on a snapchat lens.

You may be using an NFT without even realizing it on a consumer discovery level! Fashion and identity has been missing in the digital space, and the value of digital items allow women to have endless self expression. A lot of education needs to be done in the space, but hopefully our stride into this space allows women to explore their curiosity and learn more about this digital evolution.

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“A lot of education needs to be done in the space, but hopefully our stride into this space allows women to explore their curiosity and learn more about this digital evolution.”

Designer Rebecca Minkoff

Jessica Phan:

Rebecca, you will be hosting your first immersive NFT collection in collaboration with Yahoo on OpenSea. Can you tell us more about your collection and what the proceeds are used for?

Rebecca Minkoff:

Our NFTs include a series of collage images featuring model portraits by Cass Bird, images by Paul Siebert & Donte Page and immersive innovation by Yahoo.

OpenSea will host the NFT sale of which all proceeds will fund a grant for women-owned businesses impacted by the pandemic in NYC. Female Founder Collective (501c3) will be administering the grant to support these much needed businesses. All revenue from NFT resales will continue to benefit the Female Founder Collective (FFC).

Jessica Phan:

As a woman who has founded a business and is a member of the FFC, your collection means a lot to me. It is all very inspiring how this NFT collection has the power to empower women and their businesses.

Rebecca and Jo, thank you for giving us the opportunity to chat with you both.

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The capsule collection includes ten original NY Fashion Week Fall 2021 looks:

• Vigilance, an exclusive 1 of 1 NFT
  (includes 2 tickets to NYFW, a signed RM bag, and a private video call with Rebecca)
• The Premiere Series, a selection of 2 NFTs limited to 5 editions
  (includes 2 tickets to NYFW for each NFT)
• The NY Series, 6 NFTs limited to 10 editions each
• The Rebel, a single collector’s NFT with 150 editions

Be sure to check out the “I Love New York” A Capsule Collection by Rebecca Minkoff on OpenSea

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